164 ANNUAL REPORT 



Mr. Fuller accepted the amendment, and the motion so amended 

 wa? then adopted. 



Mr. Gideon, in reply to a question. 1 got the seed from which 

 I grew the Wealthy from Albert Emerson, of Bangor, Maine. It 

 was sent to me as Cherry Crab seed. 



QUESTION BOX. 



Has any one here tried the Russian Mulberry? 



Colonel Stevens. They are hardy, but not desirable, being too 

 scrubby. 



Mr. Gideon. They put up a strong stem like native mulberry. 

 I am favorably impressed with them. 



Prof. Porter. When I visited Mr, Gideon's grounds and exam- 

 ined his mulberries, I thought well of them for hedges, wind- 

 breaks, and ornamental trees, and set 1,000 on the experimental 

 farm. They started slowly, but afterwards grew rapidly. Some 

 made foi^r feet growth last season. Have 600 living. If this tree 

 can be grown, the silk culture will be remunerative. We get two 

 crops of cocoons, while in Europe they only get one. The fruit, 

 also, is valuable. The only objection is the lateness in starting in 

 the spring. 



Mr. Gould. I am not satisfied with the Russian mulberry, and 

 think we had better go slow on it till we know more about it. I 

 was disappointed when I dug the first tree. The root was yellow 

 and pliable. Seems to be a tender root. I doubt its hardiness. 



Mr. Pearce. A man informed me that the mulberry was the 

 only fruit grown in Siberia, except a small crab. The same man 

 saw my trees, said they were the identical ones, and took 1,000. 

 Mine grew four feet first season from cuttings. They are tender 

 the first year, but hardy afterwards. A counterfeit mulberry is in 

 circulation. The true Russian mulberry has a cut leaf; the coun- 

 terfeit has not. Do not think we need have any fears but that a 

 tree that survives out at Mountain Lake will endure the winters 

 anywhere in Minnesota. The Mennonites say you must cut them 

 down the second year, when new shoots will spring up, and the 

 leaves of these are fed to the silk worms. 



