24 ANNUAL REPORT 



flavor about the first of May. Let us liope and pray that this may prove a hardy 

 sort at least, that we may be able to add to our list a keeper. 



Mr. Fountain's apple was awarded the first premium also at the State fair for the 

 best seedling sweet apple. It is from a seedling orchard over twentj' years old, 

 planted by Mr. Uriah Lewis near Frontenac. A peculiarity of this orchard is that 

 while it was planted from seedlings obtained from a ))arrel of apples in which 

 there were no sweet ones, a majority of the trees produced sweet apples. The 

 tree now under consideration has borne many abundant crops, and is yet in fair 

 condition, and stands in rather low ground, adjacent to a marsh. Against this 

 unfavorable location it has the advantage of a timbered bluff shelter on the south 

 and west, and to this it doubtless owes its longer life. The apple resembles the 

 Talman Sweet in color and flavor, though a little more elongated in form. 



There may possibly be some question as to Mr. Hazlett's tree being a new seed- 

 ling. It is not represented by the owner as such. The tree is an old one, is in good 

 condition, and l)ears almndant crops. The apple shows for itself. It is a fair 

 keeper. 



The seedling of Mr. Harris is from Transcendant crab, supposed to be fertilized 

 by Talman Sweet or Golden Pippin. According to this pedigree it should rank as 

 a hybiid apple, as it shows more of the characteristics of an apple than of a crab. 

 There is another seedling in the collection, furnished by Mrs. Geo. Hartmau, of 

 Hokaii. Of this, as well as of his own seedling, Mr. Harris himself can furnish 

 information not known to your committee. 



Of the class of apples on exhibition known as hybrids or improved crabs, or if 

 they Ije hybrids, more propel- to be classed as hybrid crabs, your committee would, 

 invite attention to some of them, now that abundant samples are furnished, to be 

 tested for their excellent quality as eating or dessert apples, in addition to their 

 merits as orchard trees for hardiness, abundant bearing, etc. In this category we 

 have the Minnesota, the Beecher Sweet, the Early Strawberry, the Whitney No. 

 20, the Conical, Angular, the Maiden Blush, the Hutchinson Sweet, the Hesper 

 Blush, Sweet Russet and Seedling No. 8 Of the hybrid crabs, that are good cook- 

 ing apples, the Orange is of delightful flavor and would rank as a fine dessert ap- 

 ple if it would get mellow, and the names of the others are too numerous to men- 

 tion. Some of this class are fair to good keepers — particularly the Maiden Blush, 

 Minnesota and Hutchinson Sweet, the latter being doubtless a late keeper. 



In the line of grapes the Janesville deserves especial mention for its earliness and 

 its consequent adaptation to localities subject to early autumn frosts. Its qualitjas 

 good, and is said to make "the appetite grow with what it feeds on." The exhibi- 

 tors of grapes ai'e Underwood & Emery, S. S. Workman, Lake City; Collins Pratt, 

 Oakwood, and G. H. Nichols, Prescott, Wis. 



Of plums we have a large collection of Weavers, Miners, DeSotos and Forest 

 Gardens from our Lake City hosts, Messrs. Underwood & Emery, and ^-our com- 

 mittee take no risks in remarking that they (both plums aforesaid and the Jiosts) 

 have been well sampled by the members of the society. If not strictly tame, these 

 varieties are easily domesticated in Minnesota, and they are large, handsome and 

 of excellent quality. The Miner has at last jumped into full bearing at a bound 

 and are sold in Lake City this year by the bushel. The Weaver is a perfect free- 

 stone. 



