16 ANNUAL REPORT 



siasm manifested by Col. Robertson, Messrs. Harkness, Hoag, Walters, Harris, and 

 one or two otliers, and they were branded by the more sedate and doubting Thomases 

 as slightly insane or very visionary. The late Mrs. P. A Jewell was present at thos^ 

 meetings and became the first lady raeml)er of the society. The membership was 

 not increased above tlie original number, l)at was somewhat changed. This was 

 partly owing to the very unfortunate stale of the weather. 



The next meeting of the society was held at Faribault, January 30, 1878, and was 

 the first of the annual winter meetings, and from that meeting perhaps may be dated 

 the real growth and prosperity of the society. The winter meetings have continued 

 to grow in interest and they have exerted an inlluence for good that is felt in all 

 sections of the State, and in fact over the whole Northwest, and it has enjoyed a 

 steady increase of membership. 



Tlie winter of 1872- 73 was the most disastrous to fruit trees of any ever l^nown 

 in the West. The Ijright visions of fruit in abundance were suddenly darkened. 

 Our orchards and vineyards were laid low, and the croakers on every side met us 

 with '•! told you fruit could not be raised in Minnesota." But our society met the 

 emergency witli a firm determination to overcome every ol)stacle or perish in the at- 

 tempt, and thanks to the aid granted us by the legislature of 1873, in publishing 

 and distributing our transactions, the disasters of that winter did not prove any 

 great calamity. Since tliat date there lias been no interruption to our growth and 

 prosperity, and our infiuence has become second to no societj^ in the State. Among 

 the cheering results are the establishment of a State Experimental Fruit Farm of 116 

 acres, and an annual appropriation oi $1,000, to be expended in raising seedlings, 

 and testing new varieti(;s with a view -to originating new varieties of apples that 

 shall he hardy and good, and withal long keepers. The last legislature granted an 

 additional annual $1,000 to the society to further aid in developing llie fruit in- 

 terests of the state. This sum if carefully husbanded and judiciously expended may 

 be made to return to the State a thousand fold in material wealth, and will accom- 

 plish much in increasing the intelligence, comfort and morality of our people. 

 Nor are these the only causes we have for congratulations. Already are the fruits 

 of our labors being seen and felt, as is manifested in the splendid exliibits of orchard, 

 vineyard, garden and floral products spread upon the table before you. 



I have always been accused of being a little visionary, but the great variety Of 

 apples and grapes of Minnesota growth, and many of them of Minnesota origin that 

 I have seen at the fairs this season (and it is not a good year for fruit either), surpass 

 my most sanguine expectations, and I cheerfully acknowledge myself beaten as an 

 exhibitor, as the awards of first premiums will testify. 



At the State Fair of 1866 twenty square feet of table was ample for the display of 

 all the truits present, and I do not think the whole number of entries exceeded a 

 dozen, and in the floral department still less. At the late State Fair, entries of fruits 

 exceeded 380, and 500 square feeet of table was found entirely inadequate for the 

 display, and of green house plants and flowers there was at least a car-load 

 Wonderful indeed is the progress of fifteen years. Then our apples in variety were 

 less than a score of named varieties, and a few seedlings, and of Siberians onl}^ four, 

 and the Concord, Clinton, Isabella and Black Cluster were the only grapes. Now 

 behold varieties of apples more than five score, and more than fifty Siberians and 

 Hybrids, some of them as large as the more popular apples, and unsurpassed for 

 delicious flavor and marvelous for their beauty. 



