66 ANNUAL REPORT 



Mr. Dartt did not believe any man entitled to a premium — because 

 of the Wealthy or any other fruit; said the Wealthy was not hardy on 

 his grounds. 



Mr. Jordan said he had 7,000 trees of the Wealthy in orchard, and 

 intended planting 1,000 more next spring. 



Mr. Gould spoke highly of the Wealthy, and said that he believed 

 Mr. Grideon would yet accomplish valuable results on the fruit farm. 



Motion of Mr. Abernethy to table Mr. Emery's resolution lost, and 

 it was by unanimous consent referred to the following committee ta 

 report at this meeting : 



F. L. Gould, 0, Gibbs, R. J. Mendenhall. The following commit' 

 tee was appointed on the financies of current meeting: R. J. Men- 

 denhall, S. M. Emery, A. W. Sias. 



The report of general fruit committee partially submitted as follows ; 



LaCrescent, Minn., January 10, 1882, 

 U. S. Hollister, Secretary State Horticultural Society: 



Dear Sir: — I am sorry that I cannot attend the annual meeting of the State 

 Horticultural Society, but I will send in short report as general Fruit Committee, 

 There was not much fruit in Houston county, except grapes. They were middling 

 good, but the Concord was the best. I have some new seedlings that I think are 

 good, but the bii-ds spoiled them last year. Strawberries were not much. I had one 

 seedling. I found out they were pistilate and set some of Hart's seedling in the bed 

 and they were the best I ever had. Hart's seedling did not do anything. RaspT)er- 

 ries were not much, they killed last winter. Not many apples in this county; the 

 Tetofsky, Duchess and Walbridge bore the best. Ben Davis Northern Spy, Fa- 

 meuse and Haas killed some last winter. The blight was very bad on the Crab 

 apples and some apples. The Wealthy bore some, but they were not so good as 

 before A good many of the Duchess were small, knotty and hard inside. What is 

 the cause of it? Trees look favorable for a crop of apples this year. Strawberries- 

 are not very good; they were hurt in the dry weather last summer. 



Kespectfull3^ yours, 



John C. Kramer. 



M. I. Matthews, of Foster, Big Stone County, reports as follows re- 

 garding the Catalpa Speciosa : 



I received my Catalpas in the spring of 1879, and that summer they made a 

 growth of 12 to 24 inches. In the spring of 1880, they had frozen back about half 

 their growth, and in the .spring of 1881, about one-fourth, though a few stood the 

 last winter without injury. 



They do not ripen their wood in tlie fall but continue to grow until frost. 



I consider them good for ornamental planting, but not suitable for general cul- 

 ture as a forest tree. 



Litchfield, Minn., January 10, 1882. 



The last two winters has been liard on fruit trees in this section, Imt the last 

 summer has been very favorable, and the trees have recovered very rapidly from 



