12 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL ADDRESS. 



CLARENCE WEDGE, ALBERT LEA. 



Fellow Horticulturists : Another year has rolled around — winter 

 with its plans and preparations, the hopes and enticements of spring, 

 summer's burden and heat, and autumn's harvest home, have each 

 again been ours. And this good December day, gathered within 

 walls dedicated to the service of the Great Being, whose laws we 

 study, we are again brought together to begin a new horticultural 

 year in such a way as shall best fit us to meet its duties and respon- 

 sibilities. Whatever may have been the peculiar trial or adversity 

 that some of us may have been called upon to meet, we shall have 

 to agree that in the main the year has been one of great prosperity 

 and real advance in almost every department of art. 



It is evident that we of the north are rapidly passing through 

 what might be termed the second stage of our horticultural develop- 

 ment. The first, or pioneer, period may be said to have ended fifteen 

 years ago, leaving us some small material for foundation and a vast 

 amount of experiment. The work of this second period is to 

 winnow out the chaff and find the real substantial kernel, to bring 

 the practical out of the theoretical, to bring into real faith what be- 

 fore had been a hope— in short, to put the business of horticulture 

 on a sound, practical, money making basis. That much of this work 

 has been accomplished is amply attested by the remarkable ship- 

 ments from the orchards of southern Minnesota during the past few 

 seasons, one town alone, Spring Valley, in Fillmore county, ship- 

 ping fifty-four car loads of apples, 170 bbls. to car — 8,500 barrels, 

 during the season of 1904, and the quantity and quality of the fruit 

 now grown in that section of Minnesota is attracting apple buy- 

 ers from long distances. Having mentioned the progress of orchard- 

 ing, the most backward of the fruit industries in any newly settled 

 section, it is scarcely necessary to say anything of the small fruits, 

 which long since obtained a recognized standing in our state. 



Having therefore been placed on the present favorable and solid 

 basis by the labors of almost two generations, aided and encouraged 

 by thirty-eight annual conferences of this horticultural society, in 

 what direction shall we now turn our efforts to accomplish some- 

 thing worthy of our existence, and of the confidence reposed in us 

 by the state of Minnesota? However much we may be inclined to 

 congratulate ourselves upon what we have done, if we look about 

 us and compare our products with those of the older sections of our 

 country we shall be obliged to acknowledge in all candor that there 

 yet remains very much to be desired. However useful the fruits 



