6 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Sandsten, horticulturalist at the Wisconsin Experiment Station, 

 representing- the Wisconsin society. We had with us, also, from 

 that state throughout the meeting our old friends, A. J. Philips and 

 G. J. Kellogg. Iowa was represented by Mr. Charles F. Gardner, of 

 Osage, he standing- delegate for both the state and the northeastern 

 societies. South Dakota society was representd by its president, M. 

 J. DeWolf, and Prof. N. E. Hansen, its secretary. C. W. Harrison, 

 of York, Neb., for the third consecutive year represented the so- 

 ciety of that state. Mr. Wm. G. Scott, of Winnipeg, was present 

 during the meeting as the representative of the Winnipeg society. 

 Some of the local societies also had representatives present, but not 

 all. 



Eighty-five persons in all had places on the program, but 

 there were many others who had official duties given them at the 

 meeting, as ushers, reception committee, judges and attendants, 

 and many who were assigned to special places in connection with the 

 discussions, so that a very large proportion of those present had 

 something to do with the program and were interested in the meet- 

 ing enough to bring them and keep them there throughout. It is a 

 self-helpful society that works, we believe, each for other and for the 

 common good. 



The exhibit of fruit was very much the same in quantity as the 

 year before, the exhibition room being well filled, but there was a 

 noticeable improvement in quality, in color and size over the 

 previous year, so that we are congratulating ourselves that this is 

 the best exhibit yet made. In the class of apples kept in cold storage 

 there were 475 plates shown, consisting of forty-four varieties. Of 

 the varieties not cold storage were exhibited 250 plates, represent- 

 ing fifty-two varieties. There were 275 plates of seedling apples 

 on exhibition, of wdiich, however, only ninety-two varieties were 

 entered for competition. The prizes on early winter seedling apples 

 were divided among ten exhibitors, and on late winter seedling 

 apples among fourteen exhibitors, the standard being placed high 

 enough so that only those which had real commercial merit were 

 awarded a part of the pro rata premiums ofifered. The failure of 

 any seedling exhibit to receive a premium this year should not de- 

 ter any from exhibiting the same variety again, as these fruits 

 vary much from year to year and the standard of award will also be 

 found to vary. We are desirous that all seedlings should be shown 

 for a number of years, so that comparative position as to commer- 

 cial value may be well established. 



