52 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



VICE-PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL REPORT, THIRD 

 CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. 



J. F. BENJAMIN, HUTCHINSON. 



The spring of 1905 began in a very promising way and almost 

 every fruit tree that was old enough blossomed full and looked very 

 fine until the hot weather of June 14, when a large per cent of the 

 apple trees, even in the nursery row, blighted badly. After that 

 date we had an occasional hot day for a month or so, which caused 

 more blight, until but a few varieties escaped being scorched — 

 though the apple crop in m!y locality was very heavy until the 

 severe wind storm of Aug. 20, which relieved the trees of a greater 

 part of their burden where the orchards were not well protected on 

 the west side. 



In order to make a report that would cover the whole of this 

 congressional district I used the printed blanks sent me by the 

 society. I sent out twenty-five of these to various parts of the 

 district with stamped envelopes for reply, and I received fifteen 

 answers to the following questions as printed : 



"What is the present condition of the fruits in your vicinity and 

 kind of crop borne this year, 1905, by each, viz :" 



The answers were as follows : 



Good Fair Poor No answer 



Apples 7 4 4 o 



Plums 3 I II o 



Cherries 2 2 3 8 



Grapes 6 3 3 3 



Blackberries o 3 6 6 



Raspberries 8 3 i 3 



Strawberries 6 5 3 i 



Currants and gooseberries .. . 200 13 



(I believe in most cases these answers were given in regard to 

 the crop borne only.) 



"Has there been much nursery stock planted in your section this 

 year and with what results ?" Those who answered this and knew 

 say, "there has been considerable planted and with good results." 



"Has there been much blight, and what has been done to com- 

 bat it successfully?" 



The universal answer to this question is, "Yes — more blight than 

 during the past five years." All there seems to have been done to 

 check it is to cut oflf the aflfect'ed branches and burn. This will have 

 a tendency to help the appearance of the tree, if nothing more. 



"What has been done in the way of spraying?" There seems to 



