14 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



discover and make use of them or be left behind in the march of 

 progress. 



Evergreens : The great hope for improvement in this class 

 of trees lies with the nurseryman in the selection of his seed from 

 that type of each species that is best adapted to our climate. 

 We are just beginning to consider this matter, but it is one that 

 lies at the very foundation of successful tree planting, as much 

 as a proper selection of -seed does at the foundation of success- 

 ful agriculture. Permit me to give an instance from our own 

 experience that is typical of nearly every species that we han- 

 dle. At one time we had four types of the white spruce (Picea 

 alba) growing at our place. First, the hardiest, most densely 

 foliated and most beautiful of all, that from the Black Hills of 

 South Dakota ; second, a more growthy and very desirable type 

 from northern Minnesota; third, a passably fair but not really 

 satisfactory kind, probably from the eastern states ; and, fourth, 

 a wretchedly feeble and worthless sort from European seed. 

 These were all true white spruce, and each in its proper habit 

 would doubtless have been a credit to its kind, but with us in 

 southern Minnesota only two of them were worthy of the 

 ground they occupied. This difference within the species, we 

 believe, holds largely true with nearly all the trees we plant, and 

 the longer we put oiT its careful consideration the longer shall 

 we fail to realize any certain success. 



Forestry : We only mention this important branch of our 

 art, which is so well cared for by an association of its own, in 

 order to give expression to the satisfaction and thankfulness we 

 feel at the wonderful progress that is being made in this formerly 

 neglected subject. Those of us who can remember the state of 

 things less than twenty years ago will almost wish that some of 

 the departed champions of the forest could have lived to see this 

 their day of triumph. 



Ornamental Planting: We think that the idea of "Art for 

 art's sake" will not commend itself to the hard working, practi- 

 cal, bread winning class that I am addressing. But I am cer- 

 tain that any art for beauty's sake will be sure of your sympathiz- 

 ing interest. Beauty is the seal, the trade mark, if you please, of 

 perfection. It is and ever will be one of the proofs of a task 

 well done. We must not and can not be satisfied without it. 

 Nature when she has full sway is superb, unapproachable. I 

 well remember the exclamation of my father in one of our rides 

 together in the early days of our state. As we reached the top 

 of one of those swells in the prairie that gave a wide, midsummer 



