50 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ber of visiting members and delegates from other societies pres- 

 ent at the meetings. 



In discussing varieties of the apple, many persons said that 

 while the Yellow Transparent blighted badly while young it was 

 a money-maker for the grower. The need of more apples of good 

 quality for eating to enable the home grower to compete success- 

 fully with the 'shipper was mentioned by many present. One of 

 Mr. Patten's seedlings, the Summer Pear, of good quality but 

 not very large or attractive, was recommended by some as a good 

 market apple after customers found out its superior quality. A 

 couple of papers on pruning brought out the usual diversity of 

 opinion. 



Prof. Greene, secretary of the Iowa State Society, and Prof. 

 Little, of Ames, both thought that as the leaves were lungs of the 

 tree to remove many of them in June would injure the tree, but 

 that light pruning might be done at any time. Prof. Greene did 

 not object to winter pruning if the wound was covered with paint 

 or wax. In spring pruning, where the wound bled, there was a loss 

 of sap all ready for growth, but did not think it would bleed enough 

 to seriously injure the tree. Mr. Ivins would make the wound 

 smooth by paring with a sharp chisel, but others could not see 

 why the roughness caused by the saw was not a benefit when ap- 

 plying paint or wax. 



A paper on the plum and discussion that followed did not 

 bring out anything of interest to us in Minnesota, except an idea 

 by Mr. Patten, that plums could be quickly thinned when one- 

 fourth or one-half grown by striking the limb a quick, sharp blow 

 with a light three-tined fork, and the result would be a larger quan- 

 tity and a much better quality of fruit than there would have been 

 if not thinned. 



Prof. Greene read a paper on the orchard. He believed that 

 there was money in raising apples in the right location; would 

 prefer rolling ground to secure good air drainage and exemption 

 from frost ; would set trees twenty- four by thirty-two feet, and from 

 three to six inches deeper than they grew in nursery; would cul- 

 tivate, if possible, but if not would sow to clover, removing the 

 first crop each year and allowing the second crop to remain on 

 the ground, and by doing that keep the ground in clover. Form 

 head of tree from two to three feet from the ground. Would 

 spray to prevent trouble with insects and fungous diseases. 



In discussing the paper, other items of interest were advanced. 

 H. H. Fitch, delegate from the Northwestern Iowa Society, would 

 keep in bluegrass sod, but would not mow or pasture, but let the 



