66 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



VICE-PRESIDENT'S REPORT, FOURTH CONG. DIST. 



LE ROY CADY^ ST. ANTHONY PARK. 



The season of 1904 was rather cold, wet and generally 

 backward for all horticultural work, but in spite of this fair crops 

 were raised. Plums were a fine crop ; apples are reported 

 from 50 to 75 per cent of a crop in different parts of the district; 

 raspberries were about 75 per cent of a crop, and strawberries about 

 50 per cent. Duchess, Wealthy and Patten's Greening are reported 

 as having been the most profitable apples this season. Blight was 

 troublesome in some parts of the district. Following is a list of 

 other varieties of fruit that have been the most profitable of their 

 class : Transcendent and Florence crabs, Wyant and De Soto plums. 

 Splendid and Senator Dunlap strawberries, Loudon raspberry, 

 Houghton gooseberry, Ancient Briton blackberry, Victoria and 

 Fay's currants, Campbell's Early and Beta grapes. 



Among the things that have been rather hard to contend with 

 in fruit growing are the lack of labor and a profitable market for 

 some fruits, especially raspberries and strawberries, in some parts 

 of the district. With the' exception of a few districts around St. 

 Paul and Stillwater, fruit growing and vegetable growing is car- 

 ried on in connection with general farm work. Taking the dis- 

 trict as a whole, there seems to have been quite an increase in the 

 growing of fruits and the planting of shrubs and ornamentals dur- 

 ing the last few years. The growing of vegetables under glass, 

 such as cucumbers, lettuce and radishes, especially near the cities, 

 has increased noticeably in the past two or three years. 



The following seem to have been the most satisfactory ornamen- 

 tals to plant : the elm, hydrangea, spirea, lilac and peony. 



Potato rot has been troublesome in this district, as well as in 

 other parts of the state. I have received reports stating that from 

 one-quarter to one-half of the potato crop has rotted. The rot 

 seems to have affected the early potatoes more than the late. 



There have been few troublesome insects this year ; squash and 

 potato beetles have been the principal ones. 



The outlook for next season seems good at present, and, in fact, 

 the farmers in general in this district seem to be taking considerable 

 interest in horticultural work. 



