388 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



on both sides, by these hedges or tree rows, some of which are 

 trimmed as wide hedges far enough up for the branches to be out 

 of the way of passing vehicles, and others are trimmed as trees 

 with high trunks in the ordinary way. 



This the reader will understand is a grain country. Every- 

 where wheat, and more wheat, with occasional fields of barley and 

 oats and a few potatoes. Once in a while a farmer raises a few 

 vegetables and perhaps a few small fruits. Corn is not grown as 

 a farm crop. So that the experiments at this station are limited 

 largely to the production of these cereals, and the principal work 

 which we saw in the several hours' examination of the station, 

 under the guidance of its superintendent, were mainly the growing 



]890 

 Residence of Supt. Angus Mackay, Indian Head, Assa., Experiment Station in 1890. 



of grains in experiment plats. As a test of what the country will 

 produce with reasonable wind protection — which, unfortunately, the 

 farmers of this region seem very loath to provide — this station is a 

 great success, and the things we saw would delight the eye and ex- 

 cite the imagination of any practical farmer. 



But we were not there to study farm conditions, except incident- 

 ally, but rather to^ see what could be done in the various lines of 

 horticulture and glean what lessons we might for the Minnesota 

 horticulturist. The garden about Mr. Mackay's residence would 

 indicate that they can grow there very much the same variety of 

 flowers and shruljs that are grown in Minnesota. We have cer- 

 tainly seen no finer flowers at home. Although some perennials 

 winter safely, they require greater care. Small fruits, including 

 the raspberry, currant, gooseberry, and strawberry, also winter 



