secretary's corner. 39 



Plant Apple Seed for the Contest. — We hope that a large number of 

 the members of our society are saving or will save apple seeds to plant the 

 coming spring in connection with the seedling contest being carried on by the 

 society. Seven prizes of $ioo each are offered for the best apple seedlings, 

 the first to be paid in 1912 and one annually thereafter. For full particulars 

 address the secretary. If you can't secure the right kind of seed, you can 

 get seedlings one year old as plant premiums from the society, without ex- 

 pense to you, which you can use for this purpose. 



Have You Renewed Membership? — If you have not yet renewed your 

 membership for 1907 you should receive with this number of the magazine 

 a reminder in the shape of a bill which says, "Dr. To subscription for the 

 Minnesota Horticulturist for 1907." This form of wording is required by the 

 Post Office Department, but the member will understand that this bill refers 

 to the membership in the society, and on receipt of the annual fee of $r.oo 

 the usual membership ticket and bound volume for the preceding year will 

 be sent — and don't forget you are entitled to two plant premiums. 



Death of Charles Leudloff. — Notice of the death of Mr. Chas. Leud- 

 loflf. Carver, Minnesota, came to the secretary about the time of the annual 

 meeting but too late for mention in the December Horticulturist. Mr. Leud- 

 loff was one of the oldest honorary members of the society, his decease occur- 

 ring at the advanced age of 81 years, on Sept. 3d last. He was made an 

 honorary member in 1886 in recognition of the valuable work he was doing 

 in experimenting largely with European fruits. This work he continued as 

 far as he was able to consistent with his growing feebleness until the close 

 of his life. He was one of the true pioneers of Minnesota horticulture. 



Delegates to Iowa and Wisconsin. — Mr. O. W. Moore, of Spring Val- 

 ley, represented this society at the annual meeting of the Iowa State Horti- 

 cultural Society, which convened in Des Moines, la., on December 11 to 13. 

 His report of the meeting came to hand promptly and is in press, but on ac- 

 count of the pressure of other matter it was found necessary to hold it over 

 until the February number. The same can be said of the report of the North- 

 western Iowa Society, held at Sioux City, Dec. 5 to 8, at which Mr. Joseph 

 Wood, of Windom, was present as the representative of our society, and the 

 report of the Northeastern Iowa Society by Mr. A. W. Massee, of Albert Lea. 



Winter Protection for Young Seedlings. — ^Those of our members who 

 have young seedling trees grown from seeds planted last year should note 

 particularly that protection the first winter is an absolute necessity. If you 

 have not already covered them with earth you can still protect them with 

 some kind of mulch. Straw or other coarse material put on liberally will 

 give them the protection needed. If as a result of this protection mice should 

 get in and injure the trees, it would not matter, as they would sprout below 

 the point of injury and come on and make a good growth next year just the 

 same. 



Decease of Wm. Somerville. — -Notice of the decease of this prominent 

 worker for many years in the horticultural society reached us just too late to 

 find place in the December issue. Mr. Somerville died October 21st at the home 

 of his son in Rochester, in this state. Few members of this society have 

 reached the advanced age that has been granted to him, passing away, as he did, 

 in his eighty-seventh year,— a long life well rounded out with useful service. 

 A biography of Mr. Somerville will appear in an early issue of our monthly. 

 He was an honorary life member, his election as such going back to 1893. 



