54 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The meeting began at ten o'clock with the reports of the officers 

 of the society. The first subject taken up thereafter was a paper 

 on the "Americana Plum, Its Past and Probable Future," by L. A. 

 demons, of Storm Lake. He thought we had reached the limit 

 in improving the Americana plum from seed, as he had grown many 

 trees from choice seed and had not found the fruit from them 

 superior to existing varieties. Being asked for my opinion on the 

 subject, I stated my belief that the improvement of the plum from 

 seed was just begun, and that we had many kinds superior to those 

 mentioned by Mr. demons, that some of my own seedlings were 

 very much better, naming the Terry, Free Silver, Williams, Emerald, 

 etc., as being in this class. 



Question : Is the Free Silver productive with you ? 



Answer: Some of the trees are and'some not 



Question : Can you account for the unproductiveness ? 



Answer : The trees on high ground yield a fair crop every year, 

 those on low ground bear only a few. 



The Emerald would be one of the best except that it rots badly 

 in wet weather. This can be prevented to some extent. I had 

 some of these trees on the outside of the orchard, where there was 

 free circulation, and few rotted. Those grown in the orchard most all 

 rotted. As to the Eureka, it produces a fair crop every year, one 

 of the earliest, large and a good quality and con^s nearest to the 

 European type of all we have. 



Mr. H. L. Felter, of Washta, read a paper entitled, "Some Early 

 Plums." He mentioned first a variety which he had secured of 

 me of which he had forgotten the name, ripening about August ist. 

 Next was Forest Garden. The Milton he found worthless and not 

 hardy, the Surprise was troubled with spurblight so badly that he 

 only got a few plums — and so with all other kinds that belong to the 

 Miner group. 



Wednesday afternoon program was occupied by a variety of 

 papers on the subject of apple growing. I noted specially one 

 by A. T. Worth, of Mondamin, on the "Ideal Winter /\pple in the 

 Northwest." It appeared that the Northw^^stern Greening had the 

 most friends, but it had one bad fault, getting bruised easily and not 

 keeping well afterwards. 



The evening program contained the annual address of the 

 president, P. F. Kinne, and entertainment by some local talent. 



Thursday morning session began with the re-election of all 

 tlTe old officers, followed by a paper on "The Kinds of Fruit That 



