Present Membership. — At this date, March 27, the annual membership 

 roll for 1907 stand at 1963. Adding to this the life roll brings the total pres- 

 ent membership to something over 2100. 



Strawberries on a Clover Bed. — Mr. G. A. Chafifee had unusual suc- 

 cess with a strawberry field of one and one-half acres on his fruit farm at 

 Long Lake, planted on a clover field, turned under just before planting. The 

 clover growing in amongst the strawberries the year after planting partially 

 shaded the fruit. The crop yielded at the rate of $400 to the acre. After 

 securing one crop the field was turned over. 



Some New Fruits from South Dakota. — The above is a title of a cir- 

 cular sent out by Prof. N. E. Hansen, of the South Dakota Experiment 

 Station, located at Brookings, S. D. Any of our members who are interested 

 in the breeding of new fruits can secure one of these circulars upon applica- 

 tion to Prof. Hansen. It describes the new fruits of some value which he 

 has so far originated and is offering to the public for general testing. A 

 hardy strawberry, a hardy raspberry, some selected sand cherries and various 

 other seedlings are noted in this list. 



Distribution of Our Membership. — The members of this society may be 

 interested to note where the membership is located. The following list was 

 made some months since, late in 1906: 



Alabama 1 Minnesota 1862 South Dakota 45 



California 2 Missouri 9 Texas 2 



Colorado 1 Montana 1 Washington 2 



District of Columbia. 2 Nebraska 2 Wisconsin 31 



Illinois 6 New Jersey 1 Wyoming 1 



Indiana 1 New York S Ontario 3 



Iowa 24 North Dakota 155 Manitoba 22 



Massachusetts 2 Ohio 2 Philippines 1 



Michigan 4 Pennsylvania 2 



Total 2192 



A Missouri Fruit Experiment Station. — The effort being made in this 

 state to secure from the legislature an appropriation for the purchase and 

 maintenance of a fruit breeding farm makes the annual report of the Missouri 

 State Fruit Experiment Station, at this time, an especially interesting one. 

 We, in Minnesota, are modestly asking for $16,000 to purchase and equip 

 such a station and $2,000 annually to pay the expenses for its maintenance. 

 The Missouri experiment station cost the state last year the sum of $30,170, 

 and their wants for the coming year foot up to $44,250. When the needs of 

 Minnesota, that has yet to develop a suitable local pomology, are compared 

 with those of Missouri, where the growing of all the fruits of the temperate 

 zone is already assured, it would seem that our requests are e.xcessively mod- 

 est, and they should readily be granted. There are, after all, problems to 

 be solved in Missouri, it is evident, and there will also be work still for 

 the experimenter in Minnesota long after the choice varieties of winter apples, 

 we now most need, have been secured. 



