202 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



B. Hodges as foreman to set trees along the line of the St. Paul & 

 Pacific Railroad, at Willmar, Benson, Morris and other towns along 

 that line. 



"Having experimented with Eastern fruit trees and become dis- 

 couraged with the results, in 1877 he started a small nursery of apple 

 trees and evergreens. Scions were obtained from seedling fruit 

 trees which had withstood previous trying winters, and a small sup- 

 ply was also received from the Agricultural Department. In 1880 

 an orchard of some 200 trees was set, including a number of Rus- 

 sian varieties. These trees all grew well, but the seedlings were 

 mostly killed by the trying winter of 1883-4. A few trees in the 

 orchard and nursery escaped where well protected on the north by a 

 willow hedge, but the Russian varieties withstood the test, and these 

 still remain in a fruitful condition. Encouraged by this experience, 

 he added thereafter some hundred or more Russian varieties and a 

 limited number of the better varieties of seedlings, and he now has 

 some 2,000 trees. This experimental work he has conducted inde- 

 pendent of outside aid, seeking to obtain a few of the best varieties 

 for hardiness of wood and fine quality of fruit, which farmers can 

 set with some degree of certainty." 



On Oct. 6, 1842, Mr. Somerville was married to Rachel C. 

 Cunningham, now deceased. Of this union six children were born, 

 five of whom survive him, viz: Luther E., Rochester, Minn.; 

 George W., Sleepy Eye, Minn. ; Mrs. M. J. Hillman, Minneapolis ; 

 Mrs. Lucina Frenger, Sanford, Florida ; Mrs. John N. Rutledge, 

 Stewartville, Minn. 



The foregoing quoted sketch of Mr. Somerville's life was pub- 

 lished originally in the report of the society for 1895. It speaks 

 only briefly of the services of Mr. Somerville to the society and the 

 horticulture of the state. An examination of the society reports 

 show that while he was one of the charter members, one of the 

 twelve that founded the society, he was not especially prominent in 

 its councils until as late as the year 1889, from which time onwards, 

 until his growing infirmity detained him at home, he was a regular 

 attendant at the meetings and a large contributor to its programs, 

 the reports of the intervening years showing often several articles 

 from his pen in a single year. His services with the Farmers' In- 

 stitute as lecturer on horticulture for a number of years should 

 be noted especially, and in this work indeed he paved the way 

 largely for his successors in this popular field. Of large stature 

 and animated appearance, he was a striking personality, and in his 

 peculiar way on the platform he vigorously set forth the facts of 

 horticulture, clothing them in striking and impressive language. 



