20 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
On the other hand we are very sorry that we could not have brought 
enough influence to bear to cause the passage of some measures that in our 
opinion were very essential to the success of horticulture. There was the bill 
for regulating the sale of nursery stock, that should have received more 
hearty support from all the members of this society. This measure is of so 
much importance that it should be brought up again at our next meeting of 
the legislature and a strong committee be appointed to secure the passage 
of a law that will prevent the wholesale swindling of the farmers and ama- 
teur horticulturists in our state, and put our own home nurserymen on an 
equality with outside nurserymen in the sale of nursery stock. The states 
around us have laws that regulate the sale and transplantation of nursery 
stock. Why should we not have the same or similar regulations? 
In Memoriam, 
PETER M. GIDEON, 
EXCELSIOR, MINNESOTA. 
DIED OCTOBER 27, 1899, AGED 81 YEARS. 
The death of Peter M. Gideon, originator of the Wealthy apple, and best 
known horticulturist in the Northwest, occurred on Friday morning, Oct. 
27, 1899, after an illness of several months. The last four weeks he was con- 
fined to the bed, upon which bed he died, at the advanced age of 81. 
Mr. Gideon was born in Champaign county, Ohio, on Feb. 9, 1818. He 
began the study of horticulture at the age of seven years by planting peach 
seeds, and had been engaged in growing seedlings ever since up to 
the time of his death. He resided in Ohio until 1841, when he removed to 
Clinton, Ill., and in 1853 came to Lake Minnetonka, Minn. His first experi- 
ments there consisted in planting thirty varieties of apple trees, a collection 
of pear, plum and cherry trees, besides a bushel of apple seeds and a peck 
of peach seeds. He kept this up, adding more annually for nine years. At 
the end of ten years, the rigorous Minnesota winters had killed every tree 
except one seedling crab. The labor and money of all these years was lost 
to him, and to many others who followed in his footsteps. 
At this time Mr. Gideon found himself with only eight dollars in his 
pocket, a large family, one cow and a few chickens, with the long winter 
months ahead. However, he did not give up in despair, but sent the eight 
dollars to Bangor, Me., for seeds and scions, instead of buying clothing. For 
the latter he substituted two cast off vests, sewed them together, cut the legs 
off an old worn pair of trousers and sewed them on the vest, which did duty 
as a pair of sleeves. By re-enforcing the old patches and adding a little here 
and there, he succeeded in building himself a winter suit that lasted six 
months, “more odd than ornamental.” Yet that antiquated garment was the 
means of adding millions to horticultural wealth in the cold Northwest. 
From these seeds came the Wealthy apple, which was named in honor of 
Mr. Gideon’s wife. whose maiden name was Wealthy Hall. In crossing the 
common apple with the cherry crab, he achieved marvelous results in pro- 
ducing hardy apple trees adapted to this cold northern climate. 
