120 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
FROM THE RED RIVER VALLEY.—My work in horticulture has been with 
many kinds of fruit, and mysuccess has been beyond expectation, although 
you told me once that this valley would never be a successful fruit country. I 
know we suffer from late frosts in spring and early frosts in the fall, but we seem 
to suffer no more here from this than further south. The last two winters we 
have had little or no snow, and as a consequence rabbits have done less damage 
to trees—this winter,-so far, no snow at all, and rabbits have found food 
elsewhere. Striped Anis and Hibernal fruited five years planted; most crabs 
fruited heavily; Martha, no fruit. OLE J. HAGEN. 
Hendrum, Jan. 3, 1900. 
MAKING NAsTuRTIUMS BLoomM.—In a Ladies’ Home Journal paragraph, 
Eben Rexford says of nasturtiums, ‘‘In a too rich soil these plants make a rank 
growth of branches and produce few flowers.’’ Having no choice but to plant 
our nasturtiums last spring in a sandy soil heavily enriched with barnyard 
manure, put on the previous fall, we got a growth so rank that my wife cut 
them back savagely, with slashes from a sickle pruning knife. They came on 
quickly, repeating their previously rampant growth, and again she slashed them 
back, Then they bunched out again and covered themselves with flowers. We 
never had better. 
Prescott, Wis., Jan., 1900. OLIVER GIBBS. 
GIDEON MEMORIAL COMMITTEE.—President Pendergast announces the ap- 
pointment of this committee, authorized by the late annual meeting of the 
society, as follows: 
J..M. Underwood, Lake City, Wyman Elliot, Minneapolis, Prof. S. B. Green, 
St. Anthony Park, Col. J. H. Stevens, Minneapolis, Clarence Wedge, Albert 
Lea. 
Suggestions along the line of work of this committee as to raising a memoria} 
fund and its disposal are desired from any interested in the subject. How shall 
we raise the money, how much, and what shall be done with it to best com- 
memorate the work of Mr. Gideon ? 
As OTHERS SEE Us.—Prof. C. B. Waldron, in a bulletin just issued from 
the South Dakota Experiment Station, says: ‘‘I, belong to a horticultural 
society of 700 members and attend their meetings every year. These men are 
for the most part practical farmers. I have often observed that it would be 
difficult to find in the whole state they represent another body of men of equal 
number so bright, clean, thrifty and enterprising. They would dignify any 
assemblage. They are not only the bone and sinew but the worth and brains 
of their commonwealth. I state the fact and offer no explanation. There must 
be some connection between men of such character and the things that occupy 
their attention.’’ The bulletin from which this is quoted is entitled ‘‘Hints on 
Ornamental Planting’’ No. 41, and will repay reading on the part of all inter- 
ested on the subject. Apply to the professor at Fargo. 
