116 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



After this, light refreshments were served. The children were so 

 interested in this that they hope next year to have a flower show. 



In Tracy the club members planted a tree in the city park on Arbor 

 Day. 



The "Do and Don't" cards were placed in the school rooms at 

 Marshall. 



In Litchfield, the club placed the "Do and Don't" cards in their 

 schools and entered a protest in the city council against hitching 

 posts on the business streets of the city. 



The club at Merriam Park had a " Town and Village Improvement 

 Committee" appointed ; also a committee for the protection of the 

 song birds. They have succeeded in interesting the teachers and 

 pupils in this work. 



I received the following report from the Clio Club, of Hastings : 



"Last spring the club laid out a park under the spiral approach 

 to the bridge over the Mississippi river, and has taken care of the 

 same during the season. The city shared in the expense, but the 

 letting of all contracts and superintendence of all the work was 

 done by the Clio Club. The park is a gem and has been much 

 frequented all summer. The club also distributed to the children 

 of the public schools several hundred packages of flower seeds." 



In St. Cloud, our club has taken up this work for the first time 

 We succeeded in getting a garbage wagon started to collect the 

 garbage from the houses twice a week. In the spring, we tried to 

 get the children interested in cleaning vip the streets and vacant 

 lots. Superintendent Parr, of the public schools, and president 

 Klieber, of the Normal School, gave the pupils a half holiday for 

 this work. They were assisted by the teachers and members of the 

 Reading Room Society. We divided the town into sections and 

 gathered the rubbish into piles ; these piles were carried away by 

 the street commissioner. There was a good deal in the newspapers 

 about the work, and every one in town seemed to take an interest in 

 his own grounds. 



During the street fair in October the Women's Club fitted up a 

 rest room for the farm women. It was a great success and accom- 

 modated 40O women and phildren during the four days of the fair. 

 This year we hope to make this rest room a permanent thing. 



The clubs all over the state seem to.be much interested in their 

 work. The newspapers all over the state have given a good deal of 

 space this year to the improvement work, and I hope next year the 

 small towns will be greatly benefited. 



Our circular letter will be distributed and will give you some 

 idea of what can be done in this line. 



Heads Need Thinning.— The chief defect in many orchards is too 

 much wood. The heads are so dense that light and air cannot get 

 to the interior. As a result the fruit is borne upon the ends of the 

 outer branches, the yield is reduced, and the quality inferior. Do 

 not prune severely but cut out interfering branches, so that all 

 parts of the tree can get air and sunlight. 



