30 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Prof. Emerson, of Nebraska, spoke of the inadequacy of irri- 

 gation to supply sufficient moisture needed during the time of 

 the blowing of their dry, south winds, carrying the inference that 

 a shelter of some kind from the force of these winds was necessary 

 to supplement the water of the irrigating ditch. This is a valuable 

 point for the Minnesota horticulturist to remember also. 



Mr. W. A. Burnap presented the subject of organizing local 

 societies, and his conclusion was similar to that at which we have 

 arrived, that local and neighborhood societies organized on a social 

 plan are most likely to succeed, and result in longest life. 



Silas Wilson, in a report as a delegate of the Missouri annual 

 meeting, spoke of the great apple displav there, and I was pleased 

 to hear him say, as a gist of a long consideration of the subject, 

 that they recommended the cultivation of orchards. 



Dr. F. M. Powell, who was the delegate from the Iowa Society 

 to our own state meeting, made a report of his observations here, 

 and said as many pleasant things of the Minnesota Society as we 

 could wish. He spoke especially of the "Women's Auxiliary" 

 meeting, and the interest manifested in our gatherings, as well as 

 the large attendance. 



Prof. Little read a paper on tomato culture which was very 

 practical. I noticed that he suggested that the grower should save 

 his own seed from selected specimens in order to improve the 

 variety, as well as increase its earliness. In reply to an inquiry, 

 he said that the best tomato at the station was the "Best of All." 

 Tomatoes in field culture yield from 100 to 500 bushels per acre. 



Dr. Powell read a paper on the subject of school gardens sim- 

 ilar to the one read at the Minnesota meeting, which will appear 

 later in our monthly. In discussing the paper Prof. Pammel said 

 that "nature study was run into the ground" by lack of training of 

 the teachers, and he strenuously advocated the study of botany in 

 our public schools and taking- the scholars into the woods and 

 fields to make them familiar with the common things. 



Prof. N. E. Hansen thought that in addition the study should 

 be made practical in the way of teaching the scholars how to bud 

 and graft, and to do other similar common things connected with 

 horticultural work. 



Secretary Barnes, of the Kansas Society, advocated the set- 

 ting apart of five acres for school grounds, to be used in connection 

 with practical educational work. 



Miss Sabin, Prof, of Domestic Economy at Ames, gave us a talk 

 on matters connected with analysis of fruits and vegetables, illus- 



