VICE-PRESIDENT S REPORT, FIFTH CONG. DISTRICT. 49 



The truck garden did not do as well as last year, and melons 

 were almost a total failure. 



The plum crop was also a failure and the Compass Cherry^ 

 caused by starting too early, 



I would recommend to orchard growers in this district careful 

 and thorough cultivation, at least until the trees come into bearing — 

 and mulching, to protect the roots from freezing, and boxing, to 

 protect from sun scald and rabbits. Fill with sOil a foot or so in 

 the box to protect from mice. 



Go over your orchard at least once a 3'ear and prune away all 

 unnecessary growth, cutting close and covering the wound with 

 white lead paint if the limb is more than half an inch through. 

 Cultivation is always good in the orchard unless the soil washes too 

 much. If it does, seed to red clover and mulch around the trees 

 with the grass. 



See to it that your orchard does not starve for want of fertility. 

 Good stable manure is the best, but it should never be piled against 

 the trees. Give your orchard good care, and you will get satisfactory 

 returns for your labor. 



Mr. A. J. Philips (Wis.) : Last summer I took my wife with 

 me on a trip to Minnesota, and we attended the summer meeting, 

 visited Lake Minnetonka and had a good time generally. I will 

 mention no names, but we visited seven of the prominent horti- 

 cultural friends in the state, and among others we visited Mr. 

 Leach. When we got home we talked over what we had seen here, 

 and I asked my wife which was the nicest place she saw on our 

 trip. She said Mr. Leach had the best kept orchard, the most 

 flourishing garden, the nicest flower garden and the most orna- 

 mental grounds she had seen in the state of Minnesota. I asked 

 her where she saw the poorest, and she said, "Right here at home." 

 (Great laughter.) 



"VICE-PRESIDENT'S REPORT, SIXTH CONG. DIST. 



FRANK MESENBURG, ST. CLOUD. 



Apples and plums were a failure last season on account of hav- 

 ing too much rain during the blossoming ; crab appleg brought a 

 very good price. 



Strawberries did finely last season on sandy land, on clay soil 

 they were tasteless. I had a little less than one-quarter of an acre 

 on sandy land and picked 883 quarts. They were very fine up to 

 the last two pickings, when it was getting too dry. 



Currants and gooseberries could have been better — the worms 

 seem to do a good deal of damage in this part of the country for 

 the last three years. 



