36 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



flicting meetings the attendance was small, a regretable circumstance, 

 as the lecture was full of popular instruction and inspiration, and 

 the audience should have been numbered by hundreds rather than 

 tens. 



Wednesday was given mostly to gardening and orcharding 

 topics, one of which was the desirability of adding to the number of 

 new seedling apples. Some seemed to think that with the Wealthy 

 and a few other standard varieties at hand nothing new was to be 

 desired, but the general concensus of opinion seemed to be that while 

 the list of second-rate kinds was amply filled, still there was "room 

 at the top" and further advancement was still to be sought and 

 worked for. 



At the day sessions the ladies were conspicuous for their absence, 

 but on Wednesday evening the tables were turned a little, and the 

 program was filled by ladies connected with the State Agricultural 

 College. A couple of interesting papers treated, one on a botanical 

 subject, "Habits of Growth in Plants," and the other on an interest- 

 ing experiment in "Wild Gardening." Then followed papers, full 

 of practical interest, on "Roots and Tubers as Food," "The Dietetic 

 Value of the Legumes," and "Domestic Economy," including value 

 of fruit for food, etc. 



As one of the after speakers wittily summed it up, we learned 

 that "with fruit for breakfast, pork and beans for dinner and cod- 

 fish balls for supper" we had all that was necessary for our physical, 

 mental and moral happiness. 



Thursday a. m. the secretary reported on the meeting of the 

 American Pomological Society, which he attended as a delegate; a 

 paper on "Bee Keeping and the Orchardist" created quite a lively 

 discussion, and it was evident that many of the successful horti- 

 culturists had also a liking for honey and experience in the care of 

 the bee. 



Thursday evening the subject of the state exhibit at the St. Louis 

 fair was the leading topic, being discussed by the chief of the horti- 

 cultural department of the fair and by the representatives of the 

 state, and a determination was expressed that the state of Iowa 

 should not fall behind any of her sister states in displaying the 

 resources of her gardens and orchards. 



With this session closed a successful and enthusiastic gathering 

 of our Iowa fellow-workers. 



