238 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



deter them from killing them, assuming that it is ignorance rather than 

 cruelty on the part of the thoughtless that is often to blame for their 

 destruction. Among the birds described in this bulletin, giving the life habits, 

 etc., are the Bluebird, Pewee, Barn Swallow, Meadow Lark, Chickadee, 

 Downy Woodpecker and a number of other well known varieties. Any who 

 are interested in helping on this movement can do so by securing copies of this 

 bulletin from Prof. Washburn for local distribution. Address him at St. 

 .\nthony Park. 



The New State F.a.ir Premium List. —Have you received a copy of 

 this? If not and you are a grower of anything that may be shown and for 

 which premiums are offered at the state fair, send at once to Secretary E. W. 

 Randell, Hamline, Minn, for one. The premiums are liberal in all depart- 

 ments. In the horticultural department a few changes have been made from 

 last year and the total amount offered slightly increased. Special interest in 

 this department is grouped around the display of seedling fruits, apples and 

 plums. If you have never exhibited at the state fair you will not find it a 

 difficult thing to secure premiums enough to pay you well for your trouble. 

 You have only to select nice fruit and get it to the fair in good condition and 

 set it up nicely on display; in other words, you have only to do as well as you 

 can the things to be done. It is the failure of many to do as well as this that 

 accounts for lack of success. Plan to bring or send some fruit from your place 

 to the fair this year. You will find the rules in reference to the horticultural 

 department and the premiums offered commencing on page 74 of the premium 

 list. The list is gotten up neatly in pocket size, that can be carried about 

 very handily. 



Fruit Prospects FOR 190 t. — Brief notes are printed herewith from a 

 number of fruit growers of the state, fairly well scattered over that portion of 

 the state where fruit is most successful. It appears from these reports that the 

 apple crop is to be rather a light one as well as quite uneven, some localities 

 showing considerable fruit, and others not very much. It is apparent that 

 there is little injury to apple trees except to some of the half hardy kinds. 

 Strawberries were very generally injured more or less by the winter, but are 

 cominocout well and bid fair to produce a good yield, although a light one. Rasp- 

 berries and blackberries where well covered are usually in good condition, 

 where uncovered very little can be expected from them. The plum crop at 

 the present writing is a promising one, trees having blossomed full, the 

 weather being fairly favorable during the blossoming season. Taking every- 

 thing into consideration the prospect is good for an average crop of everything 

 except apples. Notes follow: 



"Fruit trees and plants on my farm seem to be coming out as good as I 

 ever saw them. Apple trees seem all right. Plum, cherry and other trees 

 are looking well." D. S. Hall, Buffalo Lake, Renville Co., May 13. 



"Prospects good for a crop of most kinds of fruits, including apples and 

 plums. Past winter hard on trees and plants, but blooming period weather 

 was favorable."-- -Dewain Cook, May 30, Jeffers, Cottonwood Co. 



"Plums are setting the heaviest crop that I ever saw, and apples will be a 

 fair crop in my orchard, but some of the orchards around here will not have 

 one-fourth crop." — J. A. Howard, Hammond, Wabasha Co., May 28. 



"Prospect is much better for strawberries etc., than I thought it would be 

 two weeks ago, only they are just beginning to bloom and will be quite late." 

 — B, T. Hoyt, St. Paul, May 28. 



