240 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



"Wealthy bid fair to hi oae-third of a crop; Duchess, oae-fifth; Whitney, 

 same; Malinda bearing but liltle. I think now there will be a fairly good 

 plum crop." — Setl) H. Kenney, Waterville, Le Sueur Co., May 31. 



"Everything went throui^h the winter nicely and don't see a twig hurt on 

 suih trees as Anisim. Patten's Greening, Peter, Borovinca. Romna, Cross, 

 Hibernal, Anisette, Duchess and several others, but Wealthy, Okabena, 

 Peerless are cut back considerably. Crabs promise a good crop again this 

 year."— Ole J. Hagen, Hendrum, Polk Co., May 14. 



"Plnm trees loaded with blossom buds and bloom. Some varieties of 

 apples show fair amount of blossom buds. It is an oflf year here for most 

 varieties of apples Raspberries are an uncertain crop here any year. Canes 

 seem to have stood the winter well." Hamlin V. Poore, Bird Island, Renville 

 Co., May 13. 



"Apple trees generally bloomed and have set most of the fruit. Plums 

 also have more fruit set that may make a good quality. Strawberries are 

 looking well, and with the amount of moisture now in the soil ought to make 

 a large crop. Currants doing well, also raspberries which came through the 

 winter well. The Russian mulberry was much injured. — John R. Cummins, 

 Eden Prairie, Hennepin Co., June 1. 



•'Apple crop all right but think it will not be very heavy crop. Plums 

 and cherries are setting good; currants good; strawberries will be good if the 

 weather is favorable. No hardy trees in this section have been killed by hard 

 winter. Taking everything in consideration should think we will have a 

 average crop of all kinds of fruit." — B. E. St. John, Fairmont, Martin Co., 

 May 31. 



"Strawberries are coming out better than expected and will yield a small 

 crop, but are very late, and picking will not begin for two weeks. Plums 

 most all dropped. Apples blossomed and set for a good crop, but weather is 

 too wet for spraying and not much good fruit expected. Grapes leaving out, 

 and a few will fruit if seas3u is long enough." — F. I. Harris, La Crescent, 

 Houston Co., May 30. 



Death of L. M. Ford. — A letter addressed to h. M. Ford, San Diego, 

 Cal., has been returned to the writer bearing the word "Deceased." This is 

 all that is known in regard to the death of Mr. Ford at the present writing. 

 Mr. Ford was one of the pioneer members of this society, his name appearing 

 upon the roll first in the year 1868. He was made an honorable life member 

 in 1884. Some nineteen years ago he removed to San Diego, Cal., where he 

 had since lived up to the date of his death. His wife died a few years ago, 

 notice of her death appearing in our report for 1897. For a number of years 

 pa jt Mr. Ford was an invalid, as the result of a paralytic stroke, in which 

 condition he had continued his business of raising cactus and growing some 

 kinds of seeds for eastern seedmen, and judging by his letters, which had 

 come to me with considerable frequency, he had led a useful and comparatively 

 contented life. Mr. Ford was very prominent in the counsels of the society 

 up to the time of his departure for the Pacific coast. As a pioneer nurser}^- 

 men and florist in Minnesota and also as a horticultural writer for the 

 "Pioneer Press" and by other similar services in an early day he has left his 

 impress upon the fruit development of our state. We hope to be able to learn 

 something further of Mr. Ford's life in California for a later issue. Our last 

 letter to Mr. Ford was dated April 14th. 



