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1904, 

 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



A. W. LATHAM, SECY. 



The day selected for the summer gathering of our society opened 

 with lowering skies and the prospect of a stormy day, which cul- 

 minated in the middle of the afternoon with a fall of rain. This 

 breaks the record of the horticultural society for fair weather on 

 these occasions, as it has been a great many years since we have 

 had other than a pleasant day for this meeting. 



Notwithstanding the weather, about the usual number were 

 present, somewhere in the neighborhood of three hundred. Prob- 

 ably the prospect of an unpleasant day stood in the way of the usual 

 increase in attendance. 



The show of strawberries was, as far as quality is concerned, 

 also about on a par with last year's exhibit, but there were not as 

 many plates shown, perhaps not over two-thirds as many. Mr. H. 

 W. Shuman, of Excelsior, and F. F. Farrar, of White Bear, were 

 the principal exhibitors in this department. 



There was not the usual good show of roses, probably on ac- 

 count of the lateness of the season, many of the roses not being in 

 blossom, but the Jewell Nursery Company made a very pleasing 

 exhibit, and a good many varieties were also shown by Mr. Hawkins, 

 of the Rose Hill Nursery. 



The exhibit of peonies far surpassed any ever made before this 

 society, there being upwards of sixty varieties exhibited and, as in 

 the case of roses, most of these came from the two nursery companies 

 above mentioned. 



There were small exhibits of mushrooms and vegetables and a 

 few apples. Mr. Wyman Elliot had on exhibition — not for com- 

 petition, however — about twenty plates of the Perkins' seedlings, 

 many of them still in fair condition. These are a part of the same 

 lot that was sent to Boston to the meeting of the American Pomolog- 

 ical Society, in September last, and were afterwards shown at the 

 !ater winter meeting of this society. 



A full list of the awards, the amount of which perhaps exceeds 

 any previous summer meeting, will be found immediately following 

 this report. The total amount is $153.50. 



