32 MlNxVESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



6. How many of these trees are bearing fruit, and in what year 

 did they commence bearing? 



7. Are there any of these trees now alive and in good condi- 

 tion which have not yet borne fruit, and how many? 



8. Are there any of these trees (judging from your experience 

 with them) that are w'orthy of propagation? If so, describe them 

 here, particularly as to hardiness and prolificness of tree, and size, 

 color, quality, etc., of fruit, length of time it has kept, and method 

 of keeping. 



9. What success have you had in planting any kind of apple 

 trees in your climate, and w'here were they propagated and from 

 whom procured? 



10. How do the trees from Mr. Gideon compare in hardiness 

 and longevity with other varieties you have planted? 



11. Are you growing other seedling apple trees that have 

 promise of value? If so, describe them. (Note our offer of $1,000 

 for a seedling apple tree.) 



12. If suitable money premiums are offered, would you be 

 willing the coming season to forward to our society five specimens 

 of each desirable kind of the Gideon seedling apples, for exhibition 

 and examination? Our object in securing these is to compare your 

 fruits with those of others who are growing fruit from seedlings 

 sent out by Mr. Gideon, hoping thereby to gain some information 

 which will be of value to the work of this society and to the public. 

 Premium lists will be sent later to all who respond favorably to this 

 question. 



13. Please give here your full name and postoffice address. 



In response to these circulars sent out there have been returned 

 by the postofifice department as unclaimed fifty-four ; twenty-three 

 have answered without giving any information of particular value; 

 forty-one have answered giving information that may be valuable 

 if further correspondence is had with them. Those replying have 

 now growing 1,999 trees, out of over 10,000 distributed, and of these 

 647 have not yet borne fruit, and their value cannot now be 

 estimated. We have gained some knowledge respecting the vicissi- 

 tudes which many of these trees underwent from delays in trans- 

 portation, neglect in proper handling after arrival (some lying in the 

 trench where bedded in one and two years) and in preparing the soil 

 for planting; improper protection from injury by cattle, rabbits, 

 mice and gophers, and gross mismanagement, and in many in- 

 stances no care given, only planted in soil without cultivation, 

 mulching or watering, with the inevitable attending result of total' 

 loss. 



The planting of over 10,000 seedling trees that had been select- 

 ed from many thousands with great care as being the best to send 

 out over so large an area, with such a wide variation of environment, 

 has led us to think that possibly there might be som.e kinds that 



