MEADOW VALE TRIAL STATION. 65 



worked on native stock are hardy here, but those worked on south- 

 ern stock are worthless. 



We have some seedling apples that are good keepers, good 

 quality and a very hardy tree. The golden Russian willow is a fine 

 thing and should be largely planted. It makes a good windbreak. 

 The laurel-leaf willow, with its dark green shiny leaf, is very popu- 

 lar for a shade tree. The weeping willows are not hardy here. 

 Catalpas kill back some but are gaining every year. They do best in 

 a sheltered location. The Russian mulberry has been fruiting sev- 

 eral years in this vicinity. Among the evergreens on trial that are 

 doing best here are red cedar, arbor vitae, silver cedar, mountain 

 pine, white pine, blue spruce, white spruce, Douglas spruce and 

 Scotch pine. It pays well to have evergreens mixed among the 

 orchard trees. I find them a good protection for the trees, also being 

 very ornamental. 



I am also keeping cases of apples, including all the new seed- 

 lings, trying their keeping qualities. 



ANNUAL MEETING, 1901, MINNESOTA STATE 

 AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



OI,IVER GIBBS, PRESCOTT, WIS. 



The three-day annual meeting of the State Agricultural Society 

 at St. Paul, the second week in January, was distinguished by the 

 high practical character of the papers read and addresses delivered. 

 It is to be regretted that the society has no means of getting these 

 contributions to knowledge read by the people at large, beyond the 

 meager reports of an already over-crowded newspaper press, and it 

 also seems unfortunate that this society and the State Horticultural 

 Society do not have it arranged to meet at so nearly the same time 

 that they can intersect in joint convention at least one day or half 

 day. 



Perhaps, if one were called to name the very brightest features 

 of the meeting, where all were bright, the ones pointed out would 

 exactly agree with the general opinion, and the mention would be 

 Archbishop Ireland's magnificent address on farm life and how it 

 can be made more attractive and prosperous to prevent the over- 

 trend of the young people from the farm to the cities ; the discussion 

 between Supt. O. C. Gregg and Prof. Thomas Shaw, on the law of 

 sexual influence in cattle breeding; Gen. Mark D. Flower's paper on 

 home feeding of beef and mutton and the relations of home stock 

 yards to the Minnesota farmer; Dean W. A. Henry's half hour's 

 address and additional hour's enforced talk in answering questions 



