106 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The mole was recommended as being of value to the fruit grow- 

 er by his destroying a great many white grubs. 



Thomas Hobart, of South Sioux Falls, on "Market Garden- 

 ing," says, plow in the fall, six to ten inches deep, and harrow every 

 week or ten days until the ground is planted. This is most impor- 

 tant on land that is to be planted late in the season. The garden, as 

 far as possible, should be planted in long rows and in one body. 

 After cultivation is done, a one-horse Breed's weeder should be 

 used, going crossways of the rows. In this way hand weeding can 

 nearly be dispensed with. 



E. F. Atwater, secretary of the Beekeepers' Association, of 

 Yankton, says bees accomplish perfect fertilization of bloom of fruits 

 and some vegetables in rainy weather when other insects do not 

 work. Bees cannot puncture sound fruit. Mr. Gurney says bees 

 do not work on the strawberry bloom. 



Wednesday Afternoon Session. — About sixty present. A letter 

 was read from President H. C. Warner, who stated that on account 

 of sickness, he could not be present. A resolution of sympathy was 

 passed. 



Mrs. L. A. Alderman's letter stated that she had sold her or- 

 chard and should retire from the business. Her paper stated that 

 the Tetofsky was a fine harvest apple. Plant a few Whitney No. 20, 

 but the tree is short lived and is a poor self-fertilizer. The Wealthy 

 is the apple of all apples and should be planted on rather low land. 

 The Virginia crab should take the place of most other crabs. 



A paper on plums was here read, from Martin Penning, of 

 Sleepy Eye, Minn. He recommended the Surprise, Cheney, Aitkin 

 and Odegaard for early ; De Soto and Wyant, Comfort and Stod- 

 dard. Plant in rows, sixteen feet apart and twelve feet in the row. 



Mr. A. Norby here gave a very interesting talk on plums. He 

 thinks the Odegaard one of the very best. Your delegate here made 

 a little talk, in which he endeavored to make friends for the De Soto 

 and the Wyant. 



"Top-Grafting a Commercial Orchard," A, D. Doungan, of 

 Plankinton (near the HiFls). He said Virginia crab is the hardiest 

 and makes a good root formation on the scion better than the others ; 

 hardiness above ground does not count when the trees are on tender 

 roots. The Virginia is the best crab to fruit or to top-work on ; 

 plant trees and mulch during winter ; plant only Duchess, Wealthy, 

 Whitney No. 20 and Virginia crab. 



C. W. Gurney thinks we should go slow on crabs of all kinds, 

 as they propagate and spread blight, and sometimes ruin fine or- 

 chards. 



C. Thompson, of Rapid City, Black Hills, reports many varieties 

 of apples and plums that are usually tender in the northwest as be- 

 ing hardy, leaving the impression that the vicinity of the Black Hills 

 is quite favorable to orcharding. 



Mr. E. D. Cowles, who lives near the Missouri river, says he 

 lost his Ben Davis three times by sunscald. trimming up the sprouts 

 to make trees of them, but they sunscalded each time. Now he lets 

 them sprout at will and raises lots of Ben Davis apples on bushes. 

 He says the cold does not kill our fruit trees, but the hot sun of 



