320 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Growing at the Owatonna Tree Experiment Station. — This station 

 has a large equipment of growing stock, including in all "more than 1,100 

 varieties of apples, with a goodly number of plums and a few pears and 

 cherries. Of the apples 304 varieties have been gathered in from our most 

 noted and successful experimenters, scattered over the northwest; some from 

 far off Vermont. In addition there are 218 Russian varieties, and, last but not 

 least, there are 590 varieties that have been originated on the grounds." 

 "Among these new seedlings that have borne there are perhaps twenty good 

 sized apples, but the general average is small." 



Valuable results may be looked for from this collection in the near future. 

 Call upon Mr. E. H. S. Dartt, the superintendent of this station, when in Owa- 

 tonna and get him to show you around, not forgetting to take a look at his 

 park, which lias been described in a late number of this magazine. 



Save the Seeds, Apple, Pi<um and Berry. — We are greatly in need of 

 better and hardier varieties for the North. We can no longer hope to get these 

 better varieties from other regions, they must come from the seed of our own 

 best varieties grown right at home. Reserve a little place in the home garden 

 for sowing such seeds as they ripen. Cover with a mulch during winter, 

 and upon removing in the spring the little Minnesotans will soon struggle to 

 the surface and in a short time begin to show such an interesting variety of 

 form, size and color as will surprise the planter. 



The Minnesota State Horticultural Society offers a reward of a $1,000 for a 

 seedling apple that will meet the needs of our state for a winter apple. But 

 one can have this prize, but many can have the satisfaction and honor of doing 

 their part in adding to the comfort and resources of our country. Tell the 

 children about this; they can each have varieties all their own, for every seed 

 will bring a new variety that will have a style and color all its own and may 

 be named to suit their pleasure. Children, many of them, have tastes for these 

 happy avocations that only lack the opportunity to develop in order to become 

 most useful and delightful occupations for their leisure thoughts and hours in 

 later life. 



Clarence Wedge, from "Farmer." 



Division of Forestry now a Bureau. — "On July 1 the division of forestry 

 and three other scientific divisions of the United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture were advanced to bureaus. This was provided for by the last session of 

 congress, which appropriated for the expenses of the bureau of forestry during 

 its first year $185,440. 



"The appropriation for the division of forestry during the year just ended 

 was $88,520. For the year 1898-99 it was $28,520. These figures show 

 how rapidly the forest work of the government has expanded of late, and also 

 how well it has commended itself to congress. 



"The change from a division to a bureau, and the larger appropriation, will 

 make possible both an improved office organization and more extended field 

 work. The bureau will be provided with a much larger ofiice force and will be 

 organized in three divisions. But field work, not office work, is what the 

 bureau exists for. 



"Several state governments have asked the aid of the bureau. But the great- 

 est demand is that of the Department of the Interior of the national government, 

 which has asked for working plans for all the forest reserves, with the enor- 

 mous total area of about 47,000,000 acres." — Mpls. Journal. 



