secretary's corner. 249 



opportuuit3' to present as frontispiece to this number an excellent 

 portrait of him taken a short time before his decease. 



The Aitkin a Very Early Plum.— Specimens of the Aitkin, De- 

 sota and Weaver plums just received (Ma}' 29th) at their present 

 stage of growth, show a remarkable difference in advancement to- 

 wards maturity. The Aitkin are one-half inch in length and corre- 

 spondingly developed, while the other two varieties are just fairly 

 out of the blossom, too small really to measure. Should this new 

 variety keep its position at the head up to the season of ripening, it 

 will prove a very early fruit and should be of special value for the 

 extreme north. Its place of origin at Aitkin, on the Northern Pacific 

 Railway, confirms in a measure the probability of its special merit 

 in this respect. 



What is it? — According to the Denver "Times" a disagreeable 

 and actively agressive reptile was captured in the offices of the Col- 

 orado State Horticultural Society at Denver occupied by their secre- 

 tary, Mrs. Shute. The animal was captured after a hard tussle and 

 now glares out from behind a glass case. How he got into the 

 rooms is not known. Evidently the pests that infect horticultural 

 prodxxcts are attaining a high degree of development in this moun- 

 tain state, and the gallantry of the society in installing a lady in 

 their working office is not sufficiently appreciated by the "monsters" 

 at large in that country. Is this the parasite that is to "do up" the 

 San Jose scale, or "what is it?" 



Two Horticultural Lecturers in the Field.— The institute 

 corps is now in the field and, as an experiment, is operating in 

 two sections. Mr. E. J, Cutts, who talked horticulture with them 

 last winter, is doing service with one section, and that old veteran, 

 Wm. Somerville, with the other. This is a species of home mission- 

 ary work that is badly needed in our state, judging by the success 

 the "model orchard" operators and others of their kind are meeting 

 with. The institutes are very enthusiastic gatherings and should 

 receive the hearty endorsement of every citizen. Here will be a 

 double opportunity to distribute our society literature which will 

 be taken full advantage of. 



Potato Tests in 1896 at the Minnesota Station.— Prof. S. B. 

 Green issued lately Bulletin No. 52, treating on the tests of early and 

 late potatoes made by him at the State Experiment Station last year. 

 The list includes sixty-six varieties. A few varieties are described 

 in detail, but the majority are listed only as showing their compar- 

 ative productiveness. Many hints and directions of value are in- 

 cluded in the article. Following is a very fully illustrated descrip- 

 tion of the large collection of potato planting, cultivating and 

 harvesting machinery at the station, giving names of manufactur- 

 ers, prices, etc. A copy of this bulletin can be secured by address- 

 ing the director of the station at St. Anthony Park, and if you are a 

 potato grower in Minnesota get one and study it, by all means. 



More Honey Locust Hedges.— The press brings information of 

 the organization at Austin of another Hedge Company,which intends 



