SUMMER MEETING, 1897. 259 



SUMMER ME£:TING, 1897, OF THE 

 MINf^ESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



MISS EMMA V. AVHITE. 



The society was fortunate as usual in the choice of a day for 

 its anuual summer outing". The temperature was comfortable, 

 and a thin veil of clouds protected the strollers from the heat of 

 the sun, while the late rains had laid the dust, usually so dis- 

 agreeable at this season of the year. The members and friends 

 of the society, to a number estimated at from two to three hun- 

 dred, g-athered together to enjoy the festivities of the occasion- 

 Quite a number came from points at some distance from the twin 

 cities, although most of the attendance was fi-om the neighbor- 

 hood of Minneapolis and St. Paul. It was an unexpected pleasure 

 to have with us Col. John H. Stevens, who has not been out in a 

 public way since the day the old Stevens house was moved to 

 Minunhaha Park, which was sometime last fall. Hia feebleness 

 prevented his speaking, but a short communication was read from 

 him, and we were all glad to see his enthusiastic face again. Mr. 

 D. A.J. Baker, of St. Paul, one of the oldest members of our society 

 was also present. A quarter of a century ago he was very prom- 

 inent at our meetings and did very much in laying the foundations 

 of our organization. It would take too much space to undertake to 

 name all those prominent in horticulture who were there. 



During the forenoon the experimental fields of the station were 

 visited by nearly every one of the guests, and the time passed en- 

 tertainingly in this way until the noon hour, when all were gath- 

 ered at the generous dinner tables, which filled two-thirds of the 

 drill hall and represented the bill of tare of a host of families 

 whose members were present. The tables were beautifully 

 decorated with the competitive exhibits of roses and other flowers, 

 both greenhouse and of outdoor growth, and a great abundance 

 of strawberries supplied every guest to his heart's desire. 



The exhibition of fruit was unexpectedly fine and in quality 

 has probably never been surpassed at any previous summer 

 meeting. The season being- so backward, it was feared there 

 would not be sufficient ripe berries to make a good showing, but in 

 this we were happily disappointed. Premiums were offered only 

 on a limited number of varieties, so that the award of premiums, 

 found later, will hardly convey an idea of the extent and character 

 of the exhibit. 



The afternoon hour was occupied with an impromptu program, 

 a partial report of which follows. It had been the intention to de- 

 vote some time to a discussion of the varieties of strawberries on 

 exhibition, but with the great number of attractions on the 

 grounds and the evident wish of those present to further investigate 

 them, it was thought beat to omit this part of the program. 



We have every reason to feel satisfied with the success of this 

 gathering, it indicates well the interest taken in the work of our 

 society, and the steady increase in the attendance at these annual 

 summer meetings is fairly typical of the growth of the society, 

 its increasing intluence and usefulness. A partial report of the 

 afternoon's session follows. 



