296 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



whether it was owing to that or to going- into winter quarters so dry 

 I do not know. Perhaps both had something to do with it. We set 

 out quite a number of red raspberries and some blackcaps. The 

 latter did nicely, but something ate into the red raspberry canes, 

 and when there came a little gust of wind down they went. I have 

 not been able to find out what did the mischief. 



We set out quite a lot of strawberries from our own propagating 

 bed, and they made a fine growth. We have a flowing well con- 

 veniently located, so that they had plenty of water, and they were 

 the admiration of the town. 



The prune tree, from which we sent prunes to the World's Fair in 

 1893, and which killed down to the ground the following winter, has 

 made a new growth from the root and is now about six feet high. 



I went up as far north as Bertrain, Todd county, just before har- 

 vest. I saw but one strawberry bed, and that was in the village of 

 Bertram. The vines looked very nice, but they said they had never 

 borne. I heard of a fruit ranch about two miles out of town. I 

 drove out and found a Mr. Martin, an old correspondent of the 

 Farm, Stock and Home. He had about half a crop this j^ear. 

 There had been poor crops of berries so long that he had become 

 discouraged and turned his patch of red raspberries over to his 

 fourteen-year-old daughter. I found the same blue flies there that 

 bothered our yard last year. Mr. Martin said he had become con- 

 vinced that they could not make a success of fruit raising without 

 irrigation. 



VICE-PRESIDENT'S REPORT, 

 FIFTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. 



JOHN H. STEVENS, MINNEAPOLIS. 



Owing to climatic influences, the product of the small varieties of 

 fruits in this district the past season was below the general aver- 

 age. The apple crop was satisfactory; wild fruits were abundant. 



It is a source of pleasure to say that much attention is being be- 

 stowed on flowers. Surrounding the home with fruit and flowers 

 makes everything attractive and adds much to the happiness and 

 comfort of the fireside. 



VICE-PRESIDENT'S REPORT, 

 SIXTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. 



MRS. JENNIE STAGER, SAUK RAPIDS, 



Last season was an exceptional one here, as we had no fruit of any 

 consequence that we had reason to expect, and the fruit (apples) we 

 had in many cases given up we had in abundance. I need not take 

 up any time with this report, as all I have to say on the subject of 

 fruit has been said in my report of experiment station. 



