482 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



pronounced than anywhere else, I believe. I refer to the practice of 

 the departnaent stores which have inaugurated " Cut Flower Sales" 

 by having' the commission houses in Chicago and other large cities 

 ship the unsalable surplus, which in a large market will sometimes 

 accumulate, to them to be disposed of at any price. There is no 

 question in my mind but this is a great injury and detriment tothe 

 legitimate trade, which may be very plainly seen right here in Min- 

 neapolis, a city with one-fifth more inhabitants than St. Paul, not 

 able to sustain one-half the number of florists. St. Paul has the 

 last two years supported ten to twelve stores devoted exclusively to 

 the selling of flowers and plants, while four or five seems to be the 

 limit of those able to exist in this city. 



NATIVE PLUMS AND SAND CHERRIES. 



J. S. HARRIS. 

 (A report made at the last annual meeting ) 



August l8t,1896,a box of samples of seedling sand cherries from H. 

 Knudson, Springfield, Minnesota. The fruit is eleven-sixteenths of 

 an inch in diameter, nearly round in form and has a distinct suture 

 mark on one side; color,yellowish green; stalk, three-eighths to one- 

 half inch long, set in a round, mediuna cavity. The flesh is green 

 in color, juicy and mild acid in flavor and only slightly acrid — very- 

 good for the class of fruit. 



August 4th, received from H. Knudson, samples of a new native 

 plum. Size, medium large; diameter, one and one-sixteenth inch; 

 length, one and seven-sixteenths of an inch; color, yellow overspread 

 with dark wine red; stalk, nine-sixteenths of an inch, set in narrow 

 cavity; distinct suture mark ononeside; flesh, orange yellow, good 

 consistency; flavor, fairly good; stems, long, thin, flat; a cling. May 

 prove valuable on account of early ripening. 



August 4th, from Wm. Toole, Baraboo,\Vis.,a native plum. Size, me- 

 dium large;diameter,one and one-fourth inch; length, one and three- 

 eighths inch; form, round oval; color, yellow ground, mostly cov- 

 ered with red; flesh, orange yellow, juicy: flavor, good. The skin is 

 rather thick. Stone, medium thick, round. It will probably stand 

 shipping well, and it is said to be a good cooker and a sure cropper. 

 Season, August 1st to 10th, being a few days earlier than the Cheney. 



August 10th, from Mr. Wittman, Merriam Park, through courtesy 

 of R. S. Mackintosh, samples of a native seedling plum. Size, large, 

 one and one-fourth inch in diameter; form, round ovate; color, very 

 dark red, overspread with a bluish bloom. Suture mark, very dis- 

 tinct; flesh, green orange, good consistency; flavor, good; stone, 

 medium size, round, plump; cling; season, 5th to 15th of August. 



August 13th, from J. P. Gaspard, Caledonia, Minn., samples of a 

 seedling native plum. Size, large, one and three-eighths inch in 

 diameter; form, round; color, purplish red over a yellow ground; 

 flesh, orange yellow, meaty; flavor, good; stone, rather thick and 

 parts easily from the flesh when fully ripe, leaving it shapely; 

 stone, plump round; cling; not acrid. This plum is of fine appear- 

 ance and keeps several days after ripe. 



