202 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. | 
trees not adapted to our climate. There is no use for a man to un- 
dertake to sell trees if he is obliging enough to tell the whole truth 
as far as he understands it; but they tell fine stories and show fine 
fruit, the people bite, and they sell them trees at high prices. They 
tell them a good lie and stick to it. They say a lie well stuck to is 
as good as the truth, and if that is the case in regard to canvassing 
for trees I believe it holds good. 
VICE-PRESIDENT’S REPORT, SECOND CONG. DIST. 
S. D. RICHARDSON, WINNEBAGO CITY. 
The frost the last of May of this year (1897 ) seriously injured the 
fruit crop all over this part of the state. It was the off year for 
apples, yet in spite of the frost there was a fair crop in some locali- 
ties. 
Jack Frost is always supposed to be full of his freaks, but last 
spring I think he did just as he pleased, without any apparent 
reason. I saw Wealthy apple trees on land that was lower than the 
general level loaded with fruit, while near them the corn was killed 
to the ground. 
On our own grounds the apples were injured, but all the trees 
that blossomed bore some fruit, and I could not see that trees on 
the lower ground were injured any more than they were on ground 
seven or eight feet higher. 
We have never found it necessary to plant plum trees in groups 
in order to have them bear, but they are set around among the 
apple trees, sometimes one and sometimess everal in aplace. On the 
west side of the orchard the plum blossoms were all killed, while 
on the east side they were not injured in the least, but apples grow- 
ing close by them were more than half killed. Plums, both wild 
and cultivated, bore a light crop. 
Grapes were killed by the frost but set again and bore about one- 
fourth of a crop. 
Strawberries were seriously injured, but on low ground where 
all mulch was removed after the frost, the rows narrowed up and 
the ground thoroughly cultivated, they bore late but very heavily. 
We have had best results with strawberries when there have been 
late frosts on ground from which we removed all mulching early in 
the spring for the ground to thaw out, so we could dig plants early. 
Raspberries were good in some places, in others the borers or 
something else killed the canes after the fruit set. 
Gooseberries and currants were a fair crop. 
There has not been a full crop of small fruits all through this 
district for the last four years, while apples and plums some of the 
years have given the best of results. 
In submitting a fruit list for the Second Congressional District, I 
will say that it is a little different in some things from what I 
would recommend a customer to plant. In common with other 
nurserymen we have some choice things that we are introducing 
and wish to do so through ouragents. After they are thoroughly 
