ANNUAL MEETING S. DAKOTA HORT. SOCIETY. 4 77 



At one end of the table were three or four specimens of Washing- 

 ton apples, quinces and prunes, brought by a lads" who had evi- 

 dently expected to excite admiration for the fruit grown in a real 

 fruit state; but the reverse was the result, for the South Dakota 

 specimens equaled them in beauty, and generally beat them in 

 quality. During your delegate's attendance at this meeting, he did 

 not hear one word of discouragement about fruit culture. 



The finest seedling apple noticed was one grown by a Mr. Michael - 

 son — green, medium size; round, slightlj" flattened; short stem. Had 

 the season not been so dr3-, this sef^dling would probably have 

 grown as large as a Wealthj^ 



E. S. Collar discoursed on the subject of Russian apples, recom- 

 mending the Hibernal, Wealthy and Duchess as about the best. A 

 Mr. Hanson here gave his experience with a certain agent at Vermil- 

 lion, of a well known nursery in Minnesota, who, on being asked if 

 he had some iron clad Russians replied, that he had, but they were 

 very dear indeed. This did not deter Mr. Hanson from ordering 

 three varieties of these expensive trees; but not one tree sent was 

 true to name, and all turned out to be Hibernal. Wealthj' or 

 Duchess. 



The Black Hills fruit farm of a Mr. Thompson was spoken of bj* 

 Mr. H. C. Warner, who visited it. On the farm there are 900 apple 

 trees, of which 700 are in bearing. A portion of them are irrigated; 

 all are clean and healthy and quite free from any disease. Your 

 delegate visited the grounds that are under the care of Secretarj^ 

 Cowles. These are about one-half mile east of Vermillion. There 

 were to be seen handsome black walnuts twenty years old, with 

 trunks fourteen and sixteen inches in diameter; the soft maple, set 

 trees, nine feet in circumferance at a height of four feet from the 

 ground; the Scotch pine, the red cedar and arbor vitae; plum trees 

 of every northern kind; and last, though not least, a large apple 

 orchard, many of the trees being of perfect shape, their lower 

 branches stretching in every direction six to eight and ten feet. 

 Most of thesewere ver3' heavil}- laden with fruit this season. Among 

 the many kinds I noticed, the best shaped tree was a Ben Davis. 

 Here, too, grows the Farauese, Perr}- Russett, Wealth}', Hibernal. 

 Duchess and many others, including seedlings. Considerable 

 ground is given over to the plum. Mr. Cowles has a seedling plum 

 of which he is ver}- proud; it is oval, of good size, bright 3-ellow and 

 free stone. He sa\'s it was a seedling that gre^v between a Miner and 

 a Peach plum and probably partakes of both. This is a ver}- prom- 

 ising seedling and will probabl}- be much heard from hereafter. 



Three or four kinds of pears are grown in the southern part of the 

 state, the hardiest of which are Flemish Beaut}- and Bartlett. 



The tree culture was another subject much discussed, Hon. J. H. 

 Whiting leading in the discussion and bravelj- defending the much 

 abused cottonwood. Mixed groves were unanimouslj' recommended, 

 and box elder -was considered the best "nurse tree," especially' for 

 the ash. Red cedar was considered verj- hard}- indeed, and white 

 birch, black cherry, elm, ash and Scotch pine were recommended as 

 a mixture to set on a five-acre grove. To this list, however, almost 

 every northern tree was added. 



Your delegate was the medium through which the South Dakota 

 societ}' complimented your society bj- electing him an honorary 

 member for two years. He was treated with marked courtesy, and 

 he feels sure that much good can be given and received by such 

 visits, especiall}- if the delegation chosen were better horticulturists 



