188 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



state, in the apple country, and where they raise a g'reat many 

 kinds of fruit, and yet we had a dumb audience; they were 

 heedless on all subjects, and perhaps especially so on horticul- 

 ture. There is very little pleasure in speaking to such an 

 audience. I want to tell you that this distribution of the 

 Farmer's Annual cuts a great figure in preventing the getting 

 of memberships. They make a great handle of this in adver- 

 tising the institute, and the people come in for a free book, 

 and they get it the first thing. What have I to offer them? I 

 have something to offer them for one dollar. One dollar in 

 these times is of a very good size, something a man does not 

 part with very readily. I think you can see how it acts. It is 

 difficult to interest them in something else. Mr. Gregg allows 

 us all the privileges we deserve, but at the same time he 

 pushes that book, and he very properly dislikes to have me 

 push anything that looks like getting money out of the people. 

 This free book militates very strongly against our increase of 

 membership. I think our secretary offers something now that 

 will be very good. He offers to send me magazines to dis- 

 tribute free to every one, or to those who like to learn some- 

 thing about horticulture. I can say to the people, "Here we 

 have a magazine for you, and it will tell you how you can be- 

 come a member of our society. You will receive this magazine 

 every month, and at the end of a year you will receive a finely 

 bound volume." I think I can promise you a good many mem- 

 bers. I desire to serve the society as loyally' as I can, and 

 I know of nothing tbat will do the people as much good as a 

 membership in our society. 



MINNESOTA CITY EXPERIMENT STATION. 



O. N. LORD, SUPT. 



I received from the state station two Moldavka plums, one Abuud, 

 ance plum two Strawberrj' plums (Japan), six Gardner strawberries 

 six Conrath black raspberries, four Columbian raspberries, two 

 Logan raspberries. All have made fine growth and are in good 

 condition for winter. 



The gooseberries received last year bore a line crop of excellent 

 fruit. The plum crop was small; only twenty-five varieties bore 

 fruit; some of it was, however, of fine appearance. The Ocheeda 

 bore for the first time, also the Stoddard and Cojnfort. The W3'ant 

 had a full crop, and the Richland bore a little fruit, the only one of 

 the Russians that fruited. 



Several varieties of plums cions from Edaou Gaylord, of Nora 

 Springs, Iowa, were set as top-grafts, but only a few lived. Nearly 



