316 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



The Repka Malenka seems to the best tested and the best keeper of 

 the many candidates for the coming- winter apple. It keeps as well 

 apparently as the Soulard crab, the Roman Stem, Talmon Sweet, 

 Allen's Choice, Plumb's Cider, Haas, Snow, Malinda, etc.; it survived 

 the winter of 1884-'85 in many instances and is doing- well, but I 

 could not recommend it for g-eneral planting. The best crabs 

 and hybrids for general cultivation are the Virginia, Martha, Early 

 Strawberr}^ Minnesota, Whitney and Briar Sweet. 



Plums. — Desota, Forest Garden, Wolf and Miner. The Weaver is 

 very fine in some places, while in others it is ruined by the curculio. 

 The Miner does well on its own roots. The Rollingstone promises 

 well, so also do many others which will become prominent before 

 long. The tree agent is not dead yet. 



Grapes. — Concord, Worden, Delaware, Moore's Early, Janesville 

 and Agawam. 



Raspberries. — Red — Turner, Marlboro, Shaffer's Colossal; Black — 

 Souhegan and Gregg. 



Blackberries. — Ancient Briton and Snyder. 



Currants. — Stewart's, Long Bunch Holland, Victoria, Red Dutch 

 and White Grape. 



Gooseberries. — Houghton and Downing. 



Strau'berries. — Crescent, Warfield, Haverland, Bederwood, Lov- 

 ett's Earl)^ Capt. Jack and Glendale. Parker Earle and Michael's 

 Early seem to be a success on moist clay soil. 



FIFTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. 



JOHX H. STEVENS, VICE-PRESIDENT, MINNEAPOLIS. 



This district is composed of only one county, that of Hennepin; 

 hence, the territorj'- is very small when compared with any of the 

 other congressional districts of the state; yet it is the parent of 

 Minnesota horticulture. The reason of this is becau-eofits early 

 occupation by the whites. It is nearly fifty j'^ears since I have, off 

 and on, been a resident within its boundaries, and a half a century has 

 caused a great change in the condition of everything that pertains 

 to the products of the soil. At that early period apples had been 

 successfully grown for a brief period by that noble pioneer mis. 

 sionary, Gideon H. Pond, on the mission grounds at Oak Grove, in 

 what is now Hennepin county. The territory embraced in this dis- 

 trict has given out to the world many choice varieties of fruit. It is 

 the home of the Wealthy and numerous other seedling apples, the 

 handiwork of the grand old pomologist, Peter M. Gideon. Here, too, 

 our ever respected pioneer cotemporary, Amasa Stewart, long 

 since a resident of Texas, introduced Stewart's Seedling currant, 

 and Stewart's Seedling apple, and here, too, our former good co- 

 laborer, Geo. S. Woolse3% originated two varieties of strawberries, 

 fit delicacies to be set before the most particular epicure. Mr. 

 Woolsey einigrated to California; I doubt not he wishes he was 

 back here to introduce more new varieties of fruit. Wyman Elliot 

 and M. Pearce, who are with us todaj', have contributed to the list 

 of new varieties of luxuries in the fruit line; so have others that I 

 have not time to speak of, but still the good work is going on. 



