404 MINNESOTA STATE HORTl6ULTURAL SOCIETY. 



In the premium list of the state fair was g'iven a scale of points 

 for the guidance of judges, and these, although clear and decisive 

 to any one accustomed to selecting county exhibits, yet would be 

 confusing to beginners. The distinctions between stock and culin- 

 ary vegetables, while well defined and simple when once under- 

 stood, in the several county exhibits became merged one in the 

 other, and the judges had to assume the duties of the exhibitors, and 

 separate and classify them. This can never educate the exhibitors 

 hence, might it not be policy to have separate classes for stock vege- 

 tables and culinary vegetables? Beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, 

 cabbage, and kohlrabi at a certain stage of growth and maturity, 

 cease to be of the culinary class and become stock vegetables. In 

 many instances the beets, carrots and parsnips exhibited had the 

 long tap root, which grows deep in the ground, separated into 

 three or more roots, and this in many cases so near the surface 

 of the ground as to destroy the value of such vegetables for 

 family or market purposes. In the East, in the older settled 

 portion of the country, such defects in growth are caused by 

 planting the seed on ground enriched by freshly made man- 

 ure in which there is a large proportion of straw. Whenever 

 the descending root comes in contact with decomposing vegetable 

 matter in the soil, such as coarse manure, it has a tendency to 

 cause a branching of the root; hence, the rule, never plant such 

 vegetables as beets, carrots, turnips, parsnips and radishes intended 

 for table or market purposes on soil freshly manured with long 

 manure or with too much decomposing vegetable matter in the soil. 

 For stock feeding no evil results from such methods. 



THE FRUIT EXHIBIT. 



The fruit exhibit at the last Minnesota state fair showed that Min- 

 nesota can produce apples as to color, size and shape worthy of the 

 high name she bears for fruits. The eye beholds an array of as 

 high colors with as pure hues as any exhibit I ever saw. I made a 

 critical examination of many of the varieties and of seedlings. 

 Within the last few years a great improvement in seedling apples 

 can be seen, especially in quality. Among the seedlings exhibited 

 was one of the Wealthy type exhibited by T. J. Lightly, of Oakland 

 township, Freeborn county. The tree was one of a number sold to 

 Mr. Lightly by Peter Gideon many years ago. The apple as exhi- 

 bited was almost identical with the Wealthy, as highly colored, skin 

 thicker and, evidently, a later keeper. While too much reliance can 

 be placed upon one year's exhibition and testing, yet this apple 

 would seem to fill out a vacant spot in Minnesota apples of the 

 Wealthy type, as it would evidently be a good shipper and in good 

 eating order after the Wealthy had gone. Many other seedlings 

 were tested, a few of which were of good quality', and of which the 

 reports of the judge can be had. 



The exhibition of Russian apples from the Iowa Experiment Sta- 

 tion was an interesting one. To the growers of Russian apples it 

 was a treat, yet it did not surpass the apples grown by Minnesota 

 exhibitors. 



