AGRICULTURAL HALL. 405 



Some of the plates of apples exhibited would tend to show that 

 the growers had not exercised euflicient care in the selection of the 

 fruit, and in some cases the grower might have taken practical les- 

 sons from other plates exhibited. 



In plums the exhibit showed many varieties of improved quality, 

 proving that this section will soon have well defined varieties of 

 plums of a <iuality superior to those now in cultivation. Decker's 

 seedlings and seedlings of the Miner, grown by W. S. Widmoyer, of 

 the North Star Fruit Farms, Dresbach, were of the first quality and 

 worthy of trial. Other seedlings were shown of fair to good quality, 

 and from them much is to be hoped. 



The exhibit of grapes was not up to the standard which I had seen 

 here before. This is not lo be wondered at, as over the entire coun- 

 try this season grapes are lacking in size and in flavor, and it is con- 

 sidered a poor season for this fruit. The exhibition as a whole was 

 a creditable one. The Moore's F)arly, of which five plates were 

 shown was, taken as a whole, the finest I have ever seen. The plates 

 on the table were too crowded and marred the effect of the exhibit. 

 In fact, there was no room for the judges to place their plates, and 

 very many exhibits could not be placed on the tables at all. 



The fruit interests of Minnesota have now arrived at a point, where, 

 in justice to the growers, a separate hall should be erected for the 

 exhibits of fruits and flowers. This hall should have all the mod- 

 ern appliances, and I believe that many more exhibitors would 

 come forward. There were sufificient fruits and flowers this year to 

 have tilled the entire agricultural hall, if shown to the best advan- 

 tage. The arrangements of the present hall are such that the choic- 

 est plants, fruits and flowers cannot be shown four or five days in 

 succession without great loss to the exhibitors. 



Cut Worms— How to Kill Them.— Cutworms are the larvae of 

 owlet moths which lay their eggs in weedy or grassy places. No 

 eggs will be laid on ground in the summer. Burning weedy or 

 grassy places will kill many of the eggs and young cutworms. 

 Burning the stubble rapidly just before plowing has proved an ef- 

 fective remedj' against cutworms. 



For gardens, orchards and small fields the best plan is to poison 

 the cutworms with bran mash bait colored with paris green. Mix 

 one part l^y weight of paris green or London purple, with fifty parts 

 of dry wheat bran till all is of a greenish color. Moisten the mash, 

 or mix with watery molasses, so it may be formed into balls. Drop 

 tablespooiifuls of the bran mash or the poisoned bran balls, in rows 

 three feet apart each way over the infested patch. Cover the bran 

 with a little soil. The cutworms will eat the poison and crawl away 

 to die. 



If the poisoned bait be put out when the seed is sown or dropped 

 in the holes when transplanting, the cutworms will be killed before 

 they can damage the crop. Keep cultivated ground free from weeds 

 and grass so that there will be no cutworms to live through the 

 winter. 



