4 ANNUAL REPORT. 
> 
so it will look cheap on paper and it is cheap in reality. ‘Out ir og 
men have given us encouragement in this by way of giving lands for this 
object, now let the people take hold and go ahead with the work. 
A word and [ am done, and this is in behalf of the citizens of ‘Winona. 
We cordially invite you to hold your next ainual meeting at Winona, and 
we pledge you a good hall well warmed and hospitable people to welcome 
you here, and we hope you will surely decide to come, and decide it’ at your 
meeting this winter, so no misunderstanding will occur. 
I wish you, one and all, a happy and profitable Soaphiaae * 
iii Aeyeees By, 
. C. HaMILTon. 
REPORTS OF COMMIITEES. 
There being no reports from special or other committees, Mr. 
Dartt moved that the general fruit committee report. 
Considerable discussion here arose in reference to the inability of 
members of committees to report, many of them alleging that they 
had no notice of their being on said committees, nor of the meeting 
of the Society. 
Judge Baker remarked that the trouble consisted in members not 
reading the Press and the emanations of the agricultural editor. 
Secretary Ford retorted that notice was published in the Pioneer 
and other papers. He supposed the members had copies of the 
Traasactions in which their names were to be found, as on commit- 
tees. Did not suppose it a part of his duties to notify them for a 
report. He concluded by saying the Press and Pioneer had insert- 
ed such notices without charge, and the Society had no money to 
pay for notices. 
Col. Stevens promptly stated the Minneapolis papers had never 
charged a cent. 
REPORT FROM STEELE COUNTY. 
Mr. Dartt, of Owatonna, made a verbal report. The present pros- 
pect in his section was not encouraging. Many men had invested 
their last dollar in apple trees. The severe winters were the cause 
of the discouragement. The varieties tried were not hardy enough 
to stand the severe cold. Blight was another cause of discourage- 
ment. Disease was so prevalent and disasters so frequent as to 
cause general discouragement. There is one cause of encourage- 
ment, if we find a single variety hardy enough to stand the winter. 
If we find one we can get another. One variety at least, he thought, 
could be depended on, and that was the Duchess of Oldenburg. 
This he recommended for general cultivation. The greatest objec- 
tion to this variety is that it is an early fruit, but this is better than 
none at all. It will take the farmer through his harvest very com- 
fortably. In small fruits there are many sources of discouragement. 
The raspberry killed worse last year than ever before. Currants 
and strawberries were but little better off. This, however, should 
not be a source of discouragement. The time will doubtless come 
when this evil, which now works against the successful cultivator of 
small fruits, will be remedied. 
E. B. Jordan, of Rochester, objected to the remarks of the last 
