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MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ; t 
fruit bearing trees and bushes, not as a means of livelihood, but as 
a matter of comfort. They should seek varieties of fruit to raise in’ 
this State. He had secured new varieties of crab last spring. Knew 
nothing about them. Small fruits, he thought, offered more encour- 
agement. 
The report of the committee on business, as given above, was then 
adopted, and the meeting adjourned to meet at 7.30 P. M. 
EVENING SESSION. 
President Smith took the chair, and announced as the topic for 
discussion : 
* The effects of the winter of 1873 and 1874 on our various kinds 
of fruit.” 
Mr. Moody, of East Minneapolis, said he thought on the whole 
the winter was not very injurious. Most kinds of stock with him 
had come through very well. 
Mr. Dartt, of Owatonna, had a good deal of stock injured, and es- 
pecially young trees. The Siberians were effected more or less, as 
also the raspberries. 
Mr. Jordan, of Rochester, stated that some things had been in- 
jured as much as the year previous. Raspberries were badly injured, 
though heretofore considered hardy in all localities. 
THE TEST OF VARIETIES. 
The eighth topic came up: ‘‘ What tests are necessary to fully 
establish the perfect aduptation of any variety of apples to the trying 
climate of our State.” 
Mr. Dartt moved that we reaffirm our action of last winter, which 
is as follows: 
That we do not recommend for general planting in large quantities any 
variety that has not stood a test of ten years in a variety of soils and situa- 
tions, and shall have passed through at least one winter of great severity. 
Mr. R. J. Mendenhall, of Minneapolis, was inclined to the opin- 
ion that ten years’ trial was more than was really necessary, espe- 
cially after such a winter as that of 1872 and 1873. 
After a long debate, in which most of the members participated, 
the time was changed from ten to five years. 
THE CRAB AS A STOCK TO GRAFT ON. 
President Smith said he had a conversation with Mr. Soulard, who 
thought he had found a splendid variety to graft on, but time had 
proved his position to be incorrect. 
Mr. Dartt had been successful in grafting on the crab stock. 
Mr. Jordan gave an account of a visit to Mr. Soulard at Galena, 
