‘ sR By Ste 4 e 7 : 
76 ANNUAL REPORT. / 
wa Nursery. . sate gh sane 
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: 
A small nursery has been started for the purpose of growing trees for 
the farm, and scions of every new variety will be tested with a view to 
their hardiness and other desirable qualities. The enterprise is a worthy 
one, and we trust that those who are fortunate enough to raise good seed- 
lings will have them tested here before throwing them upon the market. We 
found a great variety of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, currants 
and grapes growing in the Experimental department, some to test their 
hardiness and others to test the virtue of various fertilizers and methods 
of cultivation, but they have not been out a sufficient length of time to en- 
able us to come to any definite conclusions about them, but if the finale 
will no doubt be the gaining of much valuable information for the State. 
Considering the soil and location and short time since the experiments 
were commenced, the prospect is encouraging. It is in the vegetable 
garden where the greatest advance has been made and the best results 
attained. From the numerous labels and number of stakes that are seen 
on every side, we infer that hundreds of experiments are being carried 
along with system, and that almost every edible vegetable known to the 
gardener had a place there, and the value of various fertilizers is being 
tested. Enough has already been accomplished to determine the best and 
most profitable varieties for growing in the Northwest, and also to prove 
that fertilizers applied to the soil, and thorough cultivation given, increases 
the yield and improves the quality of vegetables; also, that vegetables 
grown from seeds raised here are of better quality and come to maturity 
earlier than those from seeds raised in a more southern latitude. 
We most heartily approve of the efforts that are being put forth by the 
officers and professors to place the Universityin a condition to rank with 
the first in the Union for the scope of instruction given, and recommend 
them to the confidence of the citizens of this great and growing State. 
Our thanks are due Professor Lacv for conducting us over the farm and 
entertaining us with descriptions of the experiments that are being tried 
and we recommend that this Society pass a resolution pledging aid and 
encouragement in donations of seeds, plants and trees for the experimen- 
tal gardens and greenhouse, and that the superintendent be requested to 
make a report in abstract at each annual meeting of this Society. 
We further notice that at the last State Fair, held at St. Paul, Sept. 14th 
to 18th, 1875, the exhibition made by the University was remarkable for 
being the fullest and most complete show of vegetables ever made in this 
State. The laws of the institution debar them from receiving any premi- 
um except honorable mention, which is well deserved. 
JoHN S. Harris, 
Chairman Committee. 
Garden Vegetables. 
The report of Mr. Scott, as chairman of the Committee on Gar- 
den Vegetables, was called for and read and ordered to be published 
in the Transactions. It was as foilows: 
