MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 91 
objection ; but that he should fail to notice the death of Capt. Wm. 
Paist, late Secretary of the State Agricultural Society and State 
Grange, and one of the members and incorporators, and warmest 
friends of this Horticultural Society, and oue by whose aid and 
labors the State Agricultural Society first recognized this Society 
and its members, and was willing to give us a place and voice in 
its deliberations, and anything like a share in its premiums, should 
have been passed by in silence, looks strange to me, and I think 
demands attention at your hands. 
1875. 
The year 1875 was not a bountiful one to the horticulturists of 
Minnesota. Generally the fore part of the season was dry, espe- 
cially during the fruiting season of raspberries, and the latter part, 
_ during the ripening of grapes, cold and wet. So they did not ripen 
well. In stating my own experience and conclusions, perhaps. it 
may induce others to do the same, and thereby compare and learn 
‘something for the future. First, asparagus was a good or extra 
crop, best I ever raised ; but prices so low it did not pay. Straw 
berries, only small quantity cultivated, medium crop. Raspberries 
not over 1-10 of crop; cause of failure, I thhink, manner of hoeing 
and want of mulching, together with drought at time of fraiting. 
Grapes, well loaded, but did not ripen well; still I had a fair crop, 
over six thousand pounds ripe grapes. But last year’s experience 
teaches me that to grow grapes and have them ripen in this north- 
ern climate every year, we cannot cultivate too well, and keep too 
free from weeds. I believe had I put double the amount of labor 
upon my grapes, judiciously expended, in the early part of the 
season, I would have made more than double the money. And 
here let me remark, do not fruit growers, especially growers of 
small fruits, cultivate too much land for the labor they have to be- 
stow? Would not better cultivation be more profitable? 
State University. 
Our State University is now doing something to aid and assist us, 
and can we not soon look to them for assistance in this vexed ques- 
tion of entomology as well as pomology, botany and other sciences 
that will aid horticulture. Whoever visited that mstitution five or 
six years ago and last season will see a marked improvement in the 
right direction, and cannot this Society make arrangements to hold 
our annual summer meeting at the University, and thereby gain a 
