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118 , ANNUAL’ REPORT. 
migration document to set before the great Centennial Exhibition, soon to 
be opened at Philadelphia. As it now stands it would do Minne ota great 
injustice as a fruit-growing State. And I will say in this connect on, that 
doubtless the chief reason why our winter list is so very small, is owing 
partly or wholly to the fact that the men who are now foremost in this noble 
work of making Minnesota Seedlings a specialty, are men of taste, refine- 
ment, and rare modesty. Had they possessed a hundredth part of the 
‘* cheek” of some of those unscrupulous fellows who have been flooding 
the country with untried, half-hardy varieties of distant origin, and of 
little or no merit, they would have had several of their promising new 
seedlings that are destined to add millions to the wealth of the Northwest, 
fairly and squarely before the publicyears ago. And meanwhile these public 
- benefactors have been struggling along, in some cases through sickness 
and great tribulation, sewing together old vests and rags for raiment, to 
enable them to save a little money to buy seeds to continue this grand 
work, that is one day to make us all ‘‘ wealthy.” Such heroic enthusiasm, 
under peculiar and most trying circumstances, contains all the elements of 
great and final success, Now how have these great horticulturists been 
treated or appreciated by what is sometimes termed a generous public? 
For an instance, what great encouragement have they derived from our 
institutions, gotten up for the so-called purpose of encouraging agricul- 
ture and horticulture ? Since the time that Horace Greeley made the ill- 
advised, or careless remark, that ‘‘you can’t raise apples in Minnesota,” 
the croakers appeared to tike out a new lease of life, and to put on all the 
self-assurance and dignity of a man who knew just whathe was driving at! 
At our county agricultural fairs in some cases they offered the liberal 
premium of three dollars for the best exhibition of fruits, and when the 
lucky man, who had been watching this fruit for three long days, called 
for his money, he was very politely informed that the institution had 
‘‘ busted,” and that it would be utterly impossible for him to pay over ten 
cents on the dollar, while at the same time this ‘‘ busted ” society could 
pay three hundred dollars fur the best exhibition of cruelty to that noblest 
of all animals, the horse ! And I am inclined to think that this is just 
about a fair exhibit of the public generally towards these most useful till- 
ers of the soil. And now to go back to our subject of where shall we 
obtain winter varieties of the common apple. Thus far we have depended 
chiefly on the Eastern and Middle States, and as this is known to be one 
of the leading causes of so many failures, you will not of course be very 
anxious to invest anything further in that direction. Then again, some 
say we should look to Russia, or Northern Europe, for the best results. 
Now let us consider this for just a moment, as to winter fruit. My expe- 
rience in shipping trees south makes me skeptical in regard to finding 
good keepers, that originated as far north as St. Petersburg, Russia. 
(We may import varieties from there that originated far south of that 
point.) And out of one hundred varieties that I am now testing of Rus- 
sian origin, I should be disappointed if a single variety proved a good 
keeper. November 6th, 1860, the memorable day of Abraham Lincoln’s 
first election, found me distributing trees to our rebellious brethren, on 
Green River, in the southern part of Kentucky. These trees originated 
mostly in the Eastern States, and were the best keepers and most suc- 
