170 ANNUAL REPORT. | 
APPENDIX D. 
ABSTRACTS FROM THE REPORTS OF LOCAL AND COUNTY HOR- 
TICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 
OLMSTED COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Meeting of July 15th, 1875. 
Mr. A. W. Sias being called upon, said in regard to small fruit 
culture, that the whortleberry had been sadly neglected in this 
country. He had found near the head waters of Bear creek, some 
whortleberry bushes growing. He had transplanted some of them 
in his garden and they were growing finely. He thought there was 
nothing to hinder every one from having, at least, a small patch of 
this delicious berry. Mr. Sias also spoke of the gooseberry, and 
recommended its more general cultivation. He said that in England 
these berries, by diligent cultivation, were grown as large as 
Transcendent, and Hyslop crabs, some of them measuring quite 
two inches in diameter. Six years ago he undertook to improve 
some varieties, taking the seeds of Houghton’s and Hurd’s, and 
from these he had now about thirty-five varieties in bearing. 
Some of them were larger than the original berry, and he thought 
that by continuing the process further improvements might be made. 
He had experimented with black currants in the same manner, tak- 
ing the seeds of the Black Naples, planting them year after year, he 
had raised some fine specimens, but the seedlings were later than the 
original plants. He doubted whether he had any seedliugs superior to 
the Black Naples, but he could tell better in ayear or two. Of rasp- 
berries, Mr. Sias said he thought the Hoag Seedling was superior to 
anything which he had seen. Next to this he would place Davi- 
son’s Thornless on the list. He exhibited fine specimens of the 
Thornless and said this fruit was doing remarkably well. He also 
showed fine specimens picked from the thirty-five varieties of 
gooseberries which he was cultivating. 
Mr. Pearce exhibited a currant bush of the Red Grape variety, 
and also specimens of the Mammoth Cluster raspberry. 
