62 | ANNUAL Report. 
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. 
LETTERS FROM J. W. BOXELL AND JOHN HART. 
The meeting was called to order by President Smith at 1.45. 
Letters from J. W. Boxell and John Hart were read by the Secre- 
tary and ordered on file. The latter discussing matters of pro- 
gramme, is given as follows: 
Winona, Jan. 20, 1879. 
Prof. C. Y. Lacy, Secretary State Horticultural Society: 
Dear Srr:—I received the programme of your annual meeting, commencing 
the 21st inst., at Minneapolis. I am sorry to say I cannot attend. There is no 
use to form an excuse; the truth is best; I find that greenbacks with me are very 
scarce just now. For the last year our crop of fruit has been destroyed by the 
late frost in May. 
Strawberries. 
Even our strawberries, with some of the berries quite large, were all cut off. 
Instead of turning red they turned black. There were but very few berries to be 
seen at the time your committee visited our place. However, we are not discour- 
aged in the least, as some of our loss,was caused by our own carelessness. Had 
we planted on higher ground than we did we were all right. Some of our neigh- 
bors who had fruit on the ridgeand prairie, had good crops. All in the valleys 
and along the streams were destroyed. Not even a wild plum could we see last 
fall. I see you are going to have an address from the pioneer fruit grower of 
Minnesota, Mr. Peter M. Gideon of Excelsior. We aresorry we cannot have the 
pleasure to listen to the father of fruit growers of Minnesota. 
Horticultural Exhibition. 
I see what we think to bea very important question, asked in your programme: 
‘‘Are special horticultural exhibitions practicable? are they desirable?” We 
should think they are, and the most important to fruit growers and others, espe- 
cially the exhibition of small fruit in their season. We think there are two 
points in our state where an exhibition of small fruit might be held. We would 
name Rochester for southern Minnesota, and leave you to name a point for 
northern Minnesota. At present all the fruit growers of the east are holding 
exhibitions of fruit in their season, and why not we adopt the same plan with 
benefit to our state and ourselves. 
Yours with respect, 
JOHN HART, 
. Winona, Minn. 
