=~ 
70 ANNUAL REPORT. 
ssssssss 
Second best, Wm. King, St. Paul.......--seeseceeescececeesceeesens BD 
Best hanging baskeb.:..icsc\+s» siracdiesvouese seen es wees eles on” as Seen 
Best floral design, E. F. Lemke, St. Paul....... ose PERE > e's a0 doe 
Second best, Mrs. Truman M. Smith, St. Paul.............. sohetsh. ee 
Best display cactus, Mrs. F. M. Smith, St. Paul.........-. seeseeeees 2 
Best display of greenhouse plants by amatuer, Mrs. A. Lastzir........ . 2 
Second best, Miss Sadie Ramaly, St. Paul............ Seen oe seats 2 
Third best, Wm. King, St. Paul....... ey EPP ics Peay: | 
$ Amount of Premiums. 
The total amount paid in premiums in this department is as follows: 
Apples.auth Crabs: ss55 323% nesses hens ss apo ne oes eer ae $ 169 00 
Grapes-n’ sake baa a ete latsc tatnie Pali gies Vailas om noite atte Rate 72 00 
Flowers endl FP lasrtes a 0.0% sais spose Sh vin et eo eke aol whe ee 285 00 
—— $ 526 00 
It will be seen at a glance that there are not as many premiums in proportion 
to exhibitors on apples as there are on flowers by more that 100 per cent. If there 
is any blame for this it must rest upon the State Horticultural Society. 
Insects and Birds, 
In floral hall, although under the auspices of the Agricultural Society, was 
another exhibit that properly belonged to us. Mr. Eugene Harris, of Houston 
county, a young student in natural science, made an exhibition of insects (two 
cases) injurious and beneficial to the horticulturist, about eighty preserved spec- 
imens of the birds of Minnesota and several of the smaller animals. These 
specimens were mostly collected within a year and preserved, stuffed and 
mounted at odd times and on stormy days, times when numbers of the young 
men of our state are lounging about post offices, stores and shops in the villages 
exposing themselves to the contracting of habits of idleness and dissipation. 
His occupation being school teaching in winter, labor by the month in summer 
imposed upon the work many obstacles and hindrances, but the result is a good 
illustration of what may be accomplished by diligence and perseverance under 
difficulty. The exhibition was very attractive to the young and very few passed 
it by without special notice and favorable comments. Knowledge is what will 
invest the horticulturist with power. It will make him able to profit by his 
friends and conquer his enemies. He has a host of them in the world of insects 
and birds. Object teaching is the impressive and effectual method and more’can 
be learned from such an exhibition with proper explanation than from whole libra- 
ries of written descriptions. It.1s possible for this society in a short period of 
time to secure a very complete collection of insects and of the birds of Minnesota, 
and the smaller animals, especially the rodents, many of which are especially 
hurtful toithe fruit grower. Such collections would become the nucleus of a fine 
inuseum for perpetual exhibition. and it set up in cases convenient for transpor- 
tation, would be one of the attractions of the annual meetings and prove a 
lasting benefit to us. 
J. S. HARRIS. 
The paper on House Plants by Mrs. E. Morse was called for and 
read by the writer, as follows: 
