Minnesora STATE HorRTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 129 
THURSDAY EVENING. 
ha HORTICULTURE IN MCLEOD COUNTY. 
be 
The society was called to order at 7:45 o’clock, 
The report of Mr. Storrs was called for and read by the secretary, 
after which it was ordered on file for publication. The following is 
the report : 
WInsteED, Mrinn., Jan. 8, 1879. 
Prof. C. Y. Lacy, Secretary of Minnesota State Horticultural Society: 
Dear Srr.—Your card of the 2d inst. at hand, requesting a short report of 
the condition of trees in my vicinity. I shall accordingly endeavor to condense 
my report as much as possible, and therein submit such facts as I deem most 
suitable for circulation. The last three winters have been quite mild and fruit 
trees have not suffered any to speak of, but the late frosts of last spring however, 
did considerable damage to the fruit crpp. Apples, plums and cherries were 
almost an entire failure, except in some localities were the apple crop was medi- 
um fair. The currant and strawberry crop was good where the vines were 
properly covered, but grapes were not very abundant. 
In general, however, the display of fruit at Hutchinson, at our county agricul- 
tural fair, was better than in any year previous. 
Salt. 
Cleanliness is a.subject which I consider to be a very essential matter m 
orchards. Young trees should be washed at least once every year with strong 
soap suds which contain a few drops of carbolic acid in each pailful. I have 
used salt with marked success, putting it on the ground around thetrees. It is 
about five years since I adopted that course, and can say that my trees look 
healthier and thriftier than ever before. I hold it to be a preventive of fire 
blight for the reason that I have never had a tree blighted since I commenced 
the use of salt. The quantity used should be not less than a pint, and more 
according to the sizeof tree. For the past three years we have been top work- 
ing the most tender kinds on hardy crabs; and they are doing well. The Haas 
top worked on Transcendent makes the best union of any which I have tried up 
to this day. 
Pears — Varieties. 
The Flemish Beauty Pear is also proving itself worthy on Transcendent, 
Virginia Crab and Hebron. The Wealthy was growing very well here on the 
Mountain Ash, until destroyed by grasshoppers in 1877. Among the different 
kinds which have proved themselves most excellent, are the following: the 
Wealthy, Winstead Pippin, Tetofsky, Duchess and Haas; of crabs, Transcend- 
ent, Virginia, Whitney’s No. 20, Early Strawberry, Orange, Conical, Brier’s 
