260 ANNUAL REPORT 



The following paper was presented by Mr. Smith: 

 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 



By G. L. Smith, Minneapolis. 



Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Minnesota State Sorticultwral 

 Society : 



Since our last meeting I have traveled over a large part of the 

 State while engaged in institute work, under direction of Prof. 

 Porter, and generally speaking on horticulture, I have made 

 the acquaintance of those interested in fruit and tree grow- 

 ing at the points visited. 



The most northern point visited by me was Moorhead, Clay 

 County, on the Red River. Here I found the Red Dutch, Vic- 

 toria and White Grape currant doing well, the bushes being 

 loaded with fruit; there seems to be no obstacle to successful cur- 

 rant growing in the Red River Valley that is not found else- 

 where. Cultivated Weaver, De Soto and wild plums were also 

 doing well; strawberries were exceptionally time. The soil of the 

 valley seems to be specially fine for this fruit. As the ground is 

 very flat it is found advisable to ridge it so as to give surface 

 drainage. Raspberries have riot been very successful, owing to 

 lack of winter protection; where covered they have done well. 

 I found one man at Moorhead who was trying blackberries; by 

 covering his vines with dirt they had wintered well, and on 

 June 1st were covered with blossoms. Another had been suc- 

 cessful with grapes. Am inclined to the belief that with proper 

 care some of the earlier varieties will yet be successfully grown 

 there. 



At Glyndon one man has done something with small fruity 

 but his first venture in grapes and currants was bankrupted by 

 grass and weeds; of Wilson strawberries he had raised a fair 

 amount of fruit which had finally surrendered to the universal 

 foe, "grass." He planted currants on clean, rich ground and 

 by keeping them free from grass by mulching with clean straw 

 or cornstalks, their strong, healthy stems, rich green leaves and 

 rapid growth gave promise of success. A plat of Turner rasp- 

 berries that were perfectly hardy had killed so badly as to pro- 

 duce but little fruit. A few bushes that were protected from 

 the exhaustive effects of blizzards, freezing, thawing and drying, 

 were bearing well. He had faith that he could grow raspber- 

 ries profitably. His second planting of strawberries, in rows 



