122 ANNUAL EEPORT 



hardy, and very liable to bring imperfect or blighted fruit Lucre- 

 tia dewberry were larger and finer than the Bartlett, and promise to 

 be more fruitful and better adapted for general cultivation. 



Mr. Pefifer made an exhibit of seedling apples that were grown in 

 1886, of medium size, fair quality and in good preservation. Other 

 parties made exhibits of Duchess, Tetofsky, Yellow Transparent, 

 Early Champagne, and a number of other varieties of Russian apples. 

 The Yellow Transparent and Early Champagne were ripe and in good 

 condition to test their quality, and if sufficiently hardy are of so good 

 a quality as to be worthy of general cultivation throughout the North- 

 west. 



A significant feature in all meetings of the Wisconsin Society is 

 the prominent part taken by the lady members, aud the papers read 

 by them are becoming the most valuable horticultural literature of 

 the day. Cannot we profit by the example of our Wisconsin neigh- 

 bors and enrich the pages of our future reports with thoughts of the 

 ladies of our own Society ? 



REPORT OF DELEGATE TO DAKOTA. 

 By A. W. Sias, Rochester. 



Mr. President and Members of the State Horticultural Society : 



This live and progressive institution for the dissemination of horti- 

 cultural knowledge, the Dakota Horticultural Society, convened in the 

 court house at Huron, December 13th, and closed its last session on 

 the night of the 15th. The meeting was called to order at the proper 

 time by President E. De Bell, of Sioux Palls, who presided with uni- 

 form fairness, and with satisfaction to all. It is fortunate for this 

 society and the good cause it represents that it should be so well offi- 

 cered from the very commencement of its arduous duties. It was a 

 most happy surprise to your delegate, on entering the hall where the 

 horticulturists were assembled, to be brought face co face with four 

 distinguished horticulturists of Minnesota fame, viz: H. H. Young, 

 of St. Paul, a former well known editor of Rochester, and well known 

 to your reporter as an uncompromising friend to horticulture. B. C. 

 Benedict, a former partner in the Rochester nursery of M W. Cook 

 & Co., now of De Smet, and one of the few nurserymen in our section 

 whom the tree planters felt that they could "tie to" as an honest man. 

 Oliver Gibbs, Jr., who showed all nationalities at New Orleans, in 



