STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 123 



1885, that Minnesota was ia the habit of *' taking no back seat " in 

 her exhibits of fruits and other farm products, was at this convention, 

 and read an interesting and instructive paper on the Native Plum of 

 Dakota. And last, but I refuse to say least of this horticultural 

 quartet, was the genial, lively Prof. Chas. A. Keffer, of the Brook- 

 ings Agricultural College, formerly of the Experimental Farm between 

 St. Paul and Minneapolis. I am well aware that the word quartet is 

 more commonly applied to regular musicians than to horticulturists. 

 But I take nothing back, as these g^^ntlemen were not wholly devoid 

 of good music, although they sang solos, while the Farmers' Alliance 

 in session at the same time in the adjoining room, indulged in vocifer- 

 ous concert or "congregational music." An unknown member just 

 behind your reporter was heard to remark that " still waters run 

 deep," which of course shows too much prejudice against a great peo- 

 ple who stated, as they had a legal right to state, in actions which 

 speak with more force than mere words, that they must divide the 

 great Territory of Dakota, and know who was running the govern- 

 ment there, before taking up any question of minor import, such as 

 protecting their families from the relentless blizzard and tornado, with 

 rapid-growing deciduous and evergreen shelter belts, etc., etc. Hence 

 where the great majority of the Farmers' Alliance were sheltered on 

 the night of the "joint session," " this deponent saith not." 



Your reporter is no prophet, but it would appear to a stranger on 

 first entering the Territory of Dakota, that arboriculture was a sub- 

 ject of second, third or fourth importance to her people when com- 

 pared to the other well ordered industries of the country. But we 

 need not despair, for there is leaven enough in the Dakota Horticul- 

 tural Society to leaven the whole mass. 



The first meeting of the Dakota Horticultural Society was held at 

 Huron, Dec. 18, 1881, at which time a constitution and by-laws were 

 adopted. The second meeting was also hejd at Huron, F'eb. 4, 18S5. 

 The next at Parker in 1836, and the last at Huron. 



Mr. Harris, in an able paper read at our county horticultural socie- 

 ty's meeting, January Tth, speaks of Rochester as "historic ground," 

 being the birthplace of the State Horticultural Society, its first and 

 second meetings being held here. For precisely the same reason we 

 must be allowed t3 speak of the beautiful city of Huron as "historic 

 ground." 



Mrs. L. A. Alderman, of Hurley, the late efficient secretary of the 

 society, we regret to say, was kept from the meeting by illness. 



All that is wanted to transform Huron into almost an earthly para- 



