STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 223 



urns awarded, etc., etc., will be made by the efficieut secretary of the 

 society, Hon. H. E. Hoard. This is the first time in the history of 

 that organization, during an existence of about thirty years, that a 

 detailed report has been furnished for publication in permanent form. 

 This exhibit is one which should reflect credit upon the people of not 

 only this State in general, but upon the able management of the 

 board of agriculture of Minnesota. For further information on this 

 subject we commend our members and others interested to the report 

 of Secretary Hoard. 



EXPERIMENTAL WORK. 



We wish to call attention briefly to what is being done on experi- 

 mental lines for the promotion of horticultural progress in the State. 

 It is well known that this imporatant field of work has been too much 

 neglected; that while we have a goodly number who are thoroughly in 

 earnest and doing valient service, and who are making steady pro- 

 gress in this important field, still it is found to be impracticable for 

 this Society to render its material assistance. We havn't the author- 

 ity or power to use our funds in that direction. Hence the experiments 

 which have been carried on have been conducted almost wholly by 

 individual enterprise. 



The obstacles which have been met in this direction have been of 

 such a nature as to preclude the power for rapid or substantial pro- 

 gress being made. Too many have been heard to say "it costs too 

 much " to make experiments; adding that the money will be 

 " wasted," or the results will prove a "failure." 



But these short-sighted individuals are far behind the times. They 

 fail to recognize the spirit of the age in which we live when "progress" 

 seems to be the watchword everywhere. They do not seem to catch 

 the inspiration of advancements being made in every field of thought 

 as well as every line uf work. Says Mr. Wilder, in his address else- 

 where alluded to: "Although we may not be able to prescribe the 

 exact limits to which improvement may be extended, we know that 

 upon the subtle forces of hybridization, either accidentally or by the 

 hand of man, we must ever depend for the improvement of our 

 fruits." 



He further says: "From the sour crab, the puckery pear, the bitter 

 almond and the austere plum, came the tender, spicy apple, the melt- 

 ing juicy pear, the velvet lucious peach, the delicious purple or golden 

 plum; and from our rank and foxy grape came the splendid varieties 

 which now adorn our tables and 'make glad the heart of man.* " 



