STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 373 



been known to winter-kill in this latitude, but all apple growers regard 

 it as a safe investment, and they take it as a standard of hardiness. 



The experimental orchard in its two year's history has shown six- 

 teen varieties of apples to be hardier than Duchess, when grown un- 

 der exactly similar conditions and side by side. There yet remains in 

 the Russian nursery over one hundred and fifty varieties to be sub- 

 jected to the same test that these have stood When an effort is made 

 to name sixteen varieties of native apples which would show equal 

 hardiness under the same conditions, the comparison must result 

 favorably to the Russians. 



The experience of the past two trying winters has compelled us to 

 reject many varieties. But we have some that are hardier than the 

 Burr oak, because if you examine the terminal buds of the oak you 

 will find them killed back two or three inches, while I have Russians 

 so hardy that the terminal buds are not injured. Hence it is patent 

 that when we have a tree of that character we have a foundation to 

 build upon and something of real value. 



In addition to the foregoing list of Russian apples we have devoted 

 much time and attention to the culture and comparison of all the 

 leading varieties of fruit grown in Minnesota, embracing native and 

 foreign plums, Russian bean, forty-two varieties of grapes, all the 

 promising varieties of strawberries, currants, gooseberries, blackber- 

 ries and raspberries, as well as a full line of trees, shrubs and plants 

 for forestry and ornamental planting; these are in their third season 

 of growth and their value will be reported upon at your next meeting. 

 In the line of market gardening we have had growing the past year 

 almost every variety of vegetable known to our catalogues, and their 

 condition and value attested by the hundreds of visitors who have 

 manifested an interest in our work by making a personal inspection. 

 Before closing this report I wish to call the attention of this Society 

 to the importance of the collection, improvement and^dissemination 

 of the best varieties of our native trees, shrubs and plants. In many 

 of them I see large promise for the future of horticulture in Minne- 

 sota. Our native varieties of plums, grapes, wild fruits and flowers, 

 from their value, beauty and hardiness, furnish a splendid foundation 

 for new and improved varieties. Many of them have a local reputation 

 and their merits are reported from time to time at our meetings, but 

 for want of systematic attention they are lost sight of, and their dis- 

 semination postponed for a generation. The collection and testing of 

 these native productions should be the duty of our experimental sta- 

 tion; and this brings me to the subject of 



