HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 217 



The question was asked: "What evidence have you that this 

 tree is any hardier than the Wealthy!" The answer was: "It 

 is something new." 



Some of^the Thompson, Iowa, seedlings were looking well, but 

 others were evident failures. 



I visited Mr. Sias, at Eochester. His orchard has evidently 

 never recovered from the effects of the tornado which swept over 

 it a few years ago. His orchard is in fine feed as far as grass is 

 concerned, but in addition he is now trying the virtue of a good 

 dressing of manure around each tree. He still holds strongly to 

 some of the Russians and also to the Wealthies of three years' 

 growth, from the roots of trees whose tops had been killed. This 

 is an experiment perhaps worth trying. Some of his Russians 

 are holding on their way, bravely trying to make a success of it. 



Mr. Sias and myself visited Mr. Pond, near Kasson, and were 

 pleased to find him successfully entering upon the work of grow- 

 ing small fruits, especially the blackberry and raspberry. He 

 has a yellow raspberry which I think he calls the Golden Queen, 

 which he regards as perfectly hardy, bearing well, without any 

 covering during the winter. 



Mr. Pond evidently believes in manure for fruit trees and he 

 showed us some very large, fine Duchess, which bore well the past 

 season, which speak well for his belief. The ground all around 

 under the wide-spreading branches was deeply covered with 

 well rotted manure. 



In company with Mr. Pond we visited one of his neighbors, 

 Alex. Houston, and examined a seedling which has been growing 

 on his place for some years. It is rather crowded among other 

 trees and has not had a very good chance to develop itself. The 

 fruit is of fair size and quality, and a pretty good keeper. But 

 we could discover no indications that it was any hardier than the 

 Duchess surrounding it. It will be well, however, to test it by 

 grafting. 



We had a pleasant visit with Mr. Dartt at Owatonna and care- 

 fully looked through his large orchards. He has met with some 

 success, but we noticed that his wood pile was largely made up 

 from his orchard. 



We noticed with interest the neat and orderly beginnings o 

 his experimental fruit and forest tree seedling station and we 

 trust valuable results will be attained. It is located on the ^tate 

 farm near the State Institution for Destitute Children, and should 

 be made of some advantage to the children there educated. 

 Vol. IV— 28. 



