HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 423 



EEPOET FBOM NICOLLET COUNTY. 

 By G. F. Brown, 8t Peter. 



S. D. Sillman, Secretary, etc., 



Dear Sir: The report on fruit for 1888 for this locality is a 

 brief one, as the crop, generally speaking, was decidedly so. 

 Strawberries were a fair crop and of good quality. Easpberries 

 were not satisfactory; probably the severe winter injured the 

 vines. Currants were not in the market in any quantities, as 

 very few were raised. Apples, the least number offered in the 

 market for the past ten years; even the Transcendents did not 

 do well. Plum trees blossomed very full but produced no fruit, 

 either from the late spring frosts, or a cold rain which occurred 

 while in full bloom. Grapes were overtaken by the early fall 

 frosts, and the fruit in the market was unripe; the crop was a 

 large one and would have been nice but for the frost. Bananas 

 made a good growth but produced no fruit; they are not quite 

 hardy enough to stand the winters without protection; therefore, 

 are placed in the cellar in the winter. 



EEPOET FEOM OLMSTED COUNTY. 

 By William Somerville, Viola. 



Mr. President and Gentlemen of the State horticultural Society: 



In consequence of sickness in my family I can not be with you 

 at this session of your Society, and for the same reason I was un- 

 able to meet with our horticultural friends at Eochester to give 

 my experience in raising apples in Minnesota. 



I believe I have paid out as much money for trees and have 

 raised as many apples as any farmer in this state. As I came 

 from a fruit-growing state I resolved when I came here to raise 

 at least apples (I hold them to be the king of fruit) or to leave 

 the state. So I set out twenty-five trees, purchasedof A. W. 

 Sias, who then represented a Eochester (N. Y.) nursery. They 

 were the Talman Sweeting, Golden Eusset, Fameuse and a num- 

 ber of other varieties. They bore fruit for fifteen or sixteen 

 years. 



