76 ANNUAL REPORT 



effect of plant food of various kinds on the quality of fruits and 

 vegetables." 



He further says: "The real value of experiment stations to 

 horticulture will depend fully as much upon the fidelity and intel- 

 ligence with Avhich the horticulturalists make use of the results 

 of the experiments, as upon the real work done by the stations." 



The attention of the members is called to the adopting of some 

 feasible plan for cultivating the finest of our native fruits ; giving 

 encouragement to those growers who will develop and bring into 

 notice and use any kind having real deserved worth that will add 

 value to the horticultural productions of our State. 



The following letter received from H. E. Vandeman, pomologist 

 to the U. S. Department of Agriculture, will explain what I mean 

 more plainly than I can give it. It is as follows : 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, ) 



Office of the Pomologist, I 



Washington, D. C, December 26, 1889. ) 



Mr. Wyman Elliot, President Minnesota State Horticultural So- 

 ciety, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 



Dear Sir: Your letter of recent date to the secretary of this 

 department has been referred to me. In reply I will say that 

 there have been no special investigations made in the Northwest- 

 ern states during the past year, of a pomological nature, except 

 those made by Prof. T. V. Munson and 0. L. Hopkins, who were 

 acting under special authority of the Department in connection 

 with the work of this division in looking up the wild fruits. Their 

 report has not yet been published ; but when it is, all the corre- 

 spondents of this division, and especially the members of the State 

 Horticultural Societies will be supplied with copies. 



The improvement of the wild fruits is a subject that has been 

 long claiming my attention, and in Minnesota and adjoining states 

 there are no doubt many fruits which may be developed into very 

 useful varieties, under cultivation. This is especially true of the 

 wild plums, and nearly all of the small fruits which are found wild 

 in that region. If I were to make any recommendation to the 

 members of your society it would be that they give this matter spe- 

 cial attention. I would tell them to remove the best varieties they 

 can find from their wild habitats to their gardens and orchards. 

 These will be hardy enough to endure the winters, which is a fatal 

 point in connection with the cultivation of fruits in the Northwest. 

 Cultivation may increase the size of the wild fruits, also their other 

 characteristics, and cross-fertilization with some of the choicest 

 varieties now in cultivation may produce new varieties of still more 

 valuable qualities, especially in the way of hardiness of plant and 

 excellence of fruit. I think it is through some such means that 

 advancement in practical pomology is to be brought about, rather 

 than through the introduction of varieties from northern Europe. 

 No country in the temperate zone is so rich in wild fruits as our 

 own ; and certainly we would be short-sighted and negligent of our 



