82 ANNUAL REPORT 



much of late, they should be used, perhaps, more freely in the 

 future than heretofore. 



Ry reference to the last report, it will be seen that more than 

 twenty leading topics were discussed at our last annual meeting. 

 There were also numerous reports and quite a large number of 

 papers read; among the latter, several prize essays, as well as 

 interesting and valuable contributions from our lady friends. The 

 Rose, Chrysanthemum and other flowers, were given prominence 

 in the discussions. The cultivation of flowers has been too much 

 neglected heretofore, and hence more space was given to this 

 department on the program for our present session. The floral 

 realm with its profusion of delicate, sweet-scented flowers, ought, 

 so to speak, to be "invaded," and we should urge more earnestly 

 the propagation of flowers to beautify and lend attraction to the 

 home. 



We call attention to our Station and District Fruit reports. 

 Though not as full, perhaps, as could be wished, they furnish 

 information concerning progress made within the year. These 

 brief but comprehensive histories of Minnesota horticultural work, 

 ought not to be neglected. They should be faithfully reported 

 and given an accurate outline of our work. 



The last report was issued somewhat earlier than usual, although 

 the printers were delayed by other publications. The work of 

 printing was finished in the month of May. There being no pro- 

 vision made for binding the report in cloth, as the authorities 

 construe the law, the secretary of state considered it a stretch of 

 his official prerogative to grant an order for that purpose. How- 

 ever, he consented to have three hundred copies bound. Five 

 hundred copies more were bound at the expense of the society. 

 This number is not large enough to meet our wants. The law 

 should be amended and provide for at least two thousand copies to 

 be bound in cloth. As is well understood, our present edition is 

 limited to thirty-five hundred copies. 



THE FRUIT CROP. 



The past year was not a favorable one for growing fruit, the 

 small fruit crop especially being very light. Drouth and early frosts 

 were the principal causes conducing to this result. Strawberries 

 have seldom been a lighter yield. And partly in consequence of 

 this fact no summer meeting was held by the society. The qual- 

 ity of the fruit produced was generally reported good. The yield 

 of apples was quite encouraging, as many orchards bore a heavy 

 crop. The season was too short to ripen all varieties of grapes, but 

 there was full an average yield reported, from different sections of 

 the state. 



THE FUTURE APPLE. 



In this connection, we wish to call to mind some of the causes of 

 failure in general in growing fruit. The apple is, or ought to be 

 at least, our staple fruit. Why should it not be made to pay a lib- 

 eral return to every farmer in the state ? And why should we be 

 satisfied with simply growing Duchess, crabs and hybrids? Some 



