318 ANNUAL REPORT 



ordinary wild type. It is nearly as dark as the blue damson, and 

 with dry rich pulp, and very much like the Eockford of Iowa. 



One of the best varieties exhibited at our fair the past season, 

 was the Quaker, it is an honest plum and bears an honest name. In 

 our search through Fillmore county we name as best the Leonard, 

 and the Moon plum. J. H. Vandervort showed us several good 

 varieties at Mankato. Our native plum has stepped out of the old 

 ruts, assumed a new type, and we may now reasonably look for 

 something rich in the near future. We also called on our friend 

 E. H. S. Dartt. We found here some very fine plums, notably the 

 Harrison Peach and a fine seedling by Mr. Dartt. We were sur- 

 prised to find in the hyperborean region of Owatonna, the Ohio 

 Buckeye, aesculus glabra, and horse chestunt in bearing. We took 

 a look over the Experimental Station, and were well pleased with 

 the orderly manner in which we found everything. The new seed- 

 lings are looking well, considering the drouth they had to endure. 



EEPOKT OF COMMITTEE ON SEEDLING FBUITS. 



B. W. Fuller, Litchfield. 



I had two objects in view this year in my short trip around the 

 state, one was to correct any wrong impression made last year in 

 regard to seedlings, and the other to learn something in regard to 

 the real condition of apple growing in the state. 



I visited Eochester and vicinity, Chatfield, Owatonna, Mankato, 

 Faribault and Minnetonka and did what I could by enquiries and 

 correspondence. I could hear of no new seedlings and my im- 

 pressions of last year were confirmed regarding those then report- 

 ed. I will not give a detail of my visits; only results. Mr. Dartt 

 can exhibit a good many failures, and his successes are yet in the 

 future. I examined Mr. Brand's seedlings at Faribault. The 

 oldest I saw are only three years from the graft. They look as 

 well as the Duchess, but I obtained no evidence that they were 

 any hardier. Mr. Brand has a fine orchard of Duchess. 



I was pleased with some seedling trees on Mr. Pearce's grounds 

 at Lake Minnetonka. He has three varieties. One the Victor, 

 "the original stood twelve years, and was killed by rabbits," apple, 

 large as Fameuse and took the premium at Mr. King's fair, bears 

 at six years. Another is the Lorska, a hybrid from the cherry 

 crab and the Duchess. The third is — the Unknown — large, fine 

 and keeps as well as the Wealthy. Bears at five years. Such are 

 the statements given by Mr. Pearce. 



The trees were five years old, I believe, and all in perfect con- 

 dition, not an indication in body or limb of any defective wood.* I 

 have never seen trees in finer condition. The only thing to detract 

 from this commendation is the fact that on the same grounds are 



