HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 359 



be had for the hauling, with soil unsurpassed, why should not 

 such location become the gardeners' paradise? 



THE SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Our society has always maintained the most friendly relations 

 with this progressive institution, and I hope every member will 

 strive to make this friendship perpetual. I would suggest that 

 you appoint a committee to confer with the secretary of the Agri- 

 cultural Society, in view of fixing on a definite number of apples, 

 pears and plums, and a stated quantity of small fruits, to consti- 

 tute a plate. A prize of one dollar was awarded last fall on three 

 rotten plums. Fairness to the Fair Association should compel 

 this society to take means to guard against the recurrence of such 

 an award. 



In conclusion, I wish to thank the society for the uniform court- 

 esies extended me, for so long a time. At the close of the present 

 sessions I return the chair to you, with the hope and trust that you 

 place it in better hands for the future. 



A LADY'S EXPEEIENCE IN FRUIT GROWING. 



Mrs A. A. Kennedy, Hutchinson. 



When I received a card from our worthy President, asking me 

 to write an essay, giving a lady's experience in fruit growing, I ex- 

 claimed, "I have not had experience in fruit growing enough to be 

 able to write intelligently;" but will give you my experience in as 

 few words as possible. 



When we purchased our litte home, five miles north of Hutchin- 

 son, I was anxious to do something to help pay for this home, and 

 through the influence of Shobal Baldwin, then a fruit agent living 

 near Cedar Mills, I was led to commence fruit growing. I bought 

 fifty red raspberry plants; one hundred and fifty strawberry plants; 

 and seven grape vines, and commenced fruit growing on a small 

 scale. 



Mr. Baldwin recommended the Cuthbert raspberry, Crescent and 

 Charles Downing strawberries and Concord grape for an amateur. 

 I had been brought up in the East, where it was thought a disgrace 

 for a woman to work out of doors, and my husband had been put 

 to learn a trade when but a boy and had always followed it until 

 we came to Minnesota, and more or less for several years after we 

 came here. So that neither of us knew very much about farming. 

 And when I told him I had made up my mind to commence fruit 

 raising he thought it was, or would be, small business. But we 

 cleared and brushed a small piece of ground, he prepared and I 

 planted it. 



I put my grapes on low ground and my strawberries on high. 

 My grape vines were covered with white mould and my straw- 



