ANNUAL WINTER MEETING. 81 



raises grapes for the market told me that nowhere else are 

 grapes raised as profitably as they are here . We do not get 

 the quantity of grapes here they do there, but the quality 

 is better, and I think the little Delaware is the finest grape 

 raised. (Applause . ) That is only one of your fruits . 



You cannot go to California, neither can you go to Italy and 

 sit down to the table today and bring on such grapes as you 

 have here. You cannot see such a sight in California. They 

 have no grapes in California in winter They have some half- 

 dried raisins; that is the only thing I saw in the shape of grapes. 

 You cannot get them. 



Gentlemen, I do not intend to take up more of your time. I 

 am glad to meet you. You are doing a great work, and you are 

 entitled to the thanks of every man, woman and child in the 

 state of Minnesota. (Applause). 



Col. Stevens: — I will simply add a word to what Mr. Loring 

 has said. He helped to organize this State Horticultural So- 

 ciety, but he got so wealthy that he abandoned us; but he says 

 he is going to become a member again. 



President Elliot: — We feel very much encouraged by these 

 remarks of President Loring, and I hope you will take better 

 courage and see if you cannot improve on what you have been 

 doing. 



Now if Col. Stevens will come forward and read his paper it 

 will conclude the program for this morning. 



Col. Stevens then read the following paper: "The First 

 'Mum' Exhibition, " by Col. J. H. Stevens, Minneapolis. (See 

 index. ) 



President Elliot: — I will say that the Colonel has touched off 

 our chrysanthemum exhibition we had here in November, which 

 was thought by those who took part in getting it up was doing 

 pretty well for their first effort, and I wish to say to the friends 

 here that next year the florists expect to excel what they did 

 last November. Already many of them have got their plants 

 started for this year's exhibition, and they expect to have a 

 show here that will exceed anything west of the Atlantic coast. 

 , We have only ten minutes left to twelve o'clock. We have a 

 question box to which I promised we would devote fifteen 

 minutes, and we shall probably have to run a little over time. 



(The replies to these questions will be found under the proper 

 heads. ) 



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