98 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



President Elliot: I would like to call on Senator Probstfield, 

 of Moorhead. 



Senator R. M. Probstfield: Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: 

 I do not know that I can give you any more information than 

 what is in my last report. For the last sixteen years I have 

 been experimenting with apples, and I had good success with 

 Transcendents. I do not suppose I had over forty trees that 

 bore, and I had sixty, fifty and forty-five bushels of apples, and 

 sold them all the way from $1 . 50 to $3 . 00 per bushel. I did 

 think at one time I would make some cider, but I thought as 

 long as I could get from a dollar and a half to two dollars a 

 bushel for them, I could not afford to make cider. Now I have 

 not got a tree left today. I went to work myself and cut them 

 off two years ago; I think it spoils the looks of a place to leave 

 them standing. I had a loi, of trees sent me by Mr. Luedloff, of 

 Carver, nearly all varieties of Russians, and there are quite a 

 number of trees that are very promising. I also had quite a 

 number sent me by Professor Budd, and some from Mr. Sias 

 and Mr. Tuttle. This is not a complete report. I did not have 

 time to make a complete report, and did not have time to find 

 out what was in first class condition and what was not. While 

 I do not expect much from the apples, I think they are doing 

 well enough to spur me on in trying to do the best I can with 

 them on a small scale. I want to say to all those who are 

 making experiments with fruits and trying to do good to their 

 fellow men, keep right on with your experiments. Don't be 

 discouraged if your trees die out. What is half hardy in this 

 locality may not be hardy in our country. I also made the mis- 

 take Mr. Grafe did. My timber is too close to my fruit trees. 

 When I first planted I thought they should have shelter, but I 

 had a slope to the northeast and I came to the conclusion that I 

 would set my trees on that slope which had no shelter. Those 

 trees that stood nearest the timber and got the full benefit of 

 the sun and were protected from the wind did not amount to 

 much, while those that were not protected did the best. 



Senator H. A. Grafe : I want to say a word about those tree 

 agents. I want to put out the beacon light of warning and I want 

 you to keep it up. I must say that I never got poor stock from 

 any nurseryman that I applied to, but have tried these traveling 

 agents that have had high sounding names for their fruits and 

 I have been swindled abominably every time, but I have not 

 been swindled the last ten years. 



