124 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
REPORTS OF DELEGATES. 
REPORT OF DELEGATE TO THE AMERICAN POMOLOGICAL 
SOCIETY. 
BY J. S, HARRIS. 
Mr. President and Members of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society: 
It was truly a pleasure and one of the greatest privileges of my life to 
be able to attend the twenty-third session of the American Pomological 
Society, held at Washington, D.C., as the delegate of your society, al- 
though I must confess that I felt much like a beardless youth in pomology 
as compared with the learned, experienced and successful men who largely 
comprise its membership. The meeting was held in the large lecture room 
of the National Museum, on the 22d, 23d, 24th and 25th of September, 
1891, On a special invitation of the Secretary of Agriculture, J. M. Rusk, 
to give the Department an opportunity to become better acquainted with 
the pomological workers of America, and to afford them an opportunity to 
become familiar with the workings of the Division of Pomology, with the 
view of establishing a more frequent and intimate intercourse between 
the fruit growers and the department; and further, to enlist their hearty 
co-operation in the efforts now being undertaken to extend fruit culture 
to all parts of the country by selecting and experimenting for the most ~ 
hardy and valuable for each section, and also in reclaiming and develop- 
ing such of the native wild fruits as give promise of value, and introduc- 
ing from other countries such as will be desirable additions to our lists. 
Ten o’clock A. M. found the room pretty well filled with members and the 
meeting was called to order by President P. J. Breckmans. After an elo- 
quent prayer by Rev.S. M. Newman,the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, 
Hon. Edwin Willets,delivered the address of welcome in behalf of the De- 
partment of Agriculture. In the course of the address he gave a vivid | 
picture of the wonderful growth of pomology in the United States since 
the organization of the society. ‘‘Then, California was practically un- 
known and Florida was chiefly renowned for everglades and hostile Semi- 
noles. The orange, the lemon, the fig, pomegranate, pineapple and 
olive were essentially a luxury imported from foreign shores. The 
strawberry, always luscious, was still in a large measure sought for 
by the boys and girls in the meadows. The farmer or home 
that had a tasteful wild grape, commanded a ready market, and 
many a small boy or good housewife by no means despised the wild native 
crab apple. In these things a complete revolution has been wrought 
Since the organization of this society.” He alluded to the improved 
methods that had been brought about, the new varieties originated, propa- 
gated and introduced, the new fruits brought from other countries, the 
assiduity with which soil, climate and adaptability had been studied, the 
