126 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
are most familiar with them. Some receive an additional star for certain 
districts. Othersloosea star for districts where they have been tried and 
not found satisfactory. In many cases names are stricken from the list 
on account of not having proved satisfactory or good enough to be worthy 
of perpetuation or on account of their identity with some variety with an 
older or preferable name. Then too, when some member knows a variety 
has been tried in his state, and proved a success, he would request that it be 
starred for his state. In addition, considerable progress is being made in 
reforming some of the more objectionable names in the catalogue. After 
going through with the apples and crab apples the reading and discussion 
of papers was resumed. First paper was on ‘‘Pruning,” by D. W. Adams, 
of Florida, who referred to pruning as a sort of hereditary error. ‘‘The 
present system of pruning proves that we believe in the total depravity 
of all fruit and that it can only be saved by the means of wholesale 
butchery. The first and direct results of cutting any tree is to do it a 
permanent and irreparable injury ...It lays a tree open to all sorts of 
diseases and is a defiance to all the laws of nature, &c.” This paper 
elicited a warm discussion. 
The space alotted me warns me that I must hasten along. The remain- 
der of the second day was taken up with papers of vital interest to the 
fruit grower. Such as ‘‘ Heredity and Environment in Originating New 
Fruits,” ‘‘ Fruit Districts Geologically and Climatically Considered,” ‘‘ Re- 
cent Advance in Dealing with Insects Affecting Fruits,” ‘Spraying of 
Orchards,” ‘‘ Local Pomological Problems,” and the ‘‘Propagating of Apple 
on Piece and Whole Roots.” 
On the third day a portion of the forenoon was taken up in the revision 
of the fruit lists, and after they were finished a full and profitable day 
was put in on the remaining subjects on the program. The final ad- 
journment took place on the forenoon of the fourth day and thus ended 
one of the most successful conventions ever held by the society. The 
society was organized in 1848. with the late -Marshall P. Wilder for 
president, who was continuously re-elected at every meeting and held the 
office at the time of his death, Dec. 16, 1886, at the ripe age of eighty- 
eight years. Its membership comprised such men as the Downings, 
Barry, Elwanger, and a score of the pomological giants who have 
elevated the horticulture of America to its present proud position. In 
connection with the meeting there was an elegant display of fruits com- 
prising everything in the lists from the apples, pears, plums and grapes 
of the north to the oranges, bananas and most delicate fruits of the 
south. The display was tastefully arranged in one of the exhibition 
rooms of the museum and was a very unique one, presenting at a glance 
the great resources of our country. The exhibition room was thronged 
with admiring visitors during several hours of each day. Minnesota and 
Wisconsin were the only northwestern states that had any considerable 
exhibits, and they were confined to apples that had no occasion to blush 
when finding themselves in the company of those from more favored 
states. Nothing in the whole exhibit excelled the Wealthy, McMahon, 
and a number of other seedlings of northwestern origin for fairness and 
beauty of appearance. It is customary at these meetings to award a 
limited number of Wilder silver and bronze medals to articles of especial 
merit. The committee of awards reported as follows: A Wilder silver 
cd 
