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248 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
tween now and to-morrow. Iam glad to report that there is 
a growing interest in horticulture in my section of Minnesota, 
especially in the direction of small fruits. I have made some 
study of the small fruits of that region and my ideas upon 
that subject have already been presented, and the same 
subject has been fully covered by Mr. Harris in his report. I 
was interested in what he had to say about the choke cherry. 
I believe the choke cherry has a promising future before it. I 
received from Prof. Budd last spring a number of plants 
which I understand are the choke cherries of Europe. I don’t 
know whether all the members of the society know how it 
grows or what fruit it bears. 
REPORT OF VICE-PRESIDENT J. O. BARRETT, BROWN’S VALLEY. 
J. O. Barrett: We have a pretty hard struggle to get along 
in our section. We have to contend with the fierce wind from 
the polar region, and the simoon from the south. And teh 
difficulties are increased because of our lack of forests. Next 
spring, our neighbors, the Indians, are to open their reserva- 
tiou, and if any of you want to capture some of the best land | 
in the Northwest you will have the privilege of doing so. I 
do not know that I can give you any positive information re- 
garding our success in the line of horticulture. We have a 
number of people who are interested in fruit raising, and we 
are in hopes to accomplish a great deal in that line in the 
future. 
DISCUSSION. 
Mr. Kenney: Can any member tell us something about the 
sand cherry? 
Mr. Barrett: Iam somewhat familiar with the sand cherry. 
It is a bush—a shrub—about three feet high. Some of miné 
are three or four years old, and are about an inch and a half in 
diameter now. They are very prolific bearers. In the 
spring, when they are in blossom, they are very beautiful. 
The flowers look like so many plumes waving in the wind, and 
are very graceful and beautiful. I think it is a beautiful 
shrub to have on the lawn. The berry is of a somewhat oval 
shape, and its color bears upon the black. They are very 
juicy and some of them are as large as acommon size grape, 
I have noticed that they are very palatable, even when eaten 4 
raw. s 
Vice-President Wedge: Does it succeed on sandy soil? me 
