66 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Arbor Day was observed with appropriate ceremonies in nearly every 

 city and village throughout the state, also in 2,408 school districts out- 

 side the cities and villages. 18,393 trees were thus planted in observance 

 of this new and beautiful custom. 205 teachers, representing 1,39.S pupils, 

 applied for strawberry plants, to whom 8,358 plants were sent, with full 

 instructions for preparing the ground, setting plants and protecting 

 same. 



October reports have been received from several hundred of these pupils, 

 many of them giving in detail their success or failure, but all manifest- 

 ing a great interest in the n^w work. 



The following letters are a fair sample of hundreds received at that time: 



Plain P. O , Wis., October 31, 1892. 

 "M. A. Thayer, Prest. Wis. State Horticultural Society. Bear Sir:— 

 I received from your fruit farms six strawberries, for good attendance, 

 on Arbor Day, to school district No. 3. I was very much pleased with 

 the plants; they all lived but one, and then I took one of the runners and 

 planted it in its place, and now it it as large as any of them, and they 

 look very nice at present. - I thank you very much for your kindness. 



Very truly yours, 



Miss Lucy L. Wilcox." 



Spring Green, Wis., Oct. 16, 1892. 

 '^Dear Sir:—1 began with four plants, and I done it according to direc- 

 tions, and I have planted out sixty-one runners from those four plants; 

 altogether I have sixty-flve plants; and if any one else has raised more 

 than I have from four plants, I should like to hear from you. 



Very truly, 



Cora Rohson." 

 Glasgow, Wis., October 10, 1892. 

 ^'Dear Sir:— Four of the six plants you sent mo lived. I kept the run- 

 ners picked off until about the middle of July. I now have a row about 

 fourteen feet long and eighteen inches wide. The plants are so thick 

 that I cannot count them. Yours truly, 



Willie Tucker." 



Avon, Wis., Oct. 8, 1892. 

 "Mr. Thayer, Dear /Sir;— The strawberry plants which I received from 

 you last spring ail lived except two, one of them died and the other was 

 pulled up while one of my friends twho could not see very well) was pull- 

 ing a weed. Between 400 and 500 runners have come from the four old 

 plants. I tended them the best T could; I kept every weed out of them. I 

 am very much pleased with the young plants, and I thank you ever so 

 much for sending them to me, I remain as ever, 



Your friend, Lola M. Dane." 



Two Rivers, Wis., Oct. 6, 1892. 

 "M. A. Thayer, Pres. Wis. H. S. Dear Sir.— My plants that I received 

 all lived except one, and there are so many new shoots that I cannot count 

 them. Hope they will continue so, as I am very pleased with them. 



Yours truly, Meta Kahrs." 



Argyle, Wis., Oct. 7, 1892. 

 "Hon. M. a. Thayer, Dear /Sir;- -The 12 plants obtained through the 

 conduction of Miss Susan Bentson, have multiplied greatly, having pro- 

 pagated some 204 new plants. One male and a female died. 



Respectfully yours, Martin and Emma Johnson. 

 The great interest manifested in these letters should stimulate all 

 horticulturists to make liberal donations in this direction. It should 

 also stimulate parents and teachers to encourage their children and pupils 



