100 - ANNUAL REPORT. bd 
inferwr to former years, probably owing to the vitality of the trees having been 
injured the preceding winter. 
Third. I was much disappointed in the collection of Russian apples. Many 
were inferior to our crabs and very few good specimens among them, and so far 
as I have been able to learn, there are no winter varieties. Tne most of them 
ripen very early and keep but a little while. They seem to do much better north 
than south, but even in Minnesota very few will be found worthy of culti- 
vation. 
Fourth. The size and appearance of the apples exhibited by the different 
States at St. Louis as compared with the centennial exhihit was about as fol- 
lows: New York, much better; Michigan, better; Virginia, about the same; 
Ohio, the same; Indiana, the same; Illinois, rather better; Wisconsin, much in- 
ferior; Minnesota, inferior; Iowa, inferior; Missouri, much better; Kansas, 
rather better; Nebraska, Texas, Kentucky and Tennessee, I believe, were not 
represented at the centennial, but had fine collections at St. Louis. 
Contributors. 
The Minnesota collection of fruits consisted of abcut 160 plates of apples and 
crab apples, and was made up principally by the following gentlemen:) John 8. 
Harris, La Crescent; A. W. Sias, Rochester; E. B. Jordan, Rochester; E. H.S. 
Dartt, Owatonna; Bates & Son, Rolling Stone; J. Evans, Elgin; R. L. Cottrel, 
Dover; W. E. Brimhall, St. Paul; L. W. Stratton, Excelsior; and J. T. Grimes, 
Minneapolis. In justice to the contribators, let me say that our exhibit was in 
every way worthy of our society and of the State we represent. Minnesota ap- 
ples, well, I did not suppose they could grow such fruit up there, was the excla- 
mation of our southern friends, and to those who imagine we are living outside 
the fruit limit it was a complete surprise. 
J. T. Grimes, 
Delegate. 
MR. GIBBS’ PAPER. 
EDUCATION IN HORTICULTURE. 
Before the winter of 1873, orchard planting had become general throughout 
the settlsd portions of Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. The wide-spread 
havoc made that winter with fruit trees in all parts of the west, as far east as 
Michigan, and as far south as central Illinois, discouraged most of our people 
from further attempts, exeept upon a small scale for trial of new sorts. The 
signs of the times now indicate that orchard planting is to be resumed in this 
region. The Duchess is seen to be surviving everything, looking well and bear- 
ing annually enormous crops of fruit, where properly taken care of; the Wealthy 
is coming into bearing in all directions, and all ages of it showing signs of sta- 
bility—the oldest being the best after several years fruiting; some of the 
Hybrids are gaining favor, as their vigor, good cropping and the quality of fruit 
are seen, of new seedlings origmated here in Minnesota or in Wisconsin, of 
common or standard apples, there are no less than twenty varieties on the list of 
our State Horticultural society for trial, all evincing good qualities, some of 
