STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 63 
Mr. Cook. When there is a surplus we can them, and put on 
fhe market only fresh nice berries. It is almost impossible to 
‘keep over night and sell for common use. 
Mr. Norquist. The Green Prolific does well with me and I like 
it. I get more for it than for the Wilson. Of Col. Cheney, I 
have a few, but they are not well fertilized—only every seventh 
row being a perfect flowering variety. Think if every third row 
were perfect flowering it would do well. 
Mr. Harris. Am surprised that the Green Prolific sells. I 
-Anow of $500 worth going into the river the past season. Of 
Wilson my girl picked 100 to 133 quarts per day, besides assisting 
in house work, and that can’t be done with Green Prolific three 
days in succession. 
Mr. Cook. Green Prolific I get picked for one-half what I can 
the Wilson after the first picking. Green Prolific does not run 
down in quantity and size. It is late in both respects. 
Mr. Fuller moved that the discussion on strawberries be closed, 
~which motion was carried. 
MR. HARRIS’ PAPER. 
Mr. J. S. Harris was then called upon and read a paper on 
Methods of Improving Fruits and Originating New Varieties, 
adapted to the Northwest as follows : 
METHODS OF ORIGINATING NEW VARIETIES OF FRUITS. 
There is no denying the fact that there are but very few varieties of the 
zapple (Pyrus Malus) that are a perfect success in this State. Some of our 
enterprising nurserymen and orchardists have spent the best of their lives 
an giving hundreds of the old and favorite varieties of other States repeated 
trials. A few of them are a partial success, while most of them have been a 
miserable faiiure, and we have become convinced that we must make a 
“*Pomology” of our own, and the material we have to make it out of is the 
Duchess of Oldenburgh and the Wealthy, perhaps a few new seedlings, and 
‘the Siberian species, all producing early and perishable fruits of an inferior 
‘quality, or other varieties of uncertain hardiness. For summer and autumn 
Wwe can get along with the Duchess and Wealthy and a few of the best Sibe- 
rians; but the great want is a few good varieties with keeping qualities and 
size and appearances that will make them adapted for all purposes, to 
-Supplement the season from the 15th of December to the Ist of June. 
Minnetonka Fruit Farm. 
The first step has been taken towards meeting this want by the establish- 
ment of a State experimental fruit farm at Lake Minnetonka for the express 
purpose of originating and testing new varietiss. The principal manage- 
