220 ANNUAL REPORT. 



danger of severe frost is over and then pretty well cut back. I be- 

 lieve that in this way you could raise teas in your gardens and 

 have as good specimens as we can here. As your season for bloom- 

 ing is shorter than ours, very likely you would average better blooms 

 than we get. The hardy hybrids might be bent close to the ground, 

 well hilled up about the roots and then all covered by straw in 

 «uch a way that the water would run off, or away from the bush ; 

 and I think you would have little loss by this means. The great- 

 est danger in this would be from too early uncovering. This 

 should not be done until the weather has become warm and all 

 the frost is out of the ground. Neither should they be raised 

 from the ground as soon as uncovered. These are the opinions 

 that I have arrived at in my experience; however, you may iind 

 them impracticable in your state. 



I have received your circular containing programme, &c., of your 

 next meeting. I would like very much to be with you, for I have 

 €ome to the conclusion from reading the volume containing the 

 minutes, &c., of your last meeting, that yours is a live society, and 

 that you are after facts first and theory afterward. Still a man 

 without a theory will not make much of an investigator. 



I see that EHwanger & Barry, of Rochester, have succeeded in 

 raising two new roses, one a hybrid, raised from the seed of General 

 Jacqueminot and named Marshall P. Wilder. It is described as 

 an improved Alfred Colomb, and they (E. & B.) believe it to be the 

 best American Rose yet raised. I have great confidence in the opin- 

 ions of these gentlemen, and do not believe they would wittingly 

 misrepresent any rose, or in fact anything. And as they have had it 

 on trial for several years, I have no doubt this will prove all they 

 «ay about it. The other is a miniature rose of slender growth and 

 raised from the seed of the Marie Van Houtte, aad called Rosalie, 

 or Fairy Queen. I have seen neither of these and therefore say 

 nothing of them from my own personal experience, but as they are 

 recommended by E. & B. I have no doubt of their excellence. 



I see by your programme that you will have two papers on sub- 

 jects especially interesting to me, and shall wait perhaps impatient- 

 iv for your report to read them. I refer to the one on "Wild 

 Flowers of Lake Pepin Valley " and the one on " Roses for the 

 Northwest." I hope neither will ptfove only for the ear, and then 

 to be forgotten. 



THEO. MEAD. 



MINNESOTA SEEDLING APPLES. 



A letter was read from J. M. Thresher, of Fillmore county, ' 

 ■answering inquiries of the Secretary in regard to the Rollins 

 apples. He says the Rollins Russet and Rollins Prolific seem 

 to stand well, but himself and neighbors have not had good 

 success with the Rollins Pippin. 



