STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIET-S. 301 



his wife and family are worthy of such a man. We had a very 

 pleasant yisit; was sorry to learn that Mr. Forster was too much 

 out of health to attend this session. The wood of the Forster's 

 Red Winter looks well; we have a specimen of this on exhibition 

 and also of the Forsters Sweet. The fruit of the latter I suppose 

 you have on exhibition, the other varieties did not bear much this 

 season, and we did not see any of them. 



Respectfully submitted, 

 Rochester, Jan. 15, 1884. A. W. SI AS. 



NOTES ON THE FLORA OF WESTERN DAKOTA 



AND EASTERN MONTANA ADJACENT TO 



THE NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILROADS 



By John B. Leiberg. 



[Read before the Minnesota Academy of Natural Sciences, March 4th, 1884, and pub- 

 lished by permission of the Academy.] 



While in the service of the Northern Pacific railroad company 

 during the past year in the interest of tree culture, I had abundant 

 opportunity to examine the interesting and to some extent peculiar 

 flora of Western Dakota, and to a limited degree the eastern por- 

 tion also, and the eastern part of Montana as far west as the Yel- 

 lowstone river at Glendive, and to make large and full collections 

 of the same. Copious and interesting notes were made respecting 

 the botanical features of the region, and a few of the more promi- 

 nent are presented for the consideration of the Academy. 



The climate of eastern Dakota, in both rain-fall and temperature, 

 does not appear to present any great variation from that of the 

 prairie region of western Minnesota, except perhaps a somewhat 

 longer winter. The climate of the western portion is very differ- 



* NOTK BY THE Secretakt. It secms Very dcsl lablc to gather full and accurate 

 knowledge of the flora of the prairies and plains of this country, and eventually to 

 compare these with the similar region in Russia where fruit culture is very successful, 

 with a view to the selection of such varieties of fiuit trees, and forest and ornamental 

 trees and shrubs, for importation, as shall be adapted to the climate and soil of the 

 Noi'thwest. Much may be added to the stock of information of this kind, if those 

 having opportunities for observation will communicate to the Secretary botanical and 

 climatological notes, as in the following essay. 



