STATE HORTICUI/rURAL SOCIETY. 113 



Pending the report of the Seedling Committee the resolution 

 was laid on the table. 



On motion of Mr. Smith the report of the committee was 

 called for. 



REPORT OF SEEDLING COMMITTEE. 



Mr. Underwood. Mr. President, I have no prepared written 

 report. Of course we are doing all we can and doing a good 

 deal to develope new seedlings, which we hope will result in 

 good to the people of the State of Minnesota; but it is impossible 

 in one year, two, three, or more years to bring out any new va- 

 riety and be prepared to recommend it and say that it is hardy, 

 a good and desirable apple in every respect, and one that we can 

 recommend the society to adopt. I have a seedling on exhibi- 

 tion here that is growing in the southern part of the State which 

 has been brought to the notice of the society several times; and 

 while we have been following it up to see what it is doing, at the 

 same time we don't feel justified in saying it is one of the desir- 

 able seedlings that the society should recommend. And there 

 are very many of these experiments that must necessarily take 

 time; the society cannot expect that the Seedling Committee are 

 to take the cions they have received and send them out labeled 

 as hardy, good keepers and all that is desirable. I think very 

 likely all the other members of the committee have met with 

 the same experience, if they have been able to develop anything 

 really reliable and of value. Just as fast as we get information 

 that is reliable we are ready to report. I have no doubt you 

 will trust a nurseryman to let it be known when he finds any- 

 thing that is worthy of notice to announce the fact, and he will 

 be very likely to post our friends in other parts of the State and 

 try to sell them some of the trees. I have a great deal of faith 

 in the results that will accrue to the State in the development of 

 new seedlings. We are continually being importuned to take 

 up new seedlings that perhaps some man has on his farm and 

 which he says is just as hardy as an oak, is a splendid keeper 

 and the best apple he ever eat; but under our management they 

 don't always turn out just what they have been represented to 

 Tis. And when we go to visit the trees sometimes we find they 

 are an old variety that has been grafted for many years. It 

 seems to me it will be several years yet before, as experimental 

 stations, we shall be able to give to you anything that is thorougly 

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