STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 369 



annual reports of most of the agricultural and kindred associa- 

 tions of America, and fine collections of grains, seeds, minerals, 

 building rocks, and other articles of interest. In this respect 

 the Agricultural Society is several years in advance of our Min- 

 nesota society. Agricultural conventions fox the discussion of 

 the various topics that have a bearing upon progressive larming 

 and the publication and distribution of reports among the pro- 

 ducing classes of our people, would give our society stability, 

 become a great educating j^ower, and hasten the development of 

 the resources of the State, and it is the duty of our legislature 

 to provide by law for the holding of such conventions and the 

 publication of their transactions. 



I repaired to the capitol at 9 a. m. on Tuesday, and found the 

 rooms already filling up with representative men of every agri- 

 cultural industry from every j)art of the State, all manifesting 

 an interest that gave promise of a large and enthusiastic meet- 

 ing. The leading liorticulturists wei'e on hand anrl busily en- 

 gaged in setting out and arranging a fine collection of fruit. By 

 actual count I found upon the tables 415 plates of ap])les of 73 

 varieties, 4 plates of pears, and 22 of grapes. The apples were, 

 almost without exception, well grown specimens of their vari- 

 eties, and showed that they had been carefully picked and skill - 

 iiilly handled. I have no hesitation in pronouncing the exhibi- 

 tion worthy of any state in the Union, and the finest one I liave 

 ever seen at the season of the year. Mr. Peter M. Gideon, of 

 Excelsior, was present and looked over the exhibit with me, and 

 I think will agree with what I have said of it. 



The meeting was called to order at 10 a. m. by President J. 

 M. Smith, of Green Bay, and the forenoon session was devoted 

 principally to the discussion of the premium list for the next 

 state fair, and the revision of the fruit and tree lists. I am led 

 to infer that the Agricultural Society leaves the entire manage- 

 ment of the horticultural department to the State Hoi'ticnltural 

 Society, only designating the total sum that may be offered lor 

 l)remiums. A resolution was adopted, requiring that hereaiter 

 all exhibits shall be placarded with the name and post office ad- 

 dress of the owner before they can be passed upon by the award- 

 ing committee. In revising the apple list varieties were pretty 

 thoroughly discussed. In the list of seven varieties best adapted 

 to Wisconsin, Duchess, Wealthy, and Wolf River were retained 

 without opposition. Pewaukee, Fameuse, Plum Cider, and Tal- 

 man Sweet were also retained by a small majority vote; and the 

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