406 ANNUAL REPORT. 



MEETING OF MARCH 14, 1885. 

 Minneapolis Tribune, JIarch Wtfi. 



"the apple" the subject of discussion. 



Paper by Mr. Pearce — The Varieties Best Adapted to this Climate — 

 The Society to be Incorporated. 



The twelfth weekly meeting of the Hennepin County Horticul- 

 tural Society was held at the seed store of Northrup, Braslan & 

 Co., Saturday afternoon, March l-lth. The meeting was called 

 to order by the president, and the minutes of the previous meet- 

 ing read and approved. 



President Pearce said that if people generally better under- 

 stood the practicability of apple growing in Minnesota we would 

 have an abundance of apple trees in the State. Good judgment 

 should be used in the selection of the proper varieties for culti- 

 vation. "What is wanted is a tree that is hardy and long lived. 

 Mr. Pearce said he believed that such a tree was in existence, 

 but it was not yet in the market. It was being experimented with 

 by a nurseryman whom he would not name, and he believed the 

 problem of producing an apple tree peculiarly adapted to Min- 

 nesota had been solved. But we now have a few trees that are 

 particularly adapted to our climate. This winter has been one 

 of the hardest winters for fruit trees we have had for many years. 

 It has not been confined to Minnesota alone, but has extended to 

 all parts of the country. The cold has been steady without inter- 

 mission, and has tried our fruit trees as hard as they ever have 

 been tried. We have fruit in Minnesota as perfect as perfect 

 can be. The Wealthy is our favorite apple, not only in Minne- 

 sota, but all over the United States. The Whitney No. 20 ranks 

 with any other tree in the country. It is a perfect grower, and 

 Prof. Porter says it is the best tree he has ever seen. We can 

 tie to that as an ironclad. Mr. Pearce then read the following 

 paper: 



MR. PEARCE'S paper. 



If the thousands of farmers and others that have set out fruit 

 trees from time to time, and as often lost them, had ceased doing 



