412 ANNUAL REPORT. 



scenclents sixteen feet apart, but the Wealthy, Duchess and 

 Whitney N"o. 20 I would not set more than twelve feet apart. 

 When the trees are too far apart they don't protect themselves. 



Mr. Pearce. In regard to mulching, I don't think fruit trees 

 should be mulched right up to the tree. A space should be left 

 around the tree for eight or ten inches. As for blight in Tran- 

 scendent trees I think that it can be entirely stopped by simply 

 putting straw under the trees over the roots, in the fall or early 

 in the spring, letting it lie the whole summer. The only trouble 

 with the Transcendent is the blight. 



As regards trimming Mr. Smith said that it should be used as 

 medicine for a sick man. If there is a necessity for trimming, 

 then trim. But if a man is going to raise an orchard he should 

 do it withoiit trimming. Take the sprouts off when they are 

 little. Never use a knife when you can possibly avoid it. When 

 a limb is in condition to make it necessary to cut it away, the 

 best time to do it is during the season of rapid growih. If you 

 are going to trim because of ill shape, the best time is about the 

 first of June. But above all, take the trouble to wax that cut 

 over smoothly just as soon as you have done it. Everybody who 

 can afford to have an orchard can afford a few pounds of graft- 

 ing wax. To make it, take a quarter of a pound of tallow and 

 one pound of resin. If you want it nicer you can put in some 

 beeswax. 



VARIETIES RECOMMENDED. 



The Duchess and Wealthy were recommended for universal 

 planting, and the Tetofsky in limited quantities. 



For hybrids the Whitney Xo. 20, Beach's Sweet, the Orange, 

 and Quaker Beauty were recommended. 



For crabs, the Transcendent, Hyslop and Virginia were rec- 

 ommended. For the extreme north, the large Yellow Siberian, 

 which grows where others fail. 



It was decided that the meetings should continue for two weeks 

 longer, and that at the next meeting the subject of "Grapes" 

 should be discussed. 



CHANGE OF NAME. 



It was decided to change the name of the society to the Hen- 

 nepin County Agricultural and Horticultural Society, and the 



