STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 5T 



our sister States. The volume will be found to coatain fully as much 

 original matter as the average of their publications, and as to its merits 

 we will let it speak for itself, as comparisons might seem "invideous." 



It should be the constant aim of the Society to improve its annual 

 reports from year to year. As its members become more thoroughly 

 informed, gain experience and learn more of the practical require- 

 ments in the varied departments of horticultural work, as pertaining 

 particularly to Minnesota, they will the better be prepared to impart 

 this knowledge, thus enlarging their means of usefulness, and the 

 scope of their influence. 



Aside from the routine report it will be seen by a casual examina- 

 tion that our field of investigation has taken a somewhat wide range » 

 while at the same time many topics of a timely and interesting nature 

 have not been considered, or even referred to. It will be the province 

 of the Society to bring up some of these matters for profitable discus- 

 sion and consideration in the future. But we will not detain you- 

 lonser at this time with any extended remarks. 



The following letter was then read : 



REPORT FROM MURRAY COUNTY. 



Balaton, May 5, 1885. 



Dear Sir : Yours of May 2nd, 1885, came to hand yesterday. Am 

 sorry to have to say that we have no Horticultural Society in our 

 County, though I believe you think me to be a resident of Lyon 

 County. My post office is Balaton, Lyon County, just over the line 

 between Murray and Lyon. I am three miles from the county line 

 and in Murray County. I am quite sure they have no Horticultural 

 Society in Lyon County. They have a live Agricultural Society and 

 with a little waking up could keep up a live Horticultural Society in 

 that County. As to our County I shall make an efi'ort to have a society 

 organized here this summer. 



The few trees I have here have gone through the winter in very 

 good shape. That is, the Duchess, Wealthy and all the crab varieties. 

 My raspberry canes were dead down to the mulching, all varieties, even 

 the Turner; but they were young plants. My plum and cherry trees 

 are all right, I think. What I have said applies to the country around 

 here. If we succeed in organizing a society I shall be very much 

 pleased to report list of ofiicers. With best wishes for our State Hor- 



