98 ANNUAL REPORT. 



artistic manner. Diune Nature's master hand paints and polishes them in the most 

 satisfactory and beautiful raanner.our most celebrated artists cannot do them justice 

 with their talented pencils. Usuallj^ the plates of the tree peddlers are far ahead of 

 the appearance of the original fruit, but the autumnal tint bestowed on the bright, 

 glossy, delicate hue of the Minnesota fruit defies the handiwork of the most far- 

 famed painter's brush, hence, when on exhibition competing for premiums, we 

 always come out ahead. Witness our success over all competitors at the American 

 Pomological Society in the autumn of 1883, at Philadelphia, and again at the world's 

 exposition in New Orleans, last winter. 



Many failures occur in Minnesota for a want of seasonable attention. These 

 failures should not be charged to the impracticability of growing fruit, neither 

 should our northwest nurserymen be blamed for so many failures. If properly 

 sifted a good deal of the trouble conies pretty near our own doors. Now, when 

 all the causes are properly analyzed it may be, we are not justified in attributing to 

 the climate and soil so large a share of our disasters. It is better to divide the 

 responsibilitiy so that the frosts of winter and the heat of summer, the manner in 

 which we cultivate our trees, our soil and climate, can all come in with a co-equal 

 assumption of our misfortune. There is no doubt of one great cause of the failure 

 of fruit in Minnesota. It is patent lo everyone except the victims. It is the ac- 

 cursed foreign tree peddler, they will humbug most every farmer to give copious 

 orders for trees that are pefectly worthless, at the same time many of these victims 

 would utterly refuse to consider an order from our own nurserymen where they 

 could get honest stock true to name. It stands our nurserymen in hand to be 

 honest, if otherwise the\' would kill the goose that lays the golden egg. It is by 

 no means any proof that this is not a fruit producing State, because of the failures 

 from the trees purchased of these dishonest outsiders. 



The site of orchards have a good deal to do with the practicability of growing 

 fruit in Minnesota. Selections can be made on a quarter section of land, that would 

 be called favorable locations. At the same time the site of an orchard could be 

 selected on the same quarter section that would prove to be unfavorable. 



Finally, Mr. President, if we come down to pretty near the facts in the case, we 

 shall find that in proportion to the numbers engaged, that there will not be a great 

 difference in the failure of those engaged in horticultural pursuits, and those that 

 are engaged in a strictly legitimate agricultural industry. The books will be pretty 

 nearljr balanced. 



DISCUSSION. 



Prof. Porter. I vvfish to bear my testimony to one statement that 

 Col, Stevens has made, that the cause of failure in fruit growing 

 in Minnesota, as well as in other portions of the old states, is 

 largely due to the neglect and carelessness of the grower, and not 

 to the climate nor to the stock that is grown. I will venture to 

 say that throughout Minnesota, the proportion will be larger than Col. 

 Stevens has mentioned of trees that have received no attention what- 

 ever. They have been received from the nursery, set out in unprepared 



