158 ANNUAL EEPORT. 



none ever grew before. We honor that brave syndicate of brain aud muscle who 



refuse to be "snowed under," but who through vim, vigor and victory are making 



Minnesota and Dakota the Agricultural Bank of America, from which we draw our 



daily bread. 



Hoping your meeting will be one of great benefit to your State, I remain, 



Truly yours, 



D. S. Grimes. 



The report of the Committee on Seedlings was called for and J. S. 

 Harris, of La Crescent, presented the following: 



REPORT OF SEEDLING COMMITTEE. 



FOK THE YEAK 1885. 



January 1st 1886. 

 Mr. President and Members of the Mivnesota State Horticultural Society: 



I consider the encouragement of the growing of New Seedling fruits the most 

 important question that has or will for some time come up for the consideration of 

 this Society. It is admitted by every one who has had any experience or observation 

 in orcharding in Minnesota that the varieties of apples at present under cultivation 

 do not fill the bill. For more than thirty years we have been striving to grow 

 choice fruits by purchasing and planting varieties that originated in the eastern and 

 middle states — and whether the trees have been procured direct from eastern nur- 

 series or from home nurseries, have found them wholly unfitted to endure our 

 climate for any great length of time, and to-day we dare not recommend for general 

 planting any of them or any other varieties except the Duchess of Oldenburg, 

 Tetofsky, a few other varieties from Russia, some of the best Siberians and their 

 seedlings, and our own seedling, Gideon's Wealthy Among the newer Russians 

 that are being introduced there are most likely some that will prove hardy and will 

 produce valuable fruit, but we can hardly expect them to come up to the American 

 standard of excellence, or to prove perfectly adapted to growing ia all situations 

 and localities, and we shall earnestly settle down upon varieties to the manner 

 born, seedlings of these, and the best of our others that will be originated upon our 

 own soil from seeds produced here. 



As the people of foreign countries do not become fully American by being trans- 

 ferred to this country (although they become valuable citizens) until the second or 

 third generation, so it will probably be with the foreign fruits. High cultivation, 

 careful selection, cross-fertilization and successive planting of the best has been 

 the method by which the greatest success has been attained in the amelioration and 

 improvement of all domestic fruits, vegetables and grains. When we go back and 

 study the history of pomology we find that a most wonderful progress has taken 

 place in the improvement of the varieties of apples (Pyrus Malus) that are grown 

 in America, and that it has all been wrought through the growing of seedlings, and 

 that largely without the aid of any skill. A greater degree of skill has been brought 

 into requisition in handling the grape, and the result is that from the sour, foxy 

 wild grape we have the Concord, Worden, Niagara, Duchess, Empire State, and 

 scores of others that suit the American taste and are adapted for cultivation over a 



