190 ANNUAL REPORT. 



t 



us all by surprise. Many orchards in this district bore heavily; prices ruled 

 lower than ever before, and yet v?ere high in proportion to other farm products. 

 Among the common apples the Russians take the lead as to hardiness, many of the 

 hybrids stand all right, and a very few of our seedling are looking as well. 



As far as I know, no pears were grown the past season. 



Plums, splendid crop; cherries, poor crop; grapes, fine crop; leading varieties 

 grown. Concord, Worden, Janesville, Delaware and Rogers Seedlings. 



BLACKBERRIES. 



We believe the question of blackberry culture is now settled for all future time, 

 and in the same way as that of the strawberry culture. No one expects to grow 

 the strawberry in paying quantities for market without covering the plants in the 

 fall, asd the blackberry must be treated in the same way. Keep this constantly in 

 mind and practice, and the delicious blackberry will very soon be as plentiful in 

 our markets as the strawberry. Best varieties of the blackberry, as far as we know, 

 are: Ancient Briton, Snyder, Hoag's Seedling and the Mammoth Dewberry. 



STRAWBERRIES. 



The strawberry crop is very fine, and prices good, our gardeners are encouraged 

 and will enlarge their beds in the spring. 



The irrepressible Crescent Seedling still leads the van. It not only "chokes out 

 grass," but chokes off all new aspirants for unearned honors, keeping the while 

 just a step in advance. Downer's Prolific is still popular, Sharpless the largest, and 

 Cumberland Triumph hard to beat for quality and beauty of proportions. Among 

 the newer sorts the Old Iron-clad, Manchester, Vick and others, are attracting con- 

 siderable attention. 



RASPBERRIES. 



Crop splendid. Turner the leading variety, Cuthbert, Brandywine, Sheffer's 

 CoUossal, and several others grown to some extent; Marlboro, not fairly tested, but 

 quite promising. 



REPORT FROM SECOND DISTRICT. 



By Vice-President E. H. S. Dartt, Owatonna. 



Mr. President and Members : — 



I have been watching with far more than ordinary interest the advent and effects 

 of the exceptionally cold winters of the last few years. And though they have 

 seemed uncomfortably close together and decidedly discouraging in their effect.q, 

 we have to admit that last winter 1884-85 beats them all. 



Previous to that our common apple trees such as Fameuse, St. Lawrence, Talman 

 Sweet, Haas, etc., also Wealthy and other Minnesota seedling apples, had been 

 gradually but surely freezing out. Now a clean sweep has been made. The 

 Duchess and possibly a few other Russians which may prove of equal hardiness and 

 the despised crab apples, with crosses between the two are all that is left on which 

 to build our hopes for the future. And since the Russians are not all hardy and 

 many are liable to blight, (and the same is true of crab apples) we can readily see 

 that years of experience will be required before our Society can put forth a list or 

 lists that shall prove reliable for all sections of the State. 



