242 ANNUAL REPORT. 



nize the need of growing our own fruits; we must as far as possible supply our 

 luxuries and our necessities, here at home. 



OUR NATIVE FRUITS. 



I scarcely need remind you of the fact of the superiority of our home grown 

 fruits as compared with products shipped us from the southern states and warmer 

 latitudes. No finer flavored grapes, or strawberries, are produced than such as are 

 or may be grown in Minnesota in great abundance, with proper care or skill. As 

 yet, but little has been done in this direction. We cannot half supply our local 

 markets now as we may do when we have learned the best and cheapest method of 

 care and cultivation. In this regard to educate, point ©ut, and recommend the 

 wisest plans to be pursued, should be the mission, aim and work of our Society, at 

 least to more or less extent. 



There is no deubt that horticulture in our State has heretofore been character- 

 ized with failures, difficulties, and losses of various kinds, well nigh sufficient to 

 try the stoutest heart, and not a few perhaps at times have been discouraged ; but 

 there is room at present for hope of better things and brighter days to come. Tlje 

 work of this Society, perchance, will not be labor lost, or spent in vain. Those 

 members who have all these many years been planting trees, experimenting and 

 testing various fruits, will not give o'er the struggle yet awhile ; we trust their 

 fondest visions in the past may yet be realized at least in part. 



STATISTICS. 



According to the reports of the State Commissioner of statistics the number of 

 apple trees growing in the State in 1884 was 779,699; in 1885, 789,080; in bearing in 

 1884, 301,455. The number of bushels of apples produced was 36,082 in 1874 ; 

 52,555 in 1875 ; 64,538 in 1876 ; 75,736 in 1877 ; 89,922 in 1878 ; 124,261 in 1879 ; 147,803 

 in 1880 ; 158,058 in 1881 ; 176.038 in 1882 ; 180,736 in 1883 ; 173,357 in 1884. It will 

 be seen that the number of bushels reported has steadily increased from year to 

 year, but is in the aggregate far disproportionate to the amount which should be 

 annually produced. The same report returns the number of bearing grape vines in 

 the state in 1884 at 75,334 ; in 1885 80,352 ; number of pounds of grapes produced in 

 1883 at 152,678, and in 1884 the amount returned was 259,404 pounds. 



The counties in the State which in 1884 report above ten thousand trees in bear- 

 ing, are : Carver, Dakota, Fillmore, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Le Sueur, Olm- 

 sted, Rice, Wabasha, Winona, and Wright. Fillmore county reports the largest 

 number of trees in bearing, being 25,379, with Olmsted county next, reporting 

 20,378 bearing trees. 



The largest productions of grapes was reported from the counties of Hennepin, 

 Houston, Ramsey, Wabasha and Winona. The number of pounds of grapes reported 

 from Hennepin county, for 1883, was 32,295. 



Now, this exhibit plainly indicates that raising fruit in Minnesota has not as yet 

 become a leading industry; and it suggests the pertinent inquiry how shall we 

 measure up and reach the wished-for standard V Have not the people been too lax 

 in this regard? 



SMAIiL KRUIT CULTURE. 



While it is true that orcharding has been neglepted to some extent it may be 



