STATE HOKTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 293 



for the adornment of school grounds would, if carried out, be a most efficient 

 means of accomplishing this desirable end. Hoping that some abler pen and more 

 eloquent" tongue than mine, will take up the cause and so represent it, that at our 

 next annual meeting we may point to actual and satisfactory results, I leave the sub- 

 ject in the hands of the Society, with earnest wishes for its steady growth and in- 

 creasing usefulness. 



On motion the editors of Farm, Stock and Home were requested to 

 publish Mrs. Van Cleve's address entire, as soon as they can find room 

 to do so in their paper. 



The following paper was then read: 



FRUIT CULTURE IN SOUTHERN DAKOTA. 

 By Mrs. L. A, Alderman, Hurley, Dak. 



Mr. President and Members of the Minnesota Horticultural Society : — 



Your Secretary having requested of me a report of the progress made in fruit cul- 

 ture in Dakota, I shall fast escape, prefacing my remarks with an apology, by stat- 

 ing that I greatly regret being prrevented, by unavoidable circumstances, from se- 

 curing more thorough information on the subject treated, that possibly I might 

 give you approximate value for your time trespassed upon. 



You will readily guess that we in Dakota have not escaped the tidal wave of dis- 

 aster that has overtaken the horticultural interests of the country, and which in the 

 northwest have threatened to dethrone Pomona herself. 



Doubtless Minnesota has suffered more than we, owing to her orchards being 

 ■older and exhausted by fruiting, but here, as there, we, as horticulturists are anx- 

 iously asking "What of the night ?" 



Saying nothing of the thousand worthless trees shipped in by the tree-venders, 

 whose death was a foregone conclusion, there were a few sorts popularly called 

 "Ironclad" that we had fondly hoped to acclimate ; among them were Haas, Pe- 

 waukee, Wolf River, Mann, Plumb Cider, Utters, Red Astrichan and others of like 

 hardiness, these are our failures. Among those of not altogether broken promise 

 are the Fameuse and Walbridge, although this is very near the northwestern limit 

 of their usefulness. 



With us, as with you, the Wealthy and Duchess seem to be the sheet anchor of 

 our Pomology, and I give them in the order of their value and hardiness as exem- 

 plified on our own ground; and from advices received I am led to infer that this was 

 true of most parts of our Territory, yet not universally so. When we have solved all 

 of natures mysteries pertaining to fruit raising we shall know what manner of soil 

 and location are best suited to the needs of each variety, and then we shall know 

 why these things are so. In this connection I will mention that the well-known 

 fact that large rivers or other bodies of water make favorable conditions for fruit 

 raising is exemplified along our southern border where the ameliorating influence 

 of the great Missouri makes success possible with a line of fruit quite unknown be- 

 yond its softening infiuence ; indeed a moderate success has been met with in peach 



