STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 355 



I feel confident that every farmer throughout southwestern Minnesota can raise 

 all the fruit he needs for his family. We all need enlightenment and information 

 how to plant and care for it when planted; and then T think the time spent and 

 money invested among the trees, bushes and plants will be both pleasant and profit- 

 able. 



There is chance for work by our State Society in this southwestern part of the 

 State if you can in some way reach it. 



Acting on your suggestion as to a county society, I have interviewed some of 

 those most interested, or ought to be interested, and I think we shall have a countj^ 

 society before the next new year. 



Deeming it better to do something, if ever so little, than nothing at all, we 

 organized a societj' for our town on new year's day and though only eight were then 

 present and joined, we shall increase and we shall try and keep alive, at least, till we 

 get a society for the county. 



Very truly yours, 



O. F. Norwood. 



FRUIT REPORT FROM RAMSEY COUNTY. 

 By W. E. Brimhall. 



St. Paul, Jan. 19, 1886. 



Small fruits are grown quite extensively in this vicinity. Strawberries were a 

 full crop and were more plentiful in the market than was ever before known. 

 The estimate of the amount sold in St. Paul market during the best of the season 

 was thirty thousand quarts per day. Many of them came into market in bad shape 

 and bad condition, consequently they sold at a low price. Some were sold as low 

 as three to five cents per quart, while at the same time those in good condition and 

 in suitable packages commanded a much higher price. 



If growers understood and practiced the best methods of growing and marketing 

 fruit, they would get far better prices than at present. New quart boxes in crates, 

 I find much more profitable than any other shape for marketing berries. The 

 "Wilson is yet the king of market ber.ries for all purposes. The Crescent Seedling 

 and Old Iron-Clad range next in our market. The Downing does well on light 

 soil and brings equally as good prices. 



Of Raspberries, the red predominate, with Turner, Philadelphia and Cuthbert. 



Plums were a full crop this year. Our wild or native plums were all heavily 

 loaded and we have some very choice varieties worthy of cultivation. They re- 

 quire good cultivation and an annual dressing on the soil. 



Apple trees came through the winter badly demoralized by the severe cold 

 weather. The Duchess is still the leading variety. The standards were a light 

 crop, being small and irregular in form and size. The Transcendent crab is yet 

 the leading variety and is more generally grown than any other. I sold 1300 

 bushels of them in our markets. They were hand picked into bushel baskets and 

 carried to market ia spring wagons and sold readily, averaging me sixty cents per 

 bushel. Another variety worthy of mention is the Early Strawberry crab. The 

 trees bore profusely. The fruit ripens early and is very nicely flavored. 



