124 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
it too voluminous, and cut it down to correspond with those from 
other departments. 
I gave Minnesota full credit for your excellent exhibit, and said 
more, perhaps, than you would have written yourself. 
I used a photo of your display as one of the illustrations, * * * 
The method of distribution of these reports will be through mem- 
bers of congress as other public documents; and constituents will 
have to make application to their own congressman. As soon as 
you learn the time at which the volumes will be distributed, (en- 
quire of your congressman) put in your application for yourself 
and for your society. 
I have no means of learning when John Boyd Thatcher will send 
out his medals and certificates. 
The close confinement last winter caused me to contract a bad 
case of rheumatism, and I went to Florida in April. Of course, I 
could not remain idle and be contented, therefore, I had transplanted 
22,000 pineapple plants, and quite a large number of orange, lemon, 
cocoanut, and other trees and banana plants, and started a winter 
vegetable garden. The recent freeze destroyed everything. 
I was cured of the rheumatism; Isuppose [ought not to complan. 
* * * * * ° * * * 
Yours truly, — J. M. SAMUELS. 
NOTES ON SMALL FRUITS. 
GEO. J. KELLOGG, JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN. 
Ed. Minnesota Horticulturist : 
Perhaps I overdid the variety question on strawberries in your 
last report; but I am like the witness who swore the “horse was six- 
teen feet high”; some things I will not take back without more evi- 
dence. I stated that it was “impossible to prove any variety in less 
than three to five years on your own ground.” 
Four years of failure with Michel led me to say whatI said. My 
former faith in it was from the recommendations.of Southern 
growers, and the first jump we made was 1000 plants, and they 
fruited better the year of planting than ever afterward. Every 
recommendation we could find then was from a Southern stand- 
point and favorable. I have never found anything in the straw- 
berry from the South valuable except Earle and Warfield. Perhaps, 
there are many, but this seems the rule. Canada berries are more 
often a success; and this latitudinal habit is often a key that is 
reliable. 
Varieties.—I will only mention some of the best and most reliable 
sorts in this paper. I saw at Lake City the recommended list was of 
very few kinds. I must disagree with the committee on fruit list 
in only recommending such varieties as can be found at most of the 
nurseries. If trial stations and private enterprise have brought to 
the front any kind of fruit adapted and desirable, and it has been 
long enough tested so there is no room to doubt these two points, 
shall we as state societies decline to put such before the public, be- 
cause some growers of nursery stock are behind the times? I 
think not. 
