. Uk Fe nee te c my 5 oe gape om 
408 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
and lasted twenty-one days. This was longer than usual, and it oc- 
curred only once before here in twenty-five years. From six to 
twelve days is the usual length of time linden trees are in bloom. 3 
The linden was the only bloom which gave surplus honey to any 
amount, and the bee-keepers had to manage their bees skillfully 
in order to get the best results. 
I obtained about forty-five pounds of surplus honey per colony, 
spring count, from the linden. I kept the bees from swarming as 
much as possible. Where the bees had their own way, but little sur- 
plus was obtained. After the linden was through blooming, little 
surplus was gathered, but most of the beesin this vicinity filled. 
their hives well with winter stores of very good quality. The 
weather being very dry the honey is ripened fully, which has much 
to do with successful wintering. In the state there was hardly halfa 
crop. 
DISCUSSION ON APPLES. 
FROM REPORT OF LAST ANNUAL MEETING. 
Mr. Clark: I havea farm in North Dakota. Would it be 
impossible to raise trees from planting seeds? 
Mr. Philips: Well, if I were ayoung man like you,I know of 
no better way to raise an orchard than to plant three or four 
trees of the Virginia crabs and then topwork a half hardy var- 
iety on them. I could not find anything better than the Vir- 
ginia crab for that purpose. If I was a young man, I would 
start an orchard. 
Mr. Pearce: You struck the nail right on the head. 
Mr. Clark: Howis the Transcendent for stock? 
Mr. Philips: Itis not as good as the Virginia. 'Two years 
ago I sent to Prof. Roberts of Cornell University three differ- 
ent kinds of apples. I sent him two kinds grown on the Vir- 
ginia crab and the Transcendent, he wanted to see if there was 
any difference in quality of the fruit, and he said if there was 
any difference it was in favor of those grown on the Virginia. 
Mr. Brand: Why is it that a variety originating at a certain 
place will do well in that locality but will not do so well in an- : 
other? 
Mr. Philips: I cannot tell. I have thirty trees of the Wolf 
River and they are doing well, but there is no place in Wiscon- i 
sin or Minnesota where they bear better or look better than in 
Waupaca county where the tree originated, but 1 cannot tell : 
you why itisso. I think the water helps the trees. Take it 
in Wisconsin and one-half of the apple trees are starving to 
death for want of moisture. That old Wolf River tree stands 
