THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



pedagogics, and their best men sorrow- 

 fully admit the fact. 



While we may be able to push ahead 

 of them in the science of horticulture, 

 we cannot hope to do so in its practice. 

 Their long training, their cheap labor, 

 their more salubrious climate, their 

 larger markets and their long experience 

 with the things they are growing, give 

 them the lead. Then, too, they are 

 here near this great centre where the 

 libraries, the botanic gardens, the large 

 meetings and the much communication 

 permissible by their short distances, 

 enables the individual to learn much 

 from others. As I listened to the ven- 

 erable men of their society tell of the 

 growth and achievements of the organi- 

 zation, I thought of the reminiscences of 

 our older members. Taking everything 

 into account, the Minnesota Horticul- 

 tural Society has done a wonderful work 

 for the people of the state. If Uncle 

 Harris and his elderly fellow members 

 of the Minnesota Society could be in 

 the meetings and shows of the Royal 

 Horticultural Society, they would go 

 home feeling none the less proud of 



having led in the growing of apples, 

 plums, small fruits and flowers in the 

 north star state. Peter Gideon would 

 have felt at home in the international 

 conference of plant breeders. His in- 

 tensely practical work would have inter- 

 ested these men, many of whom see 

 only the scientific principles involved. 



The Royal Horticultural Society did 

 a good thing in calling this conference. 

 The American representatives have their 

 heads together for a similar meeting on 1 

 our side. I only wish we might have it 

 in Minnesota. Plant breeding is in a 

 great boom. The Americans were 

 complimented for their keen sense of 

 the practical. Later on I hope to 

 present to the society a brief report of 

 the plant breeders' conference. 



The English people constantly express 

 their warm feeling of friendship for 

 America. They did this constantly in 

 the meetings and banquets and before 

 the representatives of other nations, I 

 sometimes feared to the discomfiture of 

 the latter. — Prof. Hays in Mimtesoia 

 Horticulturist. 



POTATOES. 



OF Plums, we have the large, the 

 small, the long, the round, the 

 black, the purple, the red, the 

 yellow, and other colors ; and 

 in flavor, the acid, the rough, the smooth, 

 the sweet, and the rich, fine Gages. 

 Varieties to please the eye, suit the 

 purpose, and the palate. 



And so with our Pears — varieties 

 for all, from the hard, perry-making, 

 to the scarcely less hard baking Pear ; 

 the musky, the vinous, the sugary, the 

 buttery, and juicy ; some large, some 

 small, some round, some oval, and 

 some pear-shaped ; but, like the Plum, 

 each so differentiated from the other 



as having among them something to 

 suit the most fastidious. 



And again in the Apple, what a mul- 

 titude of sizes, colorings, shapes, and 

 textures ; some semi sweet, some semi- 

 acid, some with just "a thought" of 

 bitterness, some soft, some crisp, some 

 hard (so much so that they might well 

 be called the Dentist's Favorite), some 

 rough to the eye, as Russets, with a 

 pineous flavor ; some smooth and bril- 

 liant in skin, pleasant to look at, but 

 only just a little good, and some with 

 not much quality but beauty. This 

 is the " eye-taster," and these are called 

 good market Apples ; as thoiigh the 



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