the Minnesota State Fair. These criticisms are necessarily made from his standpoint, which is in some measure, at least, a different one from that occupied by the management and exhibitors in mind. There is little criticism of the regulations in force, and we may consider them fairly satisfactory to our critic. The fault to be found with us is that they are not strictly enforced. Our readers, and especially the exhibitors in this department, are asked to give the regulations careful study (they will be found in this number also), and if in their judgment they find they have not been enforced as they should be to assist the management hereafter to do so. It is not always best to require exactly to the letter all that can be demanded. "Justice tempered with mercy," makes the world much more agreeable to stay in. The exhibitors should assist the management in making the enforcement of these regulations sufficiently strict to secure the best general results to all the parties interested.

FRUIT FOR THE PARIS EXPOSITION.-Minnesota has been invited through this society to contribute fruit for the exposition to be held at Paris next year. For good and sufficient reasons, as is believed, the officers of the society have decided not to try to put up a show of Minnesota fruit in Paris, but some of our members may desire to contribute to this object a barrel of Wealthy or of some other variety of apple keeping as well. It is no use to send anything that is not in condition to bear handling several times and come out of storage (which is probably of the "cold" variety), in good condition after June 1st. Mr. H. M. Dunlap, of Savoy, Ill., is government agent in the west for the collection of this fruit, and upon application to him oiled paper and other wrapping paper will be furnished for properly packing any fruit designed for this purpose. The method pursued is to wrap the specimen fruit in oiled paper and then in "fruit" paper before packing. It is likely fruit will keep longer by this method than where less care is taken. Should any of our members decide to contribute to this object, the secretary would like to know of it also, and is ready to give any needed assistance.

INSPECTING THE MINNESOTA FORESTS.-Dr. C. A. Schenck, an officer of the forestry administration of the state of Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, said to be one of the ablest forestry experts in the world, is in this state in response to the invitation of the State Forestry Board.

Dr. Schenck is on a furlough from his native state of Germany, and has been engaged for some time as superintendent of George W. Vanderbilt's forest at Biltmore, N. C.

Dr. Schenck, Prof. S. B. Green and General Andrews, State Fire Warden, have just returned from a visit of inspection to the pine forests of Minnesota, or as much of them as they could get to in a two weeks' cruise through the big woods in the northern part of the state. The trip was made by request of the State Forestry Board with a view to securing data to be used at the next session of the legislature for a wise revision of the state forestry laws, with regard to the perpetuity of Minnesota's great but fast disappearing pine forests. Dr. Schenck's presence and advice in the matter was

especially desired because of his wellknown ability and familiarity with the subject of scientific forestry, as practiced for more than 100 years in Germany, where practical scientific forestry is all that has saved the forests of that land for the people.

PREMIUM LIST FOR WINTER MEETING.-For the convenience of intending exhibitors at the coming annual meeting of this society, to be held in Minneapolis, December 5-8, 1899, the list of premiums offered on fruit on that occasion is published herewith. A large display is hoped for, and every member attending is requested to save fruit and bring it to help out:

Seedling apple, never having received a premium
from this society, not kept in cold storage....
Peck of Wealthy apples, the fruit exhibited to be at
the disposal of the meeting..

GRAPES.

Collection.......

3.00

2.00

Each variety exhibited included in the fruit list of this society for 1899 or in the 1899 Minnesota State Fair premium list...

SATISFACTORY WINDOW PLANTS.-No window plants are more desirable for farmers' wives than those which are semi-hardy and tenacious of life. I believe that most would be exceedingly pleased if they would try a dwarf, or Otaheite, orange. One sitting in my window at the present time has not less than 50 blossoms and buds, and at the same time green and ripe fruit. It stands in a pot, about two feet high and two feet in diameter. The flowers give the true orange perfume and are of course delicious. It is likely to be in bloom a good portion of the year. A plant the size that I describe stands in a 7-inch pot. It need never be shifted to one more than 8 or 10 in. in diameter. Give it plenty of charcoal drainage, and when in growth supply it abundantly with water. When at rest it should have very little water. The soil is better with a good admixture of sand and no manure. Take well rotted sod and vegetable garden soil. The oranges will hang on for two years, so that you may have blossoms expanding, green and ripe fruit all on the same tree.

HENS AND PLUMS.-During the curculio season I go out in the plum orchard two or three mornings each week with a little wheat in my pocket and a mallet in my hand. I scatter the wheat along under the plum trees and the fowls follow, and I jar down the curculios with the mallet. Both wheat and curculios quickly disappear.

THE MINNESOTA

HORTICULTURIST.

VOL. 27.

NOVEMBER, 1899.

No. II.

In Memoriam.

FRANCIS WILLIAM LOUDON.
Died Oct. 2, 1899. Aged 80 years.

Died at his home in Janesville, Wis., on Oct. 2, 1899, Francis Wil. liam Loudon, in the eighty-first year of his age. He was born in Orange Co., Vermont, on Dec. 17, 1818. In the spring of 1841 he went to Troy, N. Y., and in 1845 came to Wisconsin and located at Janesville, where he has since resided, and during that time has been engaged in the nursery business and the improvement of fruits by the growing of seedlings.

There are a few men to whose skill and perseverance we are greatly indebted for a number of our best and most popular varieties of fruits, that during their lives were not appreciated and honored as they should have been by the great public who has been blessed by their works. They have sown for others to reap. Some of them, like Ephraim Bull, who gave us the Concord grape, which has revolutionized grape culture in this country and besides comfort and enjoyment has added millions to the wealth of the country, spent long and unselfish lives in prosecuting their noble work and have gone down to their graves unrecognized and unrewarded, but leaving rich legacies to following generations.

Mr. Loudon was a frank, generous, modest and unassuming man, and all his life an earnest and skilful horticulturist. He began the pursuit early, planting seeds of an apple when but two years old, and when twelve years old saw a tree grown from that seed well loaded with fairly good apples. From letters written a month before his decease we find he was still enthusiastically engaged in the loved work of his life. He was the originator of the Janesville grape, the Jessie and many other strawberries and the Loudon raspberry. Besides these he had originated other raspberries of great merit that were not yet introduced, some eight or ten hardy cherries and a number of most excellent grapes. A truly great and good man has gone to his rest and, we believe, to rewards that were withheld while he was with us, and his memory should be forever in the hearts of the people who have been blessed by his life and work. J. S. HARRIS.