that they have been swindled enough by nurserymen, which is too true. But I am not defeated and shall not surrender."

FRANCES L. Town, Hewitt. "I have put out an orchard of 160 trees, on account of attending the horticultural meeting last winter. I think nurserymen ought to get trees to the planter in better condition, as many were dry and dead that came to this neigborhood. This discourages the planter and others who would try them. We think there is no society' in the state run with as much profit to the state as the Horticultural Society." WM. TOMLINSON, Hutchinson.

"I am thinking better of the Philips' seedlings. The Avista blights some, but not so bad as it gets older. I think in a favorable place it would do pretty well, and the apple is a good keeper. I have some in my cellar now (July 8, 1899) that are sound and good, and that without extra care. The sweet apple,which I suppose is the Eureka, is also a good keeper, and the tree has no bad faults. If I were planting a new orchard, I would plant a good many of them." SIDNEY CORP, Hammond.

"I would recommend the planting of none but the hardiest varieties, and then top-work tender ones onto them. I would not do this all in one year, but in three or four, and even then leave some of the orchard stock. I would not use one kind but a number of kinds on the same tree. I have thirty varieties of young apple trees. Tender varieties worked on Virginia crab, with Duchess and Hibernal on the same tree, came through the winter in good order, while young root-grafts killed to the ground." JENS A. JENSON, Rose Creek.

"I would recommend all fruit growers to weed out all trees that summer-blight and dig out all that winter-kill. About forty-five years ago I read a discussion of Wisconsin horticulturists upon the merits and demerits of the Ben Davis apple. It was considered hardy by a very small majority. Now, what I would like to impress upon tree planters is, where the hardiness of a tree is questioned to leave it out of the list. I had a fine Ben Davis tree, fifteen years old, a beautiful tree. It bore one crop and then 'kicked the bucket'."

JOHN C. WALKER, Rose Creek.

"I commenced here on the wild prairie thirty-five years ago to open a farm with my naked hands, and at the same time and up to this time tried to demonstrate that some fruit could be raised in Minnesota, all in the face of the earnest advice and best judgment of my friends that apples, at least, could not be raised in this state and surely not on the open prairie. Of course, it was uphill work the first twenty years-but I persisted in planting seeds and root-grafts until I have actually raised apples. Last season (1898) I exhibited at our county fair 233 varieties of apples, and this last June had forty varieties keeping well in our warm farm house cellar and had a few varieties still the first day of August. This season our crop is very light-had to pick close to get 163 varieties to exhibit and very few to sell. I furnished the seed in 1852 that raised the old Wolf River tree and have the oldest Wolf River trees in the world, now that the old tree is dead. I have hundreds of wild plums growing and believe we should, as a people, raise more plums and have been lately setting all the grafted kinds. J. S. PARKS, Pleasant Mounds.

Annual Meeting.

December 6-9, 1898.

JOURNAL OF THE THIRTY-SECOND ANNUAL MEETING OF THE MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, HELD IN MINNEAPOLIS.

(For program of this meeting see page 474, Report of 1998.)

TUESDAY MORNING SESSION.

The meeting was called to order by President J. M. Underwood, at 10 o'clock A. M., in the rooms of the County Commissioners of Hennepin County.

The President: Fellow members, Ladies and Gentlemen. The time has arrived for the opening of our morning session. Without stopping to make any further opening remarks, we will at once take up our program for this forenoon. We have a very interesting topic. The general subject is “Strawberries.” A number have spoken to me and desire that this program shall be carried out in detail, and it will therefore be necessary to start promptly and stick strictly to the subject in order to give each paper that consideration which its importance demands.

In taking up the work of this meeting I want you to understand that we want a full and free discussion of all topics, and we want every one who is present in the room, whether a member of the society or not, to be at perfect liberty in taking part in the discussions or in asking questions, and generally assist in making the program interesting, and if in any way we can help you in the consideration of the topic under discussion, of course, we shall be glad to do so. We want promptness. I believe it is the most interesting program that has ever been put before the society for consideration The first business in hand is the appointment of a committee on credentials. I will appoint C. L. Smith, S. D. Richardson and Dewain Cook. All delegates present from other societies will please leave their credentials with the secretary.

The following paper was then read: "The Old Favorites among Strawberries." C. A. Sargent, Red Wing. (See index.) Discussion.

The President: Touching on this matter of new varieties, our next paper will probably throw some light on that subject.

"The Valuable New Varieties of Strawberries." Widmoyer, Dresbach. (See index.)

Discussion.

W. S.

"Methods of Planting Strawberries Compared." N. C. Ernst, Dodge Center. (See index.)

Discussion.

At this juncture the president read a telegram of greeting and congratulation from the Indiana State Horticultural Society then in session.

On motion of Mr. C. L. Smith, the secretary was instructed to return greetings and best wishes of the Minnesota Society. "My Method of Keeping Accounts With Berry Pickers." A. G. Long, Excelsior. (See index.)

Discussion.

Mr. T. T. Smith, chairman of the committee on credentials. reported the following delegates entitled to seats in the convention: Mr. J. S. Hartwell, president of the Northern Illinois Horticultural Society and delegate from the Illinois State Society; Mr. C. F. Gardner, from the Northeast Iowa Society, and Prof. N. E. Hansen, from the South Dakota Society.

The President: Ladies and Gentlemen: Let me introduce to you Mr. Hartwell, of the Illinois society. We are glad to have Mr. Hartwell with us, and hope he will make himself as useful as possible.

Mr. J. S. Hartwell: Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: I hope the society will not think I am going to take up as much time as I have already taken up this morning. This is a subject that is very near my heart. In discussing this subject I have possibly done too much talking already. I assure you it is very pleasant for me to get up in the Arctic regions and see people growing berries on icebergs. I am surprised to see you people exhibit so much enthusiasm and energy in your work, and have no doubt that therein lies the secret of your success. The President: I take pleasure in introducing to you Prof. Hansen, of the Brookings (South Dakota) College.

Prof. N. E. Hansen: Our South Dakota society has been in a state of suspended animation, not dead, but sleeping, but it is not owing to the interest of the members, but to the financial condition. It has not been helped by the state, as you may have heard, but we hope to get some aid this winter so we can

publish the annual report. We got together at the state fair and talked over affairs, and we concluded to have a meeting at Yankton, and we hope you will send a delegate to our meeting there. I sent Mr. Underwood and Mr. Latham programs, and I hope as many of you as can will come. I am glad to meet with you, and I feel that it always pays me well to come over here.

The President: I will now introduce to you Mr. C. F. Gardner, representing the state society of Iowa. We shall be very glad to hear any word of cheer in regard to horticultural interests.

Mr. C. F. Gardner: Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: I am very glad to be with you, and always feel at home when attending your meetings. I have been a member of your society for several years, and have taken a life membership, and I feel at home when I am here with you, as you all know. I will state that so far as horticultural matters in our state are concerned, I think we are progressing and doing the best we can. I hope and expect that some of you will be present at our annual meeting, which is to be held next week at Des Moines. I will not take up any more of your time, except to again express my pleasure at meeting with you.

"The Art of Originating New Varieties of Strawberries." C. F. Gardner, Osage, Ia. (See index.)

Discussion.

"How to Get the Largest Crop of Strawberries with the Least Labor." John Eklof, Stockholm. (See index.)

Discussion.

The meeting then adjourned until 2 P. M.

TUESDAY AFTERNOON SESSION.

The President: The general subject for this afternoon is "Shelter Belts and Screens." This is a very important and interesting subject, and I trust you will get out of it all there is in it.

The Place of Evergreens and Deciduous Trees in the Shelter Belt." C. L. Smith, Minneapolis. (See index.)

Discussion.'

"The Location of Shelter Belts and Their Uses and Value." Geo. W. Strand, Taylor's Falls. (See index.)

"Best Varieties of Evergreens for the Shelter Belt." S. D. Richardson, Winnebago City. (See index.)

Discussion.

"The Economic Value of Shelter Belts about the Home." Hon. S. M. Owen, Minneapolis. (See index.)

Discussion.

The Fruit Garden with and without the Shelter Belt." Prof. W. W. Pendergast, Hutchinson. (See index.)

(6

Shelter Belts for Both Timber and Prairie." Prof. W. M. Hays, St. Anthony Park. (See index.)

"Hints from Experience in Growing Shelter Belts." C. B. Clark, Minneapolis. (See index)

Discussion.

66

How to Secure a Deciduous Tree Belt." T. A. Hoverstad, Crookston. (See index.)

"The Shelter Belt as a Factor in Stock Growing." O. C. Gregg, Lynd.

Discussion.

The president then appointed the following committees: Awards on flowers, Mrs. Jennie Stager; apples, Mr. C. F. Gardner; grapes, A. D. Leach.

Committee on president's address: T. T. Smith, Dewain Cook and R. A. Wright.

Final resolutions: Clarence Wedge, D. T. Wheaton and C. B. Clark,

Obituary: A. K. Bush, J. C. Hawkins and H. M. Lyman. The meeting then adjourned until 9 o'clock Wednesday morning.

WEDNESDAY MORNING SESSION.

The meeting was called to order by the president at 9:30 o'clock.

The President: We have a long and interesting program this forenoon, and we want you to be prompt in asking and answering questions and bringing out the points of interest in the various topics. We are glad to have so many ladies with us this morning, and we want them to feel perfectly free to join in the discussion of the papers, and help to make the program as interesting as it is possible to make it.

Reports from local societies were then submitted and ordered filed for publication without reading. (See index.)

Mr. J. C. Hawkins: Mr. President, I would like to introduce a resolution at this time in regard to our constitution if it