From HARPERS WEEKLY.

Copyright, 1897, by HARPER & BROTHERS NEW BUILDING OF THE PHILADELPHIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [See Secretary's Corner.]

VICE-PRESIDENT'S REPORT, FIRST CONG. DIST.

E. H. S. DARTT, OWATONNA.

Mr. President: In regard to the first district, so far as I know the fruit crop has averaged very light. In raspberries and strawberries at our place, there has been about one-half a crop; I have not investigated the apple crop, but in our vicinity I do not think the crop was more than one-tenth. There was one peculiarity in regard to the apple crop, the success went in streaks. Some orchards seemed to have a fair yield, while others produced, you might say, nothing. The trees that produced apples were on the highest ground and where they seemed to be exposed most to a free circulation of air. I noticed particularly a tree in my locality that stood on the top of the bank of a ravine; it was about fifty feet to the top, and that tree was exposed to the west wind. It hung full; there were more apples on it than on any other tree I saw during its season. I think from that we can judge that a free circulation of air is absolutely necessary. I think the man whose orchard produced the most apples, according to the number of trees, was Mr. Buffum. He has the highest ground; his orchard is on the highest ground I know of in that section of country, and he had quite a fair crop.

In regard to the advance in horticulture, it seems to me it is rather slow. People are planting a good many trees, and with the advantages of the present tree peddler we might suppose there would be some progress, and perhaps there is, but it seems to me that the greatest discouragement we have to contend with is the very thorough manner in which the country is canvassed for the sale of

trees not adapted to our climate. There is no use for a man to undertake to sell trees if he is obliging enough to tell the whole truth as far as he understands it; but they tell fine stories and show fine fruit, the people bite, and they sell them trees at high prices. They tell them a good lie and stick to it. They say a lie well stuck to is as good as the truth, and if that is the case in regard to canvassing for trees I believe it holds good.

VICE-PRESIDENT'S REPORT, SECOND CONG. DIST.

S. D. RICHARDSON, WINNEBAGO CITY.

The frost the last of May of this year (1897) seriously injured the fruit crop all over this part of the state. It was the off year for apples, yet in spite of the frost there was a fair crop in some localities.

Jack Frost is always supposed to be full of his freaks, but last spring I think he did just as he pleased, without any apparent reason. I saw Wealthy apple trees on land that was lower than the general level loaded with fruit, while near them the corn was killed to the ground.

On our own grounds the apples were injured, but all the trees that blossomed bore some fruit, and I could not see that trees on the lower ground were injured any more than they were on ground seven or eight feet higher.

We have never found it necessary to plant plum trees in groups in order to have them bear, but they are set around among the apple trees, sometimes one and sometimess everal in a place. On the west side of the orchard the plum blossoms were all killed, while on the east side they were not injured in the least, but apples growing close by them were more than half killed. Plums, both wild and cultivated, bore a light crop.

Grapes were killed by the frost but set again and bore about onefourth of a crop.

Strawberries were seriously injured, but on low ground where all mulch was removed after the frost, the rows narrowed up and the ground thoroughly cultivated, they bore late but very heavily. We have had best results with strawberries when there have been late frosts on ground from which we removed all mulching early in the spring for the ground to thaw out, so we could dig plants early. Raspberries were good in some places, in others the borers or something else killed the canes after the fruit set. Gooseberries and currants were a fair crop.

There has not been a full crop of small fruits all through this district for the last four years, while apples and plums some of the years have given the best of results.

In submitting a fruit list for the Second Congressional District, I will say that it is a little different in some things from what I would recommend a customer to plant. In common with other nurserymen we have some choice things that we are introducing and wish to do so through our agents. After they are thoroughly

tested by the public, the horticultural society can recommend them if they see fit.

Chas. Luedloff writes me in regard to the Kaump apple. "It is free from blight, a fine upright grower and perfectly hardy," It is bearing freely in this section of the country. Set the Wealthy and Kaump side by side at the same time,and the Kaump will bear fruit enough to pay for the first cost of tree, the rent of the land and care of tree, before the Wealthy will bear any fruit.

I have not recommended anything but what can be bought at the common price both in Minnesota and northern Iowa.

FRUIT LIST.

Apples-Duchess, Wealthy, Hibernal, Tetofsky, Kaump and

Longfield.

Crabs and Hybrids.—Virginia, Whitney, Minnesota, Briar Sweet and Early Strawberry in limited quantities.

Plums.-Forest Garden, Desota and Miner.

Grapes.-Concord, Worden, Agawam and Champion.

Raspberries.-Turner for red, Schaffer for purple, Gregg and

Souhegan for black.

Blackberries-Ancient Briton and Snyder.

Currants.-Stewart, Victoria, Long Bunch Holland and White

Grape.

Gooseberries.-Downing and Houghton.

Strawberries.-Crescent, Warfield and Bederwood.

VICE-PRESIDENT'S REPORT, THIRD CONG. DIST. MRS. A. A. KENNEDY, HUTCHINSON.

In some localities the berry crop was fairly good, in other parts it was almost an entire failure. In my own yard strawberries were not over one-half a crop. They were not touched by the frost, but I think we must have injured them by covering and uncovering them; I think we must have disturbed the pollen. Blackcaps did well with me; some of my neighbors complained of their bushes dying.

I traveled down through the state by team; went down through St. Peter, Mankato, Mapleton, Wells and across the Iowa line as far as Plymouth, and coming back by Albert Lea astonished our brother, Clarence Wedge, by calling at his house about bed time. Here we saw the first fruit that was worth mentioning. In the morning he took us through his grounds, and, O my, what a sight greeted our eyes (and mouths, for that matter)! His apples and plums were magnificent. Away down in the meadow, on a little sandy knoll, we saw a strawberry bed, and, as I am a woman, I shall say it was just lovely. As we came up this way we saw three small orchards where the trees hung quite full. As we were going down, just before we came to New Auburn we stopped to feed, and I went into the garden where they had some apple trees growing, and every tree he had was badly blighted but his Peerless; they were all looking nicely except one that had died.