ng
with most of the seedlings from the Beta and some hybrids, and we have a
few of the Beta seedlings that are very good. One red variety compares
favorably with any of the cultivated varieties. It is perfectly hardy so
far. And we have two or three varieties of black nearly as large as
Moore's Early or Concord.

"We also have a number of seedlings of pears, but we are not very far
advanced with them yet. Pears stand the winter fairly well, although
they winter-kill to a certain extent. When they are weakened through the
winter and growth starts in the spring they blight. Blight is the worst
part of our work with pears."

Prof. R. S. Mackintosh, of University Farm, was caught on the floor, and
as usual took opportunity to tell people they ought to eat more apples
and something about how to get them. This seems to be a subject that is
ever in his mind and which he is persistently working to good advantage.

"You folks that are hungry and want apples or apple pie want to get busy
about the middle of August and eat up your surplus apples in Minnesota.
It is a shame that farmers, fruit growers, etc., have spent years trying
to grow apples in Minnesota and then we cannot get enough people to eat
the apples. We are going to carry on the clearing house as we did last
year, and if you want apples let us know. We can grow apples the same as
we can grow peonies and strawberries, but it is a little hard to get
them distributed properly."

Mr. A. M. Brand, of Faribault, who had an extraordinary exhibit of
seedling peonies at the meeting, pronounced by our peony expert, Mr.
C.S. Harrison, "second to none in the world," was introduced and talked
briefly along the line of seedling peony production, as follows: "There
is a great deal of encouragement in what we have been able to
accomplish down there at Faribault along the line of producing something
fine in peonies. Sixteen years ago we started out with the idea of
improving upon the stock that we already have. We had a little red
peony, a very nice peony, originated by Mr. Terry down in Iowa, called
Rachel, and starting out with that as a mother plant we have produced
some of the finest roots that there are in cultivation. By using lots of
the seed of Rachel we have been able to produce this Mary Brand,
considered by many of the peony growers as one of the finest red peonies
in the world. A great many people that raise nice peonies think they
have to go to the trouble of hand fer