St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-13
MINNESOTA POINTS
About the CataIpa and Horticult-
ure, Gathered for the Chicago


About the Cataipa and HOrtIcult-
ure, Gathered for the Chicago
Rural.
One of the principal objects in my at
tending the meeting at Excelsior was,
il possible, to accomplish what failed
to do four years ago, viz: 70 learn sure
whether there is, or ever was, native
grove of catalpa trees growing north
west of Minneapolis, as has been re-
corded on both Iowa and Minnesota book
reports. | found my tickets so limited
my time that could not have the time
to examine, as found | should have to
to be sure. l will here, in short, simply
state that Col. Stephens and Peter
M. Gideon, two very worthy and
reliable citizens, one of Excelsior
and the other of Minneapolis,
each declared to me at their own houses
that they knew there was once a grove
of catalpa trees there. Col. Stephens
told me on my cross questioning him
that he knew the blackberry. coffee and
catalpa trees we'll, and that he knew
there was once a grove OF large trees OF
catalpas that grew on his brothers
place thirty-SiX years ago, and that he
had them cut and sawed into lumber.
He further said he sent samples OF the
wood to experts in Washington, and
they pronounced it catalpa. He further
added that there were lots of young ca
talpas now coming up on the same
ground. President Elliott, Prof. Green
and many others have spent a number
of days, and do not believe there ever
was such grove. If there is such
grove, Iowa and the Northwest want
the trees as soon as possible.
wish to add that after examining all
the numerous specimens of apples there
on exhibition we found nothing that
would compare favOrably with the
Wealthy, only for size. McMayon's
White was superior in size, but lacked
in all other points when compared with
the Wealthy. We tested nearly every
variety of apple by carefully tasting,
and | am p eased to say that found
both in Mr.. Dart and Mr.. Peterson men
who knew not only good apple from
poor one, but could also distinguish
those finer blendings in taste which
many cannot. In conversation with
Prof. Green, he referred to the south
west wind setting the apple trees TO the
northeast so they were sun-scaIded.
We begged him to drop that
reasoning, as it had been thor
oughly proven on our grounds many
wears ago that it was the sun and not
the wind that set our trees so sure to
the northeast. Mr.. Summerville also
still holds to hedging in orchards thor
oughlv on all sides. He is the only man
| know in the Northwest who argues
this.
A lively discussion was had on grow
ing potatoes by three old market gar
deners. Each illustrated his way OF
cutting potatoes. One cut by slashlng
off piece with two eyes till his potato
was used up. The next cut his potato
the seed end The third ran the knife
through the length of his potato, split
ting it into four equal parts and then
cut one eye on each piece. Each
planted in rows three feet apart and
about fifteen inches apart in rows
with two or three eyes in
the the hill. The White Star was
claimed the best for all uses. The
Beauty of Hebron did well on sandy
soil. The Snowflake was counted one
of the very best for family use. Large
whole potatoes grew knobby ones, and
planting small ones year after year ran
them out 1t was claimed that they
could be grown for ID cents per buShel,
and that the starch factories cleared 10
cents Oh each bushel. There was a
cessful business. The meeting was
graced by the continual presence of
Mrs. A. A. Kennedy, secretary OF Nc
Leod County Horticultural society. She
displayed a very cOmmendable and ener-
getic character. not hesitatlng to put in
her earnest protest to defeat can
didate who was proposed for Office,
who she had reasons to think had not
been as honest in his dealings as one
should be holding the office proposed.
She was much interested in the i'm
provement of our native plums and
other fruits. Her questions were sharp
as to the necessary conditions TO pro-
duce success; thought she should profit
by an object lesson i'll grating.
Miss Sanford, from the university
farm. gave very earnest and oratorl-
cal lecture to fine group of youngsters
gathered there for the occasion. Sub
iect: "The Necessity and Promotion
of Horticulture" An illustrated lee
ture on the honey bee by Prof. N. G:
Lane. director of state experimental
station. We learned some very in
teresting items about the honey
bee. It is claimed the bee can
make AGO strokes with his wings in Que
second, that the queen lays 1000 eggs
in one day. They never fight till they
are fed by the working or servant bees:
then they at once commence war of
determination, never resting till all are
slam but the one who survives all the
rest, often being five or six in the
start. A bee sting is one three-hun- |
dredth part as large as a common pin
They use twenty pounds of honey to |
make one pound of wax. One man
stated honey could be made for five |
cents per pound. Average per hive
year 100 pounds. Another stated |
his bees had averaged him the last ten |
years 81 200. Another sold twenty-five |
thousand pounds of honey in one sea-
son, which cleared him $1,000. The av-
erage life or working bee was five or
six week. When about to die they |
would leave the hive, drop in the grass |
and never seek to rise. From the same |
row of eggs, all just alike, the servant |
bees would produce either working |
bee or queen simply by the kind of |
feed they placed in each shell. All |
honey not gathered each day was evap-
grated and lost each night. E. r. Pond, |
born in Minnesota over forty years ago, |
said his daughter, nineteen, and son,
fourteen, did all the work and produced |
5000 pounds of honey last season. Lives
at Bloomington, Hennepin county, |
MINI. EPSON GAYLORD.