ee es Migs 3 3 “4 of Me ue f eth ; Wee a8 3 oe ; $3 ois 25 ce 5ER, ess fet ee) $8 ie oH is Hsien Me oe ae * ) 4 SBE . # f He oo 4 By ah) iif Y SF Es Lo i 2 a a SO se Oe t A 8 - oe a ys } . } a @ maint : ogy cee a" VV Wi Vy Vy se vr WV} YYW YY Wy ae VE VV} —— = CAA ASCARI A A AP A PA —————— RA TAO POA ‘s s K) ‘ ie a ¢ Of 4 q ye < \}4 ( C) f Co 4 s | * a ‘ 6 is ‘ i@ BY is it s ‘s & 6 | ay, I A AAA CAR AA ACE ER AR RADA a A RS BR EAA ERE EA AA IR I = Ne SSS — L a Vv" iad | + os a ; ; a \ / n ie ne | | om Z | 1 | i | | i a i “ad LIBRARY NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN aN SUA REPORT OF THE ICSOIN ole HOMICUIIUTG SOcle 1896.. EMBRACING THE TRANSACTIONS OF THE SOCIETY FROM DECEMBER 3, 1895, TO DECEM- BER 1, 1896, INCLUDING THE TWELVE NUMBERS OF “THE MINNESOTA HORTICULTURIST” FOR 1896. EDITED BY THE SECRETARY, A. W. LATHAM, OFFICE AND LIBRARY, 207 KASOTA BLOCK, MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. MINNEAPOLIS: HARRISON & SMITH, STATE PRINTERS, 1896. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL TO THE GOVERNOR. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF THE MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 207 Kasota BLocKk, MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., Dgc. 1, 1896. To the Hon. D. M. Clough, Governor of Minnesota: Sir:—In compliance with the requirements of the law, I have the honor to submit herewith the report of our society from December 8, 1895, to December 1, 1896. Respectfully yours, A. W. LATHAM, Secretary. THE MINNESOTA HORTICULTURIST. VOL. 24. JANUARY, 18096. NO. 1. LIBRARY NEW YORK (as BOTANICAL OFFICERS ae ae OF THE MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY FOR 1696. PRESIDENT. Pee OCDE RAW WOOD tts co. n oOo’ ofecs Sin a. leo ohgeitand'sie'e - o tialaf otal Lake City VICE PRESIDENTS. Be Ho -DARTT, Birst Congressional District... . «. 0's... Owatonna S$. D. RICHARDSON, Second * Die deta henaiets Winnebago City Mrs. A. A. KENNEDY, Third “ Ae eatbe ReIOAAe Hutchinson R. S. MACKINTOSH, Fourth 7 CRE Oe St. Anthony Park CoOL. J. H. STEVENS, Fifth g Ee nyt taecisat ae Minneapolis J. O. BARRETT, Sixth ites Va eon. sett Brown’s Valley MRS. JENNIESTAGER, Seventh “ hig? ie Starelonsvevea retin: Sauk Rapids SECRETARY (AND LIBRARIAN, &x-Officio.) A. W. LATHAM, Office and Library, 207 Kasota Block, Minneapolis, Minn. TREASURER. EF. G.-GOULD- - - . - Excelsior EXECUTIVE BOARD. (The president and secretary are members ex-officio.) WYMAN ELLIOT (Chairman) 2 years - - : Minneapolis » J. S. HARRIS,2years - - - - - - La Crescent Prof. S. B. GREEN, 1 year - - . - St. Athony Park CLARENCE WEDGE,lyear - - = . - Albert Lea J. P. ANDREWS, 3 years -- - - : - - Faribault L. R. MOYER,3years - - - - - - Montevideo ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN. E. A. CUZNER, Essex and 27th Ave. S. E. - : Minneapolis (The assistant librarian has charge of the surplus reports of the society, which are stored at Pillsbury Hall, State University.) SUPERINTENDENTS OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. thee i os PROF.S.B.GREEN(Central Station,State FarmSchool),St.Anthony Park 195 G5 le Shel DY cea ties = - - - - - Owatonna FE. H. FIEDLER, - - - - - - Fergus Falls DEWAIN COOK, - - - - = - - Windom CLARENCE WEDGE, 5 - - : - - Albert Lea CHAS. W. SAMPSON (grapes), - - 2 - - Eureka O. M. LorpD (plums and small fruits), - - Minnesota City C. W. H. HEIDEMAN (plums and small fruits), - New Ulm H. M. LYMAN (apples), - - - - - Excelsior J. S. HARRIS, - - - = - = E La Crescent L. R. MOYER, : : : - - - Montevideo Mrs. JENNIE STAGER, - - - . - Sauk Rapids W. L. CASE, - - - . - - - Duluth COMMITTEES FOR 1896. FRUIT LIST. ClaTOnGes Wid OE va :cle ne cits bicacete nyevageieel asters cio Voile Pater ete hatte eae Albert Lea nd 2b Ja 0l6 bdeh eee Geer agric scboce cme oe oot S45 oc odes 2 le - Faribault, VE eon SN 8 gCGs cero s ORI Ae ae SNe Seba fteiniesbin vacuo ces St. Anthony Park SEEDLING FRUITS. Viotshk ele Wiig Sas Sere ememdan Gripe od ne cine o DOME GUEROR Rom t oc La Crescent APPLES. Oia ts ELANSEIM —.rak cinciomiaiaic clotabe mtheinieie iis ate eierares Brookings, S. D. He ALLE an cis sic cite s Cola ee tenaia ehabeviele “ere kaltvsia. 6 hat aiehy 's! orlisteeeaeen Owatonna CO TRBES ATE e evcnal siy-cise sic-~. Sia oes ole se oteloancs (aes = avs Fehey ol oyekoue olelatetagstch oiel neve ere St. Charles STAT OF (I aie yal sinew ais dyatterstntesaicke! aie erate) cpg cere ratis Meme eae iene Hammond SWUNG, SAD ICONS ci cistctals, «= saotethe e, ofaustateo weteaelarepeernlelers ete etna ete os Farmington PEACHES. Pe A ULE OL e. ope «a, cloyeln, « clois ews re ayy eegetete euatelone efeiele Wlatel sete Maarel aie oiohaiseees Madelia ld Is EXER ae amir arco COCORMAU Cd Get.aa Colko toto madD.oid tabs Ade neo SG 6 Chowen MPMI ats ois e'« Sciese, SR teinlc obepeomieies ete ais sie ebarotors aia reine Spring Grove PLUMS AND CHERRIES. Wee SVC IMOV.OL.. cis wleciacee ae cdireetolae Ts Core he She ee eases Dresbach MGM ATE TA COWS OEE oor rata o oC tNE Safar caches! tvebslopeles tra ne aso aoe eran sene eT Ree ee Albert Lea Martin Penning... 0.2.6... a «Wop mean sakes PO ten er Sleepy Eye GRAPES. * DVN OEIC AN F 25 /aug. © o-0.cleis siete, cise vie,t ects sien, « See ero kis penal La Sumter MENA OMNMETAG oh fata cisretate sie dl~ bef isvs's Ulla s fase's u,ce etetaaear te teal = ee Excelsior PREV MP AL CL TAWY OO ior tatrcc mje helainte hays m/e rei, e ove. eld 6 ci Sie Shae oda, BAe oe Meee Lake City SMALL FRUITS. EERO TIGL AUD S28 re HA. PERI Sone falas. alten fe Wis safer cAton cs wusrmere emits Red Wing Re CONE Lata Sinio eice a a,c Pu apetatps | aha: « slate bart ods Bane ss Mee NS Albert Lea are ee URE ID EAD fet syed as wpa cbe, 6 X dieles, ale yn oho de, cate vishal t eigeotaie eeReReA SNe Austin Maeaes MIDE ae epee be itafart.s iin aiorain smi des wikele fisicteic'a dave, 8 eer eee ae Crookston FRUIT BLOSSOMS. Seer AC RINCOSy 05 07.4 sen 2's ea + + ejecec vache wee ogee v8 St. Anthony Park TED Velen Lees AMG «af eetats es iat yates c's oferta! cin aml Spates Montevideo FORESTRY. ME MEERR EEE Yon Fah Sala oes! Ne masisje tats Fe wien tod swt wie a wes weke/hos 6 cn ss Minneapolis mired Terry...... Eee ete SS saWeeiaie a8 cei ay s otal tet ec. x eth ais eine ei Slayton MINIS oe er Mest Nae eS Ne tt cic eds cine. wicca ae o's cela: Minneapolis DECIDUOUS TREES AND SHRUBS. PERCE EU LECE NOPE Se oe al 2s hels eins ans'ss als d wis sia. ole seine sie ele Winnebago City LEE, Tee wa rio e Bo Us Saree eer ae en Blanchard, N. D LN: Sy oI Re ig See ee, Se Were nr 701 Sykes Blk., Minneapolis EVERGREENS. RIEL LUN las 5 ceo oie Re 36: de\. The following persons have been added to the life roll the past year: Honorary—Edson Gaylord, Nora Springs, Ia. Paid—Alfred Terry, Slayton; Sheldon Evans, La Crescent; Mrs. Ida Thompson, Duluth; Chas. F. Gardner, Osage, Ia. STATE FAIR.—It was my pleasure to serve the society again thia year at the state fair, as heretofore, and I am happy to be able to say that, with the very hearty co-operation which was given by our members, the exhibit in our department was one of the best, and probably the largest, that has ever been at the fair grounds. This result was attained in spite of the very low premiums which were offered,and only because our society was desirous of sustaining its reputation. We have assurance from some of the officers of the Ag- ricultural Society that this discrimination against us will be reme- dien before another fair, but it seems wise that during this session we should take some notice of this situation and express our views thereon with due emphasis. ~ OFFICIAL REPORTS. 15 FINANCIAL REPORT. RECEIPTS. EEE OL CIVtT) NOCH ws Gay ane ts 8 bind Cho ots sins ohan gmat als bs $34.00 PRIVCTUIBGINECNtS 10) MIAM AGING. 5.505 <-couaccecenvices Senrces » 94.75 Sipscribers from WisCOnsin SOCIETY...........ccecceensees 3.50 MIIGE GOLA, onic ox esnbee cwnrcaduse Sagan tsseciborecdcndesaeenes 50 NET OL TOTAUUOI LCSD oF fons wads chs 84 80S ens cog ae'om ais aie 410.00 MDE RGEC RINE TOUNG 5.5 thin Sing MAC a Rok amie ck keke yee wn case vi 41.00 “18 77 barat ona ge eR IPR ig GRO ICLNINICT aC Iara RT .. $583.75 DISBURSEMENTS. POS oie cs cena oe dhe nena dena oun bes vonmnavis ese aeieas t4 $99.00 RNS sic’ apne wins div dain atu tip Wale sent ue siele'c ns CCS oMeield sales ie r | D2,68 MeeCting and Mailing magazines... 2... wsecececasnesencies 15.40 SEI TS) OFT OT MIC DER SLIPS sac wix.csis sodin'p spin eine nae 11.00 BPPMIOLUUN SO MCELINIG SB. 5 o.ad verde ences se wccceseevcccerepeucese 39.35 IRN re aes Ons Sd oats Ce may Fee a este 5 ee wid fSitin® «ede Le we 7s 132.00 Expenses of delegate to WiSconSin..............-. 008. Paice. 4 Vee RE MPERIME si koe iv as wuand Cme seems ed enaunsscenuoenvencoa pays #0 93.65 BE RBEREATICE SIT thG OLUGE cons cscs tele class. ceniermc cleta'e) eve meine stele 37.15 Ne Ee Ser Oe, Wal enctatn CUeTar tian miuinie cin geo ie ney yaoi ola phulgs cieres 32.18 COMED, SS Ripe B Os! ro Coe) eee re ier ee peer $573.97 SECRETARY’S OFFICE.—You may be interested to know something of the internal workings of the secretary’s office. When I assumed the office in January, 1891, the legacy from my predecessor consisted of a record book for the executive committee—which is still in use— and the membership stubs for the previous year. Evidently up to that time it had not been the plan of the management to introduce elements of permanence into this department of the society, other- wise than through the preservation of the printed reports. With- out taking up your time to record the successive steps which have brought the office to its present stage of comparative development, I will refer briefly to the conditions now prevailing. The corres- pondence of the office is filed away for convenient reference, and this has been done during the five years of my service. There are membership rolls in a substantial form sHowing by years, and also alphabetically, the annual membership since the organization of the society. There is also a similar roll for life and honorary mem. bers. There is an official record of the officers of the society since its beginning. In connection with the library there are two record books, the first of which is called the accession record. In this is recorded the title of every book as received and some other facts relating thereto. Each book is givena number inthis roll. There has been prepared another record book for use in the library which has not yet come into play, but it will be needed later. Besides these are several other minor record books, containing lists of officers of other horticultural societies, fruit growers of the state, subscribers to our magazine, etc. The accounts of the society are kept in a ledg- er which shows in full the receipts and disbursements of the office and all personal debits and credits, of which there more or less con- nected with the advertising, life memberships, etc. 16 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. As you saw by my report as given above, the receipts of the office are principally from membership fees and advertising. On the — membership record books all the members are numbered consecu- tively, and the cash account in the ledger shows receipts to corre- spond with the number of members enrolled. The disbursements of the secretary’s office include office rent and printing, and in a general way the minor expenses connected with the office and the management of the society. Receipts are taken for all amounts ex- pended of $1.00 and upwards, and these receipts are filed for exami- nation by the executive board, and afterwards for preservation in the same manner as the correspondence ofthe office. It is now the prac- tice of the board to examine and audit the secretary’s accounts semi- annually. As to further details of the working of the office, with which I will not weary you, I shall be glad to show or explain to any who may feel a further interest in the matter. CONCLUSION.—This brief report closes my work as secretary for the fifth year of my service. That this service has been pleasant to me Iam sure you know, and not the least pleasant feature connected with it, in fact, the pleasantest, is the entire harmony between my- self and the working officers of the society and, indeed the entire management of the association. Not having had experience with Similar associations Iam unable to make comparisons, but in look- ing over these past five years, it is certainly a cause of great satis- faction and a bright augury for the future, that the machinery of the organization should run with such uniform smoothness. Under these favorable conditions we may well look forward with happy as- surance to a satisfactory accomplishment of the beneficent work en- trusted to our charge. I have the honor to remain Yours fraternally, A. W. LATHAM, Sec’y. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TREASURER. F. G. GOULD, EXCELSIOR. From July 1 to Dec. 5, 1895. aa RECEIPTS. fine DISBURSEMENTS. 95. July 1, State treasurer............ $500.00 July 1. Order No. 17, See’y salary A. W. Latham, Sec’y, fol- for Ist quarter of 1895... $150.00 lowing: Order No, 18,A.W. Latham O. F. Gardner, first % life expenses of secretary's TOO EE ba easedaeis oacsheils 5 00 OPHCe ccna ae soap ae 383.17 FE. E. Harris.last % life fee 5.00 Order No, 20.A.W.Latbam A. Terry, full life fee..... 10.00 secretary’s salary for 2d ©. W. Sampson, for writ- quarter, 1895...........5. 150.00 ing paper 50 Sept..24. L.R: Moyer....-.. 20001 ser 12.03 Richard & Patten, Ad. in SUB Green denicds wceceuen 23.76 Horticulturist,1895 ..... 9.00 JP MAMGrGWSeac. wseceee 5.00 E. P. Stacy, Ad in Horti- J. 9. Harris.cce ccs acs alene eee culturist, 1895............ 11.00 Ditus Day.. Veco sincere an R. J. Mendenhall, Ad. in Guomence Wedge. fee ce ooeteae 22.44 Horticulturist, 1894 ..... 9.00 W, uatheamiesssen 150 00 Brackett, Ad. in tenewnten Smith Prem~ Horticulturist, 1895...... 1.00 oak one 25.00 Membership fees for 1895, ot ‘Sargent.. donb acele Menien 2.50 from Nos. 50 to 859 (in- B. Ti LOT wets ‘’ REPORT OF DELEGATE. \ 31 PLuMs.—Desota, Wyant, Hawkeye, Forest Garden, Miner, Stoddart, Forest Rose, Rockford, Bixby, Gaylord, Cheney, Wolf. GOOSEBERRIES.—Houghton, Downing, Columbus, Golden Prolific Tetonka, Big Bob, American Wild, Lee’s Prolific. GRAPES.—Concord, Worden, Moore’s Early, Janesville, Green Mountain, Delaware, Agawam, Brighton. RED RASPBERRIES.—Turner, Kenyon, Shaffer, Golden. BLACK RASPBERRIES.—Gregg, Ohio, Older, Nemaha, Palmer, Kan- sas, Eureka. STRAWBERRIES.—Crescent, Warfield, Bederwood, Haverland, Par- ker Earle, Robinson, Shuckless, Greenville, Enhance, Wolverton, Gardner. BLACKBERRIES.—Snyder, Ancient Briton, Agawan. JUNEBERRIES.—Success, Dwarf. Wednesday afternoon. Reports of delegates were heard to and from Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Northwest Iowa Society. These reports were given careful attention and covered much ground outside of the regular work of the society and make a val- uable addition to their horticultural records. At the evening session, several papers were read of great literary merit, the subjects being treated with clearness and comprehension, and they were highly appreciated by all present. The session was also enlivened by excellent music. At the request of the president, Mr. Van Houten gave an informal talk upon the horticulture of the Sandwich Islands, India, China and Japan, also slightly comparing their social relations to those of our people. He had personally vis- ited these countries and parts of Europe to gain horticultural knowledge and to satisfy himself as to whether there was a more desirable abiding place. He had come back to Iowa perfectly satisfied to remain, with no desire to go beyond its boundaries, as he knew by personal obser- vation that no more contented, thrifty, intelligent and prosperous people lived on the face of the earth than were to be found in “our own free and happy homes.” The audience was treated to one of the most vivid, beautiful and interesting oriental pictures of some of those tropical regions where nature had lavishly bestowed in pe- rennial beauty the most gorgeous coloring on shrubs and flowers, and had scattered in endless profusion many of the choicest fruits, with a climate of perpetual summer and harvest. And yet the back- ground of this picture, representing the social condition of large classes of the people of India and China, was revolting to all our ideas of christianity, virtue, happiness or pleasure. Some of their ornamental plants are very desirable, but with the exception of some of the citrus fruits of Japan, he would not give one of the apples of Iowa for all the fruits of the tropical regions, and, finally, he would not exchange one of the happy homes of Iowa for any other abiding place to be seen in all his travels. BR SSN i) 32 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. NOTES FROM THE FIELD. BY CLARENCE WEDGE, HORTICULTURIST OF THE MINN. FARMERS’ INSTITUTE. (This I understand to be the first of a series of notes that Mr. Wedge will contri- bute. They will furnish very reliable data as to the fruit growing interests in the institute route and will be appreciated. Secy.) Thinking that some of the explorations and observations of a trav- eling horticulturist might be of interest to the society and of some value asa matter of record, I will, with our secretary’s consent, make some notes for publication: The next day after the adjournment of our winter meeting, I joined the institute corps at Redwood Falls,where I was rather too late todo much the first day but was able to address them on the subjects of “Small Fruits” and “Orcharding” the second day. I found, that while they listened with marked attention, the severe drouths of the past seasons had discouraged those who had attempted small fruit growing and that there was the usual skepticism in regard to apple growing of any kind. I was much interested in making the acquaintance of Mr.H W. Nelson, of Vernon Centre (near Mankato), who has been planting apple trees in Minnesota for forty years and who has attained quite a degree of success. He has trees of Tetofsky, Wealthy, Duchess and Whitney about twenty-five years old, Fameuse twenty years old and trees of what may be the Hibernal and Longfield twenty years old. The latter two Russian varieties he bought of the Moul- ton nursery and had no idea of their true names, as at the time of purchase Mr. Moulton would not give them to him. I had a few specimens of the Hibernal with me, and, after examining and tast- ing them, Mr. Nelson was quite sure that they were the same as his. While his trees are generally doing well, he reports the Whitney as the heaviest bearer and best variety he has. One of the leading horticulturists about here is Geo. Whittet, liv- ing about one and one-half miles west of the city, who has had con- siderable experience with small fruits. I was surprised to find so many good apple and crab trees scattered through the city. G.S. Richardson has some seven trees of crabs and apples that have pro- duced at least one hundred bushels of fruit in the past few years. Some of the crab trees measure from thirty to forty inches in girth of trunk and are in perfect condition. Several of the seven are standard apples of the Duchess and Wealthy varieties. Mr. J. W. Ferris has a number of fine trees. One Wealthy, which produced two and one-half barrels of fruit the season of 1892, was in perfect condition, with a girth of trunk of twenty-five inches—a very fine tree standing out by itself on the lawn; a Tetofsky, fifteen inch- es, in good condition; a Briar Sweet, twenty-three inches, in very perfect condition and a heavy bearer; a Minnesota, twenty-five in ches, very high and carelessly trimmed, in excellent condition. In the yard of Wm. Skinner are two fine trees of the white spruce, thirty-two inches, looking very bright and healthy. In an adjoin- ing yard are four trees of the Minnesota, fifteen inches, bearing about a bushel of fruit each the past season, the trees being in quite perfect condition. NOTES FROM THE FIELD 33 Mrs. P. D. Hitchcock has been one of the largest planters in this sec- tion. While she has lost a large share of her trees through improper selection and lack of intelligent care, we found Wealthy, twenty-five inches, in perfect condition; Briar Sweet, twenty-five inches, very healthy and productive; Tetofsky, fifteen inches, not very product- ive and inclined to scald. This orchard is evidently suffering from drouth, even large soft maples near by having died outright from this cause. Many of the trees are leaning heavily to the north and are, hence, severely scalded. Mr. N. V. R. Hunter has one tree each of Early Strawberry, forty inches, and Duchess, sixteen inches, that are in perfect health and have been very profitable. He sold $30.00 worth of fruit from these two trees anda small stub that is scarcely worth mentioning the past season; certainly,a surprising profit to derive from trees that occupy scarcely more than three square rods. But good fresh sum- mer apples are scarce here, and he sold his Duchess @ $2.00 per bushel, and Strawberry crabs @ $1.50 per bushel. The most common injury in this section is the easily preventable one of sunscald; but there is abundance of evidence that drouth is severely felt and taxing the vitality of the trees to the last degree. We would be glad to report more particularly in regard to small fruits, but winter is not a favorable time to make examinations, and nearly all of those whom we meet are unable to give an idea of their varieties or much that would be of value to the society. We were unable to learn of any who were doing anything with grapes or plums. ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SOUTHERN MINNESOTA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1895. HELD AT AUSTIN, DEC., 20 AND 21, 1895. The third annual meeting of this society closed on Satur- day afternoon, having held five sessions, commencing. Friday morning. Friday forenoon was devoted to the discussion of the apple question, with addresses on the subject by Edson Gay- lord of Nora Springs, Iowa and J. S. Harris of La Crescent. The papers read and discussed during the various sessions were: “How to Grow Celery,” N. I. Johnson, Austin: “Small Fruits,” John Christ- gau, Sutton; “Irrigation for Small Fruit,” Geo. H. Prescott, Albert Lea; “Keeping Apples,” Clarence Wedge, Albert Lea; “My Father's New England Orchard,” C. D. Belden, Austin; “Fruits for Winter Use,” Mrs. Geo. H. Prescott, Albert Lea; “Mistakes in Orcharding,” Edson Gaylord, Nora Springs, Iowa; “Plums,” J. S. Harris, La Cres- cent; “Hardy Fruits for Southern Minnesota,” C. F. Gardner, Osage, Iowa; “Orcharding for Amateurs,” J. B. Mitchell, Cresco, Iowa; “Girding to Promote Fruitfulness,” E. H. S. Dartt, Owatonna; “Influ- ence of the Nurseryman on Horticulture,” C. G. Patten, Charles City, lowa; “Small Fruits and Vegetables—How to Raise Them,” G. C. Dinsmoor, Austin; “How to Raise Grapes,” H. L. Crane, Excelsior. All subjects were fully discussed and brought out much valuable experience. Oe EG ete ate er Ge SO ene eae ae ae ae We, Oe er r 34 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year: Presi- dent, J C. Hawkins, Austin; vice-president, Jonathan Freeman, Moscow; secretary and treasurer, C. L. Hill, Albert Lea. Executive committee in addition to the three above officers, A. J. French, Win- dom, and Geo. H. Prescott, Albert Lea,—Mower County Transcript. NOTES. “Over thirty varieties of fine specimens of Minnesota apples were on exhibition. They came from the nurseries of Clarence Wedge, of Albert Lea, and J.S. Harris, of La Crescent. Over one-half of the varieties shown were winter apples.” “The crowd present at these meetings was not a large one, but among them were about fifty of the leading horticulturists of south- ern Minnesota and northern Iowa.” “We had quite a successful meeting and feel quite inclined to hope a good deal of uur society. We have elected as president, Mr. J. C. Hawkins of Austin, who being well acquainted with the farmers will make, I think, an active canvass for memberships.” Dec. 23, 1895. F. W. KIMBALL. “Last Saturday (21st) we finished a most enjoyable meeting at Au- stin. Harris, Dartt, Mitchell, Patten, Gaylord, Sherman and Gard- ner and H. L. Crane were with us, and an excellent local attendance. I am sure you will wantsome of the papers read, as they were rather extra for a local meeting. We made our membership fee $1.00 in view to take advantage of the liberal offer of the state society. I will send on notes for the meeting for the February Magazine.” Dec. 23, 1895. CLARENCE WEDGE. ANNUAL MEETING MINNESOTA BEEKEEPERS ASSO- CIATION, 1895. kK. JAQUES, SEC’Y, CRYSTAL. The seventh annual meeting of this association was held in Minneapolis, December 5—6, 1895. This meeting was one of the most profitable ever held by the soci- ety. The papers read treated subjects that were of vital importance to every progressive beekeeper; while the discussions that followed were generally participated in and revealed the fact that Minnesota beekeepers are progressive and keep well informed on all subjects relating to scientific keekeeping. The subjects more generally discussed were those relating to the size of hive best suited to this locality, and that of foundation, especially as to amount that may with profit be used both in frames and in sections. Another interesting paper and discussion was on “What Clovers may be Successfully Grown in Minnesota as Forage Plantsand Bee Pastures?” It wasclearly shown that beekeepers and farmers alike are not making the general use of alsike and crimson clovers that their interests demand. The crimson clover especially is a stranger to most Minnesota farmers, but the highly satisfactory results of a trial made of it by H.L.F. Witte, a practical beekeeper of Hennepin county, last year shows this clover to be a valuable addi- ANNUAL MEETING BEE KEEPERS, tion to the forage plants of Minnesota as well as a fine honey producer. We were highly favored with a paper from Prof. Lugger, State Entomologist, on the subject, “Is the Queen Hermaphrodite.” While the professor is not a practical beekeeper, his intimate knowledge of insect life enabled him to invest his subject with uncommon in- terest. As space is limited, I cannot make mention of the other valuable papers and matters that came before the society. It is to be regret- ted that more of the beekeepers throughout the state are not mem- bers ofthisassociation. The trifling expense connected with it would be returned to them many fold; for no man who possesses sufficient ,- intelligence to enable him to become a successful beekeeper can at- tend these annual meetings and not go back to his work, not only a better beekeeper, but a wiser men. Most beekeepers are to some extent horticulturists. The two societies meet during the same week and at the same place, and most of the beekeepers are members of the horticultural society andthe reports alone published by the latter are well worth the price of membership. Iam glad to be able to say to the beekeepers of Minnesota, that, through the courtesy of the horticultural society some of the papers presented at the 95 annual meeting will be published in the near future in their report. OFFICERS OF THE MINNESOTA BEEKEEPERS’ ASSO- CIATION FOR 1896. PRESIDENT. TREN rate et sons hat adel aby hic ai ne cubis aes eo ne eae a Hastings VICE PRESIDENTS. DRUM MeIL MANN, Firat: District .c2 «<< sce) wo sino are wae Cd aoe 0 Clinton Falls hak PS niet A tie Dal i ae a6 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICUL'TURAL SOCIETY. AWARD OF PREMIUMS At the Annual Meeting of Dec., 1895, of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society. APPLES. Article. Exhibitor. Premium. Amount. Ried FONGe ke vac bane clapicciamsrees aces! Wasa WEOIMOVED. ©. 5.22 ach) se SOCOM Gere 2 seen Ue MinReCSOES a. maccthecekte eerie nc se eeee RAH. 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Ae HPSS: soc rare eee MEROONO S GOLMGN.. .ccacceccscees cons a AAC CALE DoE; First a ONS I ES} ee LP i ae Se OS See POCONG 5, pace okieres UOC CYR CE ee “s PANES reso aes eee Fameuse.. ; eat cs SEN eee es ote ee hk RD ery a ae Second : Pride of Minneapolis era et) gt Se A er ah eS eee BUPS bee aspen te aoe EILEEN ents oesclee Se seeing we e's ke NPL Ba be sie ca 151) 6 cc rp AD Peale ies PPR et oc ccc ocice t anede gens ‘ Satstek Moa CO ea ASO es MUMIRIIY AY ORID 2 52 5c acces sanc- xvas ee WIM SOMOErVIlle>......ic.c:. SOCONG: ized ie cczes MIPRIR EP nn vee! ee cate beictiaces Sere Vib Ace ce ieee SINS Dea crees aes cree MRR Fs erg ic dab wa weceivs ..ec6 p25 Gakesonsecceelses Ee Cranenen ma deeenes Second...... 3.00 IBTISM CON. Seccitcias eme eee oases oe CO WUE ret hy srare eee nants First.. 1.00 WOLAWATO Ate ow ocivestotae cotinine eee sf Wirsti25...50eseeeee 1.00 Tona COE Re ae Setar mea SeconGs.2.) ts cee 50 Ti Adiyectanaciono eu suiecraiieette anaes SCOR TN ARE oli Wace Birst:s.ve sss soeeeeee 1.00 Rover's NO: 15.22. «js ces aches ena ceeie'e Hire (Men dyenne ant Second ..).7-2 2s 50 Delawanrericescecics ccscineistscone tadersne Jno. Loudon & Son.......... Second...... 50 Moore’sibarly ince. nse wee eosbreeier coe Da ON Paks ce Binst 00.2) ses eee 1.00 Massasoit, Roger’s No. 3...........-. PPL) (ui batenccilene WITS 6. \05,3. scene eee 1.00 Worden. fs oes SS iSacleeeaiecties BE ee SO eNe e orate ek Src Hirst. .5< sis...) soe Himpirer Stabers..,.Wecmecreeeceras ce st SOCONG:. 2. eoe eee 50 VAS IGOMM cece sews erettiecrerselsrestnicnae A ee i! ans ae Second, ca. nc-eacne 50 MBO ap hisosscecck se coe ase eters CTs, UN aS eens Pirst: 2: 5.ceasscecieee 1.00 MOT ACM oars cis islets = oe cieensate ote eee err etactery es On Pe eee: Pirsts iss t jeeteete 1.00 Rogers NO: 15-5... focuses, rotamer ‘ ee hem we ete 8 Birstit oi 5aocesaeeee 1.00 Collection 222-55. ..- Ue caine net OG BITS occ cekcn eee 5.00 WOELSONnNEStnc iso. - cceecias sees ves Gust Johnson...........: First dies vette eOOU Biimdleycevetoce casts ine otisiree mcleiatdels CS ht We Statens IPS 6 oe oc vesicle SIMD E. J. Curts. PEACHES AND PEARS. POACHING atc cncte ccheccrete eee Gu He HLS b I cretewyet sieiciosiey te Wins tt .n's n0cdhs Coe PeachiNOneecscctas. ccteeaeens moe UE Re Accennoon Burst cntve. poses cena 1.00 Pears Mlemish Beauty ss cceccer cede wo cmELALIIS peters clots feet etelalets ee US Uiseratereiolavaereiatan 1.00 FLOWERS. Collection of plants.................- E. Nagel Sinelo Orava: cece mccener estes se Single Degontarn <2. stesso sciesiscee Hs Single carnation: 2. usysse: ssc 2005 DOA ree BB aa mmmciccinon MOMMA GESISN. cs. «class clec neice ss Oollection cut roses.......... - Collection carnations..... ace: etaens BPD eA Sac TOON, OOo SUS) Pop ite (2) BaBeP ae Sea Be aBoEe ate CEL ea aNaide mae Meee ree BASKOGLOLNOWCIS:.. dccre secs crcesee. PES BON recon cole Nts VEGETABLES. EMD DALCISU UMS. seienieciestetss a moeirs) oye te CY ELIMESc, cjs/etse oereepan ean ROSEN SD Cliteeca is arb, oil sia ioin b's, d'o| bis ee, sislotat vind EE IB USHONS vomier carsastte lee URMORMR Ia airesbis |< diets si akoa ss aaemie sles EY Rial f-55 int tere Pe aft « 46 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. tween the rows. After the crop is harvested we dig up every alternate row, which leaves the rows nine feet apart, and the next year we get a good crop from the plantation—probably a full crop the next year—while if you put them five feet apart or six feet, they are too far apart to get a full crop the first year, and you waste the use of the land. Our landis not a very strong soil, and we need them further apart than most people. When the plantation stands with the rows nine feet apart and the plants three feet in the row the first year, you get only half a harvest, while, if the rows stand four and a half feet apart, you get a full crop the first year you pick. Mr. C. Wedge: What varieties do you specially recommend, Mr. Hopkins? Mr. Hopkins: The Souhegan and the Gregg. Mr. Harris: Don’t you think the Palmer is a better berry than the Gregg? Mr. Hopkins: Iam not prepared to discuss that point. We grow the kind for which we can find the best market. Mr.C. L. Smith: Mr. Hopkins, how do the black raspberries compare with the red so far as profit in sales is concerned? Mr. Hopkins: Very little difference. The first reds bring the highest price, and after that there is little difference, but altogether I prefer the black raspberries. Mr. J. P. West: Did you say there was more money in black raspberries than in reds? : Mr. Hopkins: I did not say so; but I find it is in my own case. I get a greater yield in boxes from blacks than from red from the same amount of ground. Mr. Elliot: What is your soil? Mr. Hopkins: Very heavy black soil. Mr. Elliot: Are you on the Minnesota Bottoms? Mr. Hopkins: No, it is high. Mr. Brackett: Is there a black raspberry earlier than the Souhegan? I know the early blackcaps bring the better prices. Mr. Hopkins: The first black to come to the market are the Souhegan; they are always the Souhegan. Mr, Harris: There is an earlier variety than the Souhegan. Mr. Smith: The Palmer has not been generally cultivated in this part of the country. Mr. H. M. Lyman: How do the blackcaps and the red rasp- berries compare as to hardiness? Mr. Hopkins: I do not think there is much difference. Mr. West: Do you cover with earth or hay? sod .. a 1 es yo. oe Pee Te” , ; 3 5 2 ; ~~ a” Ce ee a Te ¥ THE BLACK RASPBERRY. Mr. Hopkins: Earth, always. Mr. West: What time do you cover them. Mr. Hopkins: About October 20th this year. I would not cover them until the first of November if I were sure the ground would not be frozen. The canes are more pliable after a little freezing. Pres. Underwood: How do you lay them down? Mr. Hopkins: Draw them down. We always cover them with spades. We cover the canes over entirely. We bend them clear over and then cover them. This year we used the spad- ing fork. Mr. Wedge. Do you bend them in the cane. Mr. Hopkins: Inthecane. They will not stand bending in the root. With blackberries it can be done. Pres. Underwood: Can’t it be done with raspberries? Mr. Hopkins: It can’t be done. Mr. Wedge: I should think those young canes would break off Mr. Hopkins: We always pinch off the tips of the young black raspberries and they throw out shoots, and then we di- vide the hills and lay the shoots the way they lean. Blackber- ries are more upright than the Souhegan raspberry. Mr. E. J. Cutts: Don’t you cut them back. Mr. Hopkins: A littlein the spring. If we want them to propagate, we cut them in the spring to make them sprout; we never touch them in the summer. Pres. Underwood: Do you hold up the vines in any way? Mr. Hopkins: No, we cut them back enough in the spring so we don’t need to hold them up. Occasionally we do, but we get out of it if we can. I think the wind whips them worse where they are staked. The laterals on the old canes are about eighteen inches long, and if they are staked it generally breaks them right off, but if the old canes are allowed to swing it saves them considerably. I had such an experience a year ago last June; the wind pounded them very badly. Pres. Underwood: That is one reason why they require so much room, to allow them to spread out. Mr. Hopkins: Yes, that is one reason. Mr. West: How many quarts do you get to the acre? Mr. Hopkins: Can't tell you. Mr. West: About how many? Mr. Hopkins: I can’t tell you without looking up my books. Mr. West: About three thousand? 48 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY Mr. Hopkins: Well, I can tell pretty nearly by figuring a little. Pres. Underwood: I would like to extend the thought of Mr. Hopkins in regard to planting close together and then taking them out. It is a good plan where they are grown for market purposes. The last two years we have adopted the plan of doubling the rows; instead of planting them seven feet apart in the first place, we have planted the rows three and a half feet apart and three feet apart in the row. The next year we get our first crop. Sofaras we have gone, we likethe idea very well. We ought to have a full crop of berries off of ten acres next sum- mer, that being the first crop, and there being double the num- ber of plants to the acre. Then we will plow up one row after next summer’s fruiting and thin them out. The vines occupy the ground, and I like that better than planting some other crop between the rows. However, that is an experiment that has not been fully worked out to the end, and it may be that it will not be satisfactory, although it looks as if it would be now. Mr. Elliot in looking our plants over this summer suggested to mea good idea, and that was in planting black raspber- ries, if one could get the plants cheap enough—and, if they are bought in quantity, it seems as though they might be had cheap enough—and that was to putin two plants to the hill, so as to insure against possible loss. Itis always best to have the ground occupied, and if there is a missing hill—as is frequently the case—there is just that much ground wasted. If you put in two plants to the hill, you are almost sure of one growing. I don’t know yet how it will work, although we shall try it next year. I told Mr. Elliot it was an excellent argument in the in- terest of the nurserymen who had plants to sell. Mr. West: How cheap should we get them? Pres. Underwood: It depends upon the quantity you buy. Market gardeners buy them in large quantities, and, of course, get them very much cheaper than if bought in 50 or 100 lots. The price varies from $3.00 to $15.00 per thousand. Mr. E.J. Cutts: Mr. E. P. Roe recommended that plan fifteen years ago, and | have followed it. Mr. Harris: There is one other advantage in close planting, you get a full crop the first year. You get better raspberries from those young plants, larger berries, more juicy and better looking. The first crop will give you a better quality of fruit than any you get in succeeding years. =~ “ae = + < THE BLACK RASPBERRY. 49 _ Mr. Brackett: Do you raise two crops after setting them - out? Mr. Hopkins: We raise only one crop. Mr. West: What do you do with them? Mr. Hopkins: We throw them away. Mr. A. J. Philips: Four years ago at Lake Okabena I found _ some black raspberries that I thought were bearing very early, and I took some up, and when I came home I propagated them and compared them with the berries at Sparta, and they were - seven days earlier than Mr. Thayer's. We had no name for _ them. I would like to know if there is anyone here who has _ fruited it and how they like it. i Mr. Harris: It came from the Ozark Mountains. It is an ex- cellent fruit and gives a longer season of bearing. I have five ¥ : - orsix plants. J know they bore heavily this last year, and it . _ is very productive, but the fruit is very soft. Pres. Underwood: I think Mr. Hopkins is now ready to re- _ port the yield of his raspberries. . Mr. Hopkins: An acre yielded about 1800 quarts. We had a very severe drouth last year which cut off the crop some. 7 Mr. Brackett: That gentleman has been speaking about his 4 blackcaps, and I would simply like to ask a question. What raspberries and blackberries would the members suggest _ staking. Staking is quite an expensive feature, and such vari- eties as the Marlborough want staking the same as some of the E leading reds and blackcaps. Now, I would like to know what _ varieties of blackcaps it would pay to stake. “ Mr. Harris: There are two objects in staking. The first : object in staking raspberries is to get them compact, so we can work them both ways with the horse, and the second object is to keep them clean. Take the blackcap raspberry, for instance; if it sprawls out a foot on either side you cannot get a horse _ through. whereas, if they are staked and tied up ina compact _ mass, it leaves space for a horse to pass through. There are two objects in cultivating with a horse: it is more economical _ than to cultivate by hand, and it is much better; so we stake them to save another expense of hand cultivation. I think it is cheaper to stake and tie them than to cultivate them by hand. Three years ago they were so thick we could not get through with the horse. We staked them and the expense was consid- erable, but then we could cultivate them. Some varieties must be staked. Take some of the red ones, the Marlborough, for instance; if it is not staked and a rain comes along when the a Sade. ee ee > Ajlson & 50 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. berries are ripe, the berries get so full of dirt they are not fit for the market. We tried mulching and that is very satis- factory, and we tried staking and we like that plan better. Pres. Underwood: Your answer would be, Mr. Hopkins, that it would not pay to stake any variety. Mr. Hopkins: No, sir; I would not stake them. Pres. Underwood: Has any one else an answer to that question? Mr. Harris: There is another point brought out there in his cultivation. If the plants were properly taken care of, I do not believe in going through but once until the plants leave out. We have wire on each side of the rows, and used that for three years, but that is only on two varieties, but we shall use it after this on the Nemaha and Schaffer. We are going to use wire or something else. We cut back a little more on blackcaps than on red raspberries. Pres. Underwood: Is it not better to use wire than stakes? Mr. Harris: It is cheaper. Mr. Brackett: That was really my question. I meant stakes with wire on. Pres. Underwood: In my experience we have always put up our raspberries with wire, using two wires to the row, using low stakes and setting posts at the ends of the rows, simply using a light stake to hold up the wire, so it does not sag too much, interlacing the wire and bringing the raspberries up be- tween the wires and, crossing the wire each time. There may be some better way. That is what we want to find out here, and the very thing we are all interested inis to know whether it pays to use wire. I have ten acres of raspberries coming into bearing next year that we are going to stake up with wire as an experiment any way, and, so far as our experience has gone, I should think the wire was the best thing to use if you were going to use anything at all. I cannot see that it would make any difference with usas to the variety. Mr. Brackett: I should think you would want to stake the Marlboro. I suppose there are some varieties you would not find it necessary to stake? Mr. West: What would be objection to trimming them after fruiting? Mr. Hopkins: I would not think it would do any harm, al- though Mr. Lyon claims he killed a lot of his Philadelphia when he trimmed them in August at one time. I presume they stopped growing, and it killed them. eee - q . BLACK RASPBERRY. 51 THE Pres. Underwood: When would you pinch them? -_-Mr. Hopkins: I pinch them any time. i Mr. Harris: Ido not think the red raspberry should ever be pinched. : Mr. Wm. Turnbull: In speaking about planting raspberries so far apart I want to tell you a little experience. Iam an amateur and will not go into the details, but I went to work and set out a patch with little bits of plants, and I got them pretty close together, and when they grew next year they were all close together. One night friend Harris stopped at our house, and the first thing in the morning my wife asked - him to go to see the garden and the raspberry patch. _ When he got there, he justhe!d up his hands. ‘I never saw such acrop of raspberries in all mylife. And they are planted so close together. Ido not see howthat comes. I never saw suchacrop. Howisit?”’ Isaid my wife looked after everything, and thatis the way it comes. J have since planted them farther apart, and we have never had such a good crop. Mr. Harris: Mr. Turnbull is telling the pure facts about it. That is one reason why I am in favor of close planting. _ The variety he speaks of was the old Philadelphia, and it - looked as though there was a half bushel on every hill. Mr. Cutts: Has anyone ever seen a whitecap berry bearing to any extent? Someone brought me one last year. ; Mr. Smith: Itisa very hard, solid berry, andifany one buys them, they don’t want to buy them again. Mr. Harris: You can’t sell them in the market the second time. Mr. Smith: They are inferior in flavorand quality. They do not yield very early, and they are not good berries. . Mr. Harris: They are a sort of variation from the black- cap. Ihad some on my place, but it would not pay to grow them. All plants do not require yearly repotting; some need it twice or half a dozen times a year, as will be the case in growing plants from seeds or cuttings to blooming size. It is easy to find out when such plants need repotting. Spread the fingers of the left hand over the surface of the soil, and turn the pot top downward, rapping the rim sharply once or twice upon the edge of a bench or table. This will leave the mold of earth and roots upon your left hand, and if the roots are crowded they need a pot one size larger. Old specimen plants which do not need repotting should be topdressed yearly with well-decayed manure or rich earth. . : 52 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. MY FIGHT WITH THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. MRS. S. IRWIN, VINECROFT, EXCELSIOR, MINN. Had I chosen the subject of my paper, I should certainly not have called the infinitesimal creatures with whom I am expected to deal chiefly by a name of three syllables, but titled the smallest by one of as many letters—bug—and the largest by one of four letters— worm—for I have vainly tried to find some person who could boldly classify and properly name the little insect that has caused so much damage to our grapesin Minnesota. Allstyleit simply “aphis.” Well what is “aphis”? I turn to my little dictionary and read “a vine fretter,”’ or “plant louse.” Well, it certainly is the first, for it fretted all the leaves off my Delawares last season. “Plant louse” I find is a wingless, sucking insect. That definition does not fit my “vine fretter,” for it has wings, or something that answers the same pur- pose, something that enables it to pass rapidly from one row to another, and I have not yet determined how it gets all the life out of millions of leaves, leaving only the main fibers and stems to fall at their leisure. But I believe I was to give my experience, and, being a thorough Methodist and used to doing so, I can really handle my subject better in that way. I suppose the bugs were with usa long time before we noticed them in particular. So we went on through last season, dealing out Bordeaux mixture, though we did this on the homecepathic plan, as the entire summer was so dry that the earli- est doses fell off with the leaves. It was not until about three weeks before gathering time that we began to notice an unusual noise among the vines on approach and see numberless little flies flee before us. At first, we thought no especial harm could come to the vines so late in the season, but when the increase became so rapidly immense, and the leaves began to take on the somber hues of the frost king, we began to think fast and hard and talk, too, for that matter, enquiring of everybody we thought likely to know anything about it for a remedy and impressing upon every grape grower we met, the importance of making enquiry about them when among people from other sections of the country. No one except ourselves seemed to care much about the subject, and we almost concluded that we were fussing unnecessarily (you know women always do that), and we learned nothing. Our grapes hung and hung out in the blazing September sun upon branches browned and nearly bared, while the bugs played an incessant victorious march upon the dried leaves, and, at last, because the frost kindly held off, and there was really nuthing else to do, they ripened and the harvesters began their work, a silent, solemn crew, learning of necessity the lesson so hard for us all to remember, viz:—that there are times and places when we would fare better if we keep our mouths shut My grapes for some reason were not fly-specked as were many of my neighbors; I suppose because the leaves were not destroyed quite so rapidly. Just as we had finished our harvest, the long desired rain began to fall, and we buried our grapes in the mud. Almost with the first appearance of leaves this spring came indi- cations of bugs—very small indications, to be sure. Our glass did Y FIGHT WITH THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 53 not disclose eggs at all; we saw just a very small, white, furry something like a wee fairy ina blanket. In a few days the fur dis. appeared and an oblong package of a bluish green color lay in its place. Ina very short time we discovered that ithad eyes and long gauzy wings, but the wings seemed to be fastened tight to its body to the very tips, and the eyes looked idiotically at us as much as to say “Look if you like, don’t you see Iam tied hand and foot’? In a little while the wings were loosened and tiny feet appeared, upon which he blundered about the under side of the leaf, venturing to the very edge, but turning about again with the consciousness that he could go no farther. Our next visit found him arrayed in a very gay tennis suit of buff brown, very pretty, very becoming, but when we attempt to put our finger on him, he “isn’t there.’ He has an engagement with all his relations to dine upon our grape vines. Now what arewe going todoaboutit? Wehaveinour employ a man who should be better known to the horticultural world,a man who has practical ideas. When the fly season came, he said: “Why not catch these fellows with fly paper’? So we sent for some, and the druggist sent us the poisoned kind. We placed the roll upon the top pantry shelf, where it still remains. Then he suggested that the barrel of useless coal tar in the wagon shed might be utilized. So we took a barrel hoop, stretched muslin over it, attached a handle, smeared it with coal tar and proceeded to capture the enemy. Butthey were not of the kind that fall so easily into every trap, and when we gently shook the vines, they vacated for the next row. Sothis would not do. Our next experiment was to take eight laths, make two substantial frames, full lath size, cover with strong muslin and paint with tar. Two men would take these frames—on opposite sides of the rows, placing them as nearly together at the bottom as possible—then with a little cluster of the branches of some tree with the leaves still on them gently strike the vines with a downward movement. Thefirst results were astounding. Several times in each row, the workers were obliged to scrape off the enor- mous collection of insects and paint over again. This was kept up, the bugs all the while rapidly decreasing, until the harvest came on, which proved very satisfactory, as we took from my vines just four thousand baskets. I wish I might add in story fashion, that the enemy were completely routed and that next year I expected to reap even a larger reward for this season’s labor. But I cannot, for the enemy still camp upon my premises, and not knowing his ability for furnishing recruits I can only await developments. I will just add a few observations along this line before leaving it. First, that the insects do not seem so plentiful on the grape vines on bright days as on cloudy ones, and it is useless to try and catch them except on dark days or after sundown. Second, like the man who “sowed tares,” they seem to be open for business through the entire nightseason. Third, that they prefer delicate grapes. My Pockington, Prentiss and Duchess were almost ruined, bearing only about one-fourth of a crop. The secretary said I was not to limit myself to grapes but speak of berries and their enemies too, but my paper is too long already a 54 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY I was told by a man supposed to be very learned in these things that every enemy to fruit had its parasites and that no one bug or worm was likely to be troublesome more than three years at a set- ting. Well,it is a comfort to know that something is sure to “get even” with them. But, meantime, I do not propose to keep on plant- ing and then sit tamely by and watch these creatures eat up my labor, while the parasites are coming, if I can helpit. So I would like to know if there is any way of heading off the raspberry borer in my Cuthberts, the kind that goes in backward with a gimlet at- tachment to his tail; or how to cope with the blackcap trouble, the one that causes the berries when just out of bloom to turn dry and hard as pebbles; the best remedy for currant caterpillar, and when applied; also, if anything besides kerosene emulsion has been used for plant lice on currants, apples and plums. The emulsion has proved useless in every instance in which I have triedit. Orin all these things is Bob Burdett’s doctrine orthodox, “to raise weeds plentifully all through your fruit and spray them abundantly with the insecticides, thus inducing the insects to leave the fruit and fatten on their favorite diet!” STRAWBERRY CULTURE. R. J. COE, FORT ATKINSON, WIS. Henry Ward Beecher once said: “Doubtless God could have made a better berry than the strawberry, but he never did.” And that is the sentiment of every one who grows them himself and can have them in all their delicious freshness and beauty. That this is also the sentiment of those who live in the cities isabundantly — proved by the great quantities that are grown and marketed each season. I think it safe to say that more strawberries are put on the market every year than all the other small fruits together. If this | is true, it behooves us as horticulturists to put a little thought on how to grow the best crop of such varieties as will find a ready sale at the highest market price and that at the least expense. AS a rule, it is the largest crop that costs the least per quart to produce, Let us consider briefly, first, the soil and its preparation. We very often hear it said, that any land that will produce good corn is all right for strawberries, which is very true, but I would prefer a soil somewhat more moist than the ideal corn land. In preparing land for strawberries, begin, if possible, the year before planting, by manuring heavily and planting to some hard crop that can be taken off early. As soon as September Ist, plow and sow to rye, using plenty of seed, say two or two and one-half bushels per acre. This protects from loss of fertility. Plow in spring as early as the land gets dry enough to plow up fine and mellow. Immediately after plow- ing harrow very thoroughly, five or six times at least, and thereafter every few days until planting time. This, with the spring rains, puts the ground in the best condition for planting, being both fine and firm. A little extra work done before planting will more than pay. Land so treated will stand drouth much better than in any = <0) bes ; nie STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 55 other way that I have been able to prepare it. Don’t plant straw- berries after strawberries, unless you are willing to take a partial crop where you should geta full one. The first crop seems to so take certain elements from the soil that the plants will be small and weak, and such plants cannot produce a heavy crop. In fact, you have lost nearly or quite half the crop before you fairly begin. PLANTS AND THEIR PREPARATION. And right here another “don’t” comes in. Don’t ever take plants from a bed that has borne fruit, for even though you may get young plants, they were grown from plants that had just been weakened by producing the crop of fruit and are not as strong and full of vigor as plants from a new bed would be. Don’t even take plants from between the rows of a new bed, because these plants are small and immature, and cannot possibly make as strong, vigorous fruiting beds as larger, riper plants would do. I have laida good deal of stress upon getting only good plants to start with, because, to my mind, success depends very largely upon getting started right. It is only by having the very best plants, that the largest crops can be grown. No man ever yet suc- ceeded in growing a heavy crop, unless he had good plants to do it with. Have your plants dug two or three days before you want to use them. Plants dug and putin a good cool cellar, spread out in thin layers, with the roots kept moist and well covered with an old blanket or something of that sort, will throw out little white thread- like rootlets, and when properly planted will not wilt but will start to grow at once, while the plant that is dug and immediately planted will wilt and stand still for several days, unless the weather is very favorable at that time. A still better way, but a little more work, is to spread them in thin layers, with a little soil between the layers, until the rootlets show, usually about three days. I find that most people who have strawberry plants shipped to them think they must get them in the ground just as soon as pos- sible. I think the above treatment is even more important with such plants than with those freshly dug. I remember a few years ago we had a thousand plants of a new variety shipped to us, which arrived in very poor condition and looked as if at least one-half of them were dead. The bunches were opened and thoroughly wet. The plants were then heeled in, in thin layers and covered about four inches with marsh hay. At the end of a week they were planted in the field, and almost every plant grew and made a very nice growth. PLANTING. Make the rows three and one-half feet apart and be particular to _ get them straight. In planting, take pains to get every plant on the line, so that in cultivating youcan get up close to the row and leave but little to do with the hoe. Horse work is cheaper and so far as it can be used is so much better than hand labor, that we aim to do everything possible with horse and cultivator. In planting be par- ticular to get your plants in the ground as firm as_ possible. 56 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Neglect on this point often causes very serious loss. We have tried a good many ways of planting, but have found nothing that suits us quite so well as a good dibble. In using this dibble we thrust it into the soil the full length, crowding it forward so that the top of the hole is about two inches wide. Have your plants with the roots well moistened, and as you pick up a plant spread the roots out somewhat fan-shaped, and place it in the hole with the crown just even with thesurface. Now shove in your dibble about two inches from the hole, giving it such aslant that the point will be very close to the bottom of the hole, and crowd it upto the plant firmly. This gets the soilin close contact with the roots their entire length and puts the plant in the best possible condition to grow and thrive from the start. CULTIVATION. Cultivate and hoe immediately after planting to get the surface fine and mellow,and cultivate once a week to keep itso. Ifit should rain after cultivating, cultivate again as soon as the ground is in good condition to work, the object being to never let a crust form, but to have the surface always fine and loose. Keep all blossoms picked the first season. Treat all runners as weeds the first one or two hoeings, so as to let the plant get well established before making any new plants. Then, when the runners are allowed to grow, they will grow very rapidly and will make large thrifty plants. I have noticed in digging plants in the summer that the first plant from the parent plant would be much smaller and have less roots than the second or any other one on that runner. If the first run- ners are cut off all the plants will be strong ones. The ideal straw- berry row is 18 to 20 inches wide with the plants not too thick in the row, and when you get it the width you want it, treat all runners as weeds again. Weaim to make the plants grow as fast as possible the fore part of the season, and get our row as wide as we want it just as soon as we possibly can. The strawberry plant is always making an effort in two directions to reproduce itself; first, by means of the runners, and thus making new plants; and second, by means of the fruit and seeds. By cut- ting off the runners, the energy of the plant which was put into the growth of new plants, will go to the development of strong fruit buds. I have seen a single Wilson plant with all runners kept off that could hardly be covered with a half-bushel measure, and a whole acre of them that averaged a quart of berries to the plant. WINTER PROTECTION. As soon as the ground freezes hard enough to drive on with a team and wagon, cover lightly just enough to hide the plants from sight. In the spring,as soon as plants start to grow, go over the bed frequently to see that the mulch is noton too thick. If you find the plants getting white and spindling remove a part, working it between the rows, leaving it thin enough over the row for the plants to grow up through readily. SECOND CROP. If it is decided to grow a crop the second year, mow the plants off close to the ground as soon as the fruit is all harvested. If your s - as -- Christmas Lake, one mile south-east of Excelsior, one of the grape growing centers about Lake Minnetonka The residence of Mrs. S. Erwin appears at the left, her vineyard lying between the house and the lake, Py ee DISCUSSION ON STRAWBERRIES. strawberry bed is so situated that you can burn it off without danger to other crops or buildings, loosen up the mulch and after two or three days drying set fire toit on the windward side so that it will burn quickly. This destroys all insects and fungus growths, if there are any, and leaves the old bed in the best condition to work out and makeinto a new one. Perhaps, justa word of caution would not be out of place right here. If the weather should be very dry just at this time, there might be some danger of injury to the plants, but I have never seen it if the work is done as soon as the berries are harvested, but I have never seen itif the work of burning was delayed for two or three weeks. If we are having plenty of rain we cultivate the bed at once after burning and narrow the rows down to about eight or ten inches in width. If very dry, we leave them wider, say twelve to fourteen inches. Keep free from weeds the Same as a new bed. DISCUSSION. President Underwood: This paper is now open for discuss- ion. Mr. A. H. Brackett: I got a larger crop this year from a bed that was burned over than I did from a new bed, consider- ably more. President Underwood: I do not think you can make any mistake in burning the bed off, and I do not think you need to be afraid of the drouth. A year ago last summer we burned a strawberry bed over, following the advice of Mr. Danforth, of Red Wing, perhaps the most successful grower of fine straw- ' berries in the state—at least, he is about the most successful compétitor at our summer meetings in showing fine fruit. A year ago last summer, as | said, we burned a bed over during the dryest time. We first put on a quantity of straw, and no bed could be more thoroughly burned over than that was. There was not a particle of rain, nor was there the slightest sign of anything growing on that bed for three or four weeks after it was burned. It must have been some time in Septem- ber before there was enough moisture in the air or in the ground to start the strawberries or anything else, growing. That bed came on, and without putting on a penny’s worth of care what- ever it was the best and most productive bed we had this year. We followed the same plan on five or six acres this year, and it was entirely successful. J feel certain that is the most eco- nomical and most successful way to treat an old bed. Mr. J. P. West: How often can that burning be repeated ? President Underwood: I hesitate to say. I know there are some growers of fruit that make it a practice to plant a new bed every year, and I hesitate to say that there is any better 58 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. way, because men may be successful in growing strawberries for market by using some other method, and I would not pre- tend to say whether you had better burn over your old bed or not. Our bed now is three years old and is in fine condition for fruiting next year if frost does not take the fruit. It gave us a goodcrop this year. I think, also, success depends a good deal on renewing the young plants occasionally. If you can plow out the rows and get some young plants, it would be well, because, I imagine, after three or four years the old plants would not give you as good fruit. Where the rows are plowed out, you can keep the rows successful for ten years. Ido not know that it is as profitable as to plant them every year. I think, probably, that men growing strawberries for the market, mak- jng that their business, would want to plant them at least every other year, if not every year, but I will say we have been ex- ceptionally successful in keeping them two years, and next year will be the third crop. Mr. ©. Wedge: I would like to have Mr. Underwood tell us how he set out those plants. Isaw a very fine stand of plants at his place. President Underwood: I have been corrected so much this past summer for telling about that strawberry bed and speak- ing about it as though it was my production, that I have to be very careful, although Mrs. Underwood is not here. It was Mrs. Underwood who did the fine work, the successful work. ~ I can speak, perhaps, more freely because it wasnotmy own. I think she has the finest five acres of strawberries I ever saw, planted on ground that had been cropped to small grain for five years. She had the ground harrowed over and smoothed in good condition for planting, marked the rows four feet apart— and as we always use a rope for marking we get the rows ab- solutely straight, as straight as you can shoot a gun. Then we use a planter, the ‘‘Baldridge,” a cut of which is shown in our magazine, and it is the finest thing for planting strawber- ries youcan possibly use. (Mr. Underwood here exhibited the instrument). Youcan set it to any depth you want it by means of a gaugeand thumbscrew. You have got to have goodsoil to use the planter in. Insoil where you can work it, it is a fine thing, indeed. You put the planter over a plant and press it down, then withdraw it with the plant and deposit the plant in a box. A man can do that very rapidly, almost as fast as he walks; he picks out the plant and sets it down in the box, and they are taken wherever you want to plant them. They take — a “r si ind soi ti «eo DISCUSSION ON STRAWBERRIES. 59 this to make the holes with, anda man can make the holes just as fastasthat. (lIllustrating.) We have shipped a good many plants taken up in that way. It is more expensive to take up plants in that manner than it is to dig them up in the ordin- ary way. Ido not believe there was ever a better five acres of strawberries grown than Mrs. Underwood had this year. How they will turn out next year, [do notknow. If we have a favor- able season, she ought to havea very fine crop. Mr. A J. Philips: Can you give an estimate of the cost of planting an acre in that way? President Underwood: No, I cannot. Mrs. Underwood would know toa cent. Mr. Wedge: How far apart do you put the plants? President Underwood: A foot apart in the row. Last spring we planted two rows of Warfield and one of Bederwood; the Bederwood ran out, and then she put in Captain Jack. War- field and Bederwood are her best plants for growing fruit, and then Crescent and Bederwood and Captain Jack, two rows pis- tilate and one staminate. If you can use this implement for strawberries, it will please you. Mr. Wedge: What is the name of it? Secretary Latham: Itis called the *‘Baldridge” planter. It was iliustrated in one of the numbers of our Horticulturist. Mr. Brackett: It does not work very well in clay soil. President Underwood: No, it works best in loose, mellow soil. Mr. Wedge: Will it work in very wet soil? President Underwood: You do not want to have your soil wet; you do not need it wet. Secretary Latham: Oneofthe gardeners down here at Fort Snelling tried itand was greatly pleased with it. President Underwood: They use machine planters now in putting in strawberries, and some of our Wisconsin friends can probably tell us how successful they are. I understand they use them at Sparta, but I am positive that there is nothing that can be used that will give as a good growth of full rows of strong plants as something of this kind. Mr. Brackett: Don’t you cut your late runners off? President Underwood: They grew so strong and vigorous c that they did not seem to want any help; they took care of _ themselves. Mr. Philips: Isaw this bed Mr. Underwood describes, and it isa pretty hard bed to beat. I would say in reference to 60 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. planting with the machine, at Sparta they have a machine, and they set out plants at the rate of about one acre a day. The beds will not average nearly as well as Mr. Underwood’s, but they are about as good as you find them anywhere. There is scarcely any re-planting necessary. Mr. Fisher and I fol- lowed the machine twice up and down the row, and we did not find asingle plant missing, and I know it would almost aver- age the same throughout the whole field. It waters the plants atthe same time. Every plant is watered as it is planted, and there is a roller that rolls them down, and they are set very firmly. The ground was prepared as Mr. Coe describes it. I think they went over it four times with the pulverizer—I call itthe ‘‘digger.”’ I think they went over it four times before planting, and then one team draws the water; it takes about seven barrels to the acre. One man drives the machine, two boys do the dropping and two girls get the plants ready. It did the work last year very finely. Mr. D. Cook: There is one point about the distance apart plants should be set I want to speak about. It strikes me we get a better stand if planted close together. It is generally recommended to plant strawberries two feet apart in the row. My experience has been, during those dry years, that it was better to set them close together. I set my plants eight inches to a foot apart and I got a good stand of plants. I would like to have that thing decided. Mr. Brackett: My plan is to set them two feet apart in the row, and I have got as nice a bed as can be seen anywhere, but Ihave cut the runners off three times; the Bubach and such varieties as make a slow growth, the most of them I have cut off three times. I cultivate them both ways with the horse. Mr. Coe: Our practice has been in regard to setting a cer- tain distance apart, to regulate that according to variety. We plant twice as many Wilsons as we do Warfield on the same area. Mr. Brackett: I accomplish that same end by having the rows close together. Mr. West: I have had on hand a disease of the strawberries. I have some strawberries that were affected with rust. I had about one thousand plants that looked very finely, but after the first frost came, when I was at home, it looked as though the frost had killed them. I was informed by every man who saw them that it was rust. It was caused by freezing and thawing afterwards. The land was cleared two years ago last spring; ll v9 gaa? MP Ping te, > < a) > ra oP | -s DISCUSSION ON STRAWBERRIES. 61 Eis She , hs fee 4 a * 3 - ‘4 ° _ it was very heavy, rich soil. I would like to hear something about it from some of those old strawberry growers who have - raised them for so many years. _ Mr. Kellogg, (Wisconsin): In Wisconsin we have some trouble with rust; some varieties are worse than others. The Bederwood is one of the good kinds that the rust does not af- _ fect, but there is hardly any variety that is exempt entirely. I _ have never tried the Bordeaux mixture. I believe it would be an effective remedy if put on early enough. The frost injured the foliage in May, until it almost ruined the whole plantation. _ I believe the best way to avoid rust is to plant those varieties _ thatare least liable to rust and keep working off those varieties _ that are not free from rust. The Van Deman has failed me _ now for three years. It has failed on account of the frost. We _ had two crops, but after that it was an entire failure and gave - us no return in fruit, and if you have a late frost you are going _ to lose it inspite of everything. Mr. West: I have the Parker Earle, but there is no differ- ence in the appearance of them. _ +Mr.Philips: Did the Bubach rust? Mr. West: It was just as bad as any. Mr. Harris: I believe it was nothing but the frost. Mr. Smith: I guess that is what itis; nothing but just the frost. Mr. West: I sent some to Mr. Kellogg, in Michigan, and he ’ said it was frost. He said there was no difference in appear- ance, they all looked as though the frost killed them. They _ looked just as they did when we uncovered them. They were as nice plants as I ever saw before the frost came. I was sur- prised to see the rust this fall. Mr. G. J. Kellogg: SinceI have been called out, I would like _ tosay a word about the best method of cultivating strawberries. I believe Breed’s Weeder with a man to follow with a hoe, will do the work of ten men. It will once in a while pull out a plant, but it will harrow in the row as carefully as you can do it _ with a garden rakeand do it just as well. Mr. Cutts: Do you remove any teeth? Mr. Kellogg: No, I let it shake right along. Mr. Wedge: Itdoes nicely on sandy soil. We hada Breed’s _ Weeder on our place for a good many years, butI do not be- lieve it is of much account on heavy soil. Oursisa heavy soil. _ One rain will compact the soil so the Weeder will hardly tickle it. ~~ v ie f 62 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. President Underwood: Has any one a remedy to suggest to Mr. West for strawberry rust? Mr. West: All the strawberries in my section are the same way. Mr. Danforth told me his looked just the same way mine did. Mr. Kellogg told me I might get a crop of berries, but he advised me to put on the Bordeoux mixture in the spring. Mr. Brackett: IfI talk too much some one pull me down. In regard to the frost, Iwas reading an article sometime ago in reference to a method used in France for preventing frost. The night you expect frost, take a kettle of coal tar and have a pan hung just below the kettle of tar, and puncture the pan with small holes: then start a drop or two and set fire to it, and that burning in the pan will dissolve the tar and that will make a continual fire and spread a cloud of smoke over the planta- tion which will keep off the frost. The article I read spoke as though they used ita good deal in France when they expected frost. If there is anything in it, I think it would be worth trying. Mr. C. L. Smith: ILread that article too. I putmy kettle of tar out and setit on fire, and it made a column of thick black smoke, and as near aSI can guess it was about two hundred feet high, just a straight black column of smoke, and I didn’t get a cloud, and the frost did kill them. (Laughter). Mr. S. D. Richardson: Ihad an experience in northern Illi- nois about four years ago. We expected a frost, and as there were plenty of old roots and stumps about we were up at three o'clock building fires. We had lots of fires through the orch- ard anda big smoke. There was a limb hanging out overhead and it was frozen solid, and I made up my mind when there is a heavy frostsmoke will nothelp matters worth a hill of beans. When it gets down to freezing in Minnesota, you may as well give it up. Mr. Smith: This year I had a lot of old stumps and grubs, and I nearly surrounded the orchard in order to get my smoke over it, and I piled on old slough grass that had been used for mulching. There was no wind and the smoke would go right straight up, and the frost came anyway and killed the straw- berries. ‘ ‘ a pi a ie a ee a i i ee ~ 2s ror we Pee eo eae; ale a Sa ae ee ee 3 ANNUAL ms oe MEETING MINN. FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 63 MINNESOTA STATE FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. OFFICERS FOR 1896. S. M. OWEN, Minneapolis, . - - - President. J. O. BARRETT, Brown’s Valley, - - Secretary. R. S. MACKINTOSH, St. Anthony Park, - - Treasurer. VICE-PRESIDENTS. First Congressional District, Wm. Somerville, - - Viola, Minn. Second i ‘ Alfred Terry - - Slayton, Minn. Third a “ Nab stand, = - Faribault, Minn. Fourth 2 c R.S. Mackintosh,St. Anthony Pk.,Minn. Fifth ~ Ls Wyman Elliot, - Minneapolis, Minn. Sixth * - H. B. Ayers, - - Carlton, Minn. Seventh as ae O. A. Th. Solem, - - Halstad, Minn. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. John H. Stevens, - - - - - - - Minneapolis, Minn. S. B. Green, - - - = . : - St. Anthony Park, Minn, Wm. R. Dobbyn - - - - - - - Minneapolis, Minn. J.S. Harris, : pe SO ee ee ee - LaCrescent, Minn. H.B.Ayers - = - . : : - - - Carlton, Minn. ANNUAL MEETING, MINNESOTA STATE FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, JAN. 14, 15, 1896, A. W. LATHAM. It was my privilege to attend this meeting on Wednesday, when the literary program was given, an unusual thing for me, as usually this society has met at the same time as the Horticultural Society, which prevented it; and it may not be my fortune to meet with them next year either, as I understand it to be their intention to arrange to meet then at the same time as the sister society, as heretofore. Secretary Barrett deserves much credit for the practical charac- ter of the interesting program prepared, which was carried out almost inits entirety. (Itis to be foundin the January HORTICUL- TURIST.) I will speak only of the papers that I heard read myself. Gen. C, C. Andrews read in an interesting way in regard to “The Prevention and Suppression of Forest Fires,’ showing somewhat in detail the methods that are being pursued in this important work. Mr. H. B. Ayers read a paper in regard to “The Uses of Stump Lands,” the 64 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. most important point in which, it seemed to me, had reference to the facility with which a further growth of pine may be maintained on such lands where they have been protected from fires. When burnt over, itis found very difficult and expensive growing pine there again. Mr. O. F. Brand gavea rough estimate of the probable value resulting from the preservation of our forests, giving some interesting figures showing the results in millions of dollars for a term of years. It wasa suggestive paper. Mr. L. R. Moyer read a paper reciting his observations in regard to the proper trees to plant on prairies. Like all of his productions, it was practical and thoughtful. Col. W. A. Jones spoke of the relation of the forests to our reservoirs. I did not hear much of this paper, but judge it to have been of value on account of the applause awarded it. Dr. Chas. H. Hewett, secretary of the State Board of Health, talked a short time in his usual lively and exhilarating way of the relation of for- estry to the public health. As he presented no paper, and there was no stenographer present, his remarks will not appear for publica- tion, as will probably all the papers. Some of these papers will find an appropriate place in THE HORTICULTURIST. Edward A. Beals, of the Weather Bureau, read a paper on “The Influence of Forests upon the Weather,” full of valuable details and figures. The amount of work he must have bestowed on this war- rants more publicity than it could receive from such a limited audience. Prof. W. M. Hays talked in his familiar way of “The Rela- tion of Forestry to Agriculture,’ and made numerous applications: Mr. D. R. McGinnis, of St. Paul, while not on the program, made an inspiring speech at the close of the session. Perhaps the most interesting feature of the meeting was a sug- gestion made by Capt. Judson N. Cross in regard to the state’s accepting the trusteeship of any forest lands that are tendered to it by the owners, with the understanding that after reimbursing itself for the expense attending their care and development the proceeds should go to the support of educational institutions, allowing, how- ever, for the payment of one-third of the net proceeds, for a limited time, to the owners of the land or their heirs. Ex-Governor John A. Pillsbury, who was present, intimated that there were a number who would like to avail themselves of such an opportunity to dispose of their pine lands. A committee was appointed to prepare a bill to present to the next legislature, embodying these ideas, the result of their deliberations to be made known to the public as soon as pos- sible. This committee has not yet been announced. This plan seems to present some very important features, not the least of which is that it would commit the state to the adoption of a thor- ough system of forestry, which would be necessary to carry out the trust assumed, and incidentally would affect the management and care of all the forests in the state. The result of the annual election is noted above. The attendance at this meeting was very small, altogether too small for such a pro- gram. It isto be regretted that more of those who are especially interested in this subject could not have been there. Half or more of those in attendance were members of the state horticultural society. a. 3 - NOTES FROM THE FARMERS INSTITUTE. 65 NOTES FROM THE FARMERS INSTITUTE. CLARENCE WEDGE, HORTICULTURAL LECTURER, While at Echo, in Yellow Medicine Co., through the kindness of Mr. C. H. Phillips, we had the pleasure of visiting one of the finest orchards of its size we have seen in the state. It is on the farm of Mr. Julius Frank, (P.O., Wood Lake) eight miles from Echo, and comprises about forty trees of our best old varieties, that have been planted seventeen years and have been very profitable. Two hun- dred dollars worth of fruit was sold from these trees in 1892, and they have borne one good crop since. The larger share of the trees are in perfect condition; those that are diseased have mainly become so through lack of protection from sunscald. We made the follow- ing notes: Twelve Duchess, some measuring 24 in. in girth, most of them looking very fine; one tree has borne eleven bushels ina single year; one Minnesota, trimmed 4 ft. high and leaning to the north in perfect condition, 24 in. in girth, very fruitful; one Transcendent, 32 in. in girth, perfect condition; one Whitney, 18 in. sunscalded; one Beecher’s Sweet, 20 in., perfect tree, good bearer; one Early Straw- berry, 25 in., good condition; another fine old Beecher’s Sweet, 32 in., perfect condition, spread of branches 2] feet. Takeitall through the orchard, there are few vacancies, and a grand good even lot of trees. When we consider that this orchard is located on the open prairie, 142 miles west of St. Paul,ona south slope, what a wonderful encour- agement it is to all in the south half of the state who desire a good home orchard! Mr. Frank has a fine grove on the north and west of the orchard, planted no doubt at about the same time, and many things about his place indicate that he possesses good horticul- tural sense. We were delighted to look over his grove ot an acre or more of thrifty white ash. The trees are planted about four feet each way and are nearly keeping up with the softer woods that are mixed with them. This fine ash grove will no doubt be a perma- nent monument to the good sense of the planter. While at Madison, Lac Qui Parle Co., within a few miles of the Dakota line, we were much pleased to find so many good thrifty shade trees planted about the village lots, among them healthy, bright looking trees of the Scotch pine, that pioneer of the evergreen tribe. Much of this pleasant state of things was said to be due to the fact that Mr. C. H. Siljan has established a good home nursery near the city. We heard only good words for this pioneer nursery- man, and were very sorry that we were not able to make his acquaintance or inspect his premises. While at Madison we also saw some thrifty young apple trees, and were told that a Mr. M. C. Chamberlain, of Lac Qui Parle, had suc- ceeded in raising several bushels of standard apples. In agrove on the Munson place near Clarkfield, we were pleased to find a mixture of ash and elm among the box elder and soft maple, that comprise the most of the grove, contrarv to the usual idea that ash is too slow a tree for the hurrying West. We found both ash and elm well up with the other trees. While at Morton, on the Minnesota river, we were interested in rambling over the granite cliffs near the quarries. We noticed the 66 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. wild red cherry and Juneberry growing quite commonamong the irregular fissures in the immense rocks. We were somewhat sur- prised to find on the very top of one of the highest and dryest of them a dwarf but healthy basswood. The rift in the rock from which it sprung could not have been more than six inches wide, and exposed as it was to the dry winds from all directions it did not seem possible for it to get moisture enough to last it from one rain to another. We think it not unlikely that the basswood would stand with the ash and elm as a drouth resister. We have noted the need of some shrub or bush that would spread rapidly for the purpose of making a forest floor for our prairie groves, something to grow between the trees after cultivation ceases, that will hold the leaves and snow, shade the soil and make natural forest conditions. We have been able to think of nothing better than the red varieties of raspberries, that propagate so rapid- ly by suckers. Can not some thoughtful member of our society suggest varieties and methods for carrying out this important branch of forestry? Near Gaylord we found an orchard that has been planted twelve years. The Duchess were in almost perfect condition, measuring twenty inches in girth; Tetofsky excellent, sixteen in., not very fruit- ful; Transcendent, thirty-one in., good condition; Wealthy, twenty- two in.,perfect, bearing one bushel per year. We learned from our landlord of several successful fruit gardens at some distance. THE WISCONSIN TRIAL ORCHARD. EXTRACT FROM REPORT BY SECRETARY PHILIPS. The state of Wisconsin having made an appropriation of $500 “for the purpose of locating and starting a trial orchard,” Secretary A. J. Philips and others have selected a location near Wausau, “on the farm of Mr. Edwin Single, who takes charge of the orchard subject to the direction of the officers of the state society. The lease runs twenty years or as long as the land is used for trial orchard pur- poses, rent to be $5 per acre each year as fast as the land is used, the amount of land to beten acres if desired by the society. All revenue from crops raised on land are to be paid to the state society treas- urer, after expenses are paid. The land is to be kept fenced by Mr. Single, and no stock allowed to run in the orchard. There are bear- ing trees of Duchess, Wealthy, Haas and No. 20 near Wausau and young trees in the vicinity are looking very well. The land is high and heavy clay and was once heavily timbered. Itlies nice, sloping a little tothe north. My idea isto set a few trees of each of our har- diest varieties each year for five to ten years, also to set some trees each year of a good variety for topworking, and work as soon as possible, also to plant some grafts each year of the same varieties, so that three distinct experiments will be going on at the same time on the same ground; and the trees should be staked and pro- tected when planted. Nurserymen of this and other Northern states are asked to contribute a few trees of anything new they desire to have tested, and notify the secretary of the Wisconsin society on or before April 1, 1896, when shipping directions will be sent.” The secretary’s address is West Salem, Wis. A Wolk ==) PF - . SOUTHERN MINN. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 67 SOUTHERN MINNESOTA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. SECRETARY'S REPORT, CLARENCE WEDGE. The third annual meeting of this society was convened in the court-house of the city of Austin, Dec. 20,1895. On account of the absence of the members who were on the program, the forenoon ses- sion was of an informal nature. Theafternoon business was opened by an interesting paper on “Growing Strawberries from a Farmer's Standpoint,” by J. Christgau, of Sutton. He had picked 325 boxes of strawberries from twenty-eight square rods, an old bed. Thinks that if some farmer in each neighborhood would raise plants for sale and keep them pure, it would help greatly in the matter of bringing about general success in the matter of growing a supply of home fruit; uses a harrow culitvator, as it can be run close to the plants and kills weeds when they are small. With a little fore- thought and care the farmer will find it profitable to raise his own small fruit, and certainly should not deprive his family of a luxury that is so easily within reach. Geo. H Prescott, of Albert Lea, gave hisexperience in irrigating strawberries. He had obtained good results from carrying water in pails from a shallow well and pouring it on the strawberry bed, and from this beginning in irrigation has erected a reservoir elevated above the level of the beds to be watered, which he fills by hand pump and distributes by hose. With thiscrude system of irrigation he has been able to raise as many as 4,420 boxes of strawberries from a measured acre, in a very unfavorable season, thus having so much of a monopoly of the market that he was able to dispose of his ber- ries at a fancy price. Mr. Patten, of Charles City, suggested as a protection from late spring frosts, planting hills of buckwheat about the 20th of July along the rows of plants. These hills of buckwheat will make a strong growth and a light fluffy cover for the plants in late spring time. The practice of burning off strawberry beds the second season was discussed and generally favored, although some beds were reported injured when covered with too thick a mulch when burned and allowed to burn too slowly. Edson Gaylord, of Nora Springs, la., compared the opposite meth- ods of Eastern and Western orchardists, recommended cool north- ern exposures and free circulation of air, advised all to avoid strang- ers in buying nursery stock. Topworking our more tender varie- ties on the Virginia crab or Hibernal apple will increase their hardi- ness and go far towards settling the apple question for the North: Mr. Hawkins, of Austin, has had little success in growing apples and thinks that much hinges on getting the proper root; has had excellent success by deep planting, by which process the trees are inclined to throw out hardy roots; has found the Hibernal the best tree he has planted. Mr. Patten thinks highly of the Shield’s crab as a stock for topworking; is of opinion that congeniality is one of the most important points to be considered in topworking. Con- siderable time was taken up on this subject. 68 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Mr. Gardner, of Osage, Ia.,in his paper on hardy fruits, accounted for the great variation in the experience of horticulturists by the difference in their soils, situations and environments; believes in thorough preparation for planting by deep plowing and subsoiling, using the varieties recommended by the state horticultural society, the reports of which deserve careful reading and study. There is no danger that any live member of the society will be “taken in” by the false representations of the “budded tree” and “model orchard” men. N. J. Johnson, of Austin, on “How to Grow Celery,” stated that growing celery on high ground costs more than it comes to. Manure is an important matter,and used in connection with bottom land and a good system of irrigation has proveda success with him, keeps the ground thoroughly soaked; prefers a very sandy soil to the usual black muck of the swamp—even clear sand with plenty of manure makes an excellent soil; finds difficulty in getting pure seed. Rev. C. D. Belden, in an interesting address on “My Father’s New England Orchard” said thatif an equal amount of care and vigi- lence was exercised in the orchards of the West as in the vast orchards of the East, we should come far nearer the perfect success we so much desire. He gave quite a minute account of the careful attention and cultivation which his father pursued in his manage- ment of his orchard of ten acres, whereby he was enabled to support and educate a large family wholly from the income derived from this source. Success in orcharding is no accident, but like suc- cess with other crops, the result of persistent, timely attention. Mr. H. L. Crane, of the Lake Minnetonka vineyard district, explained his method of training the vine and recommended the Delaware, Moore’s Early and Concord. The Agawam is the best of the Roger’s Hybrids. C. F. Gardner, of Osage, and Edson Gaylord, of Nora Springs, Ia., were here introduced as delegates from the Northeastern Iowa Horticultural Society. A paper on “Keeping Apples,” read by Clarence Wedge, of Albert Lea, advocated cold storage as a perfect method of keeping fall apples till midwinter, the cost being from ten to fifteen cents per barrel per month. The early winter varieties should not be placed in the cellar directly from the orchard, but are far more likely to keep well in a cool, clean outhouse until there is danger of freezing weather, when they may be removed to a cool, moist cellar. J. S. Harris in his list of best plums for Minnesota included Desota, Cheney, Rollingstone, Hawkeye, Wolf, Weaver, Forest Gardenand Ocheeda. “Orcharding for the Amateur,” by J.B. Mitch- ell, of Cresco, Ia., was especially va)uable for the farmers. Varie- tite uf apples from the South are, like Southern varieties of corn, adapted only to the South, Duchess and Hibernal are the two con- spicuously valuable varieties forthe North. A list which stands next in favor with himis: Bergamot, Lubsk Queen, Yellow Sweet and Watermelon. ; C. G. Patten in “The Nurseryman’s Influence in Horticulture” touched on the ethics of horticulture and gave valuable advice in ~—_—*.. = | | “te >< : LATE HINTS ON SMALL FRUITS. 69 the matter of care in the selection of men to sell the products of the nursery and honesty in the description and sale of novelties. E. H. S. Dartt, of Owatonna, read a paper on “Girdling to Produce Early Bearing.” Hehas used the saw, the knife and wire for the purpose of checking growth and inducing the formation of fruit buds; prefers the saw. Whole and piece-root grafting was dis-- cussed and the general verdict was expressed that piece-root graft- ing was far preferable for propagating the apple for Northern planting. Mr. Jensen, of Rose Creek, had had better success in growing the red than the black raspberry. He laid great stress upon the economy of planting small fruits in long rows so that they can be easily cul- tivated. Mr. Dartt advised against attempting too many varieties of fruits at the beginning—better undertake less and give each proper attention. The meeting was concluded by a paper from C, G. Dins- more, of Austin, giving valuable suggestions for growing small fruits and vegetables. The officers chosen for the ensuing year were: J. C. Hawkins, Austin, President; Jonathan Freeman, Austin, Vice- President; C. L. Hill, Albert Lea, Secretary; A. J. French, Austin, Executive Committee and Geo. H. Prescott, Albert Lea, Executive Committee. The membership fee was raised to $1.00 in order that the members might have the opportunity offered by the state society of receiving the magazine and premiums of that society. (Some of the papers referred to will be published later.—Secretary.) LATE HINTS ON SMALL FRUITS. Cc. L. SMITH, MINNEAPOLIS. Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: I will not attempt to cover in detail all the points that might be brought out in this subject, because all of the old members of the society have long recognized the fact that we find every year some- thing we did not know. We think, perhaps, we have mastered a subject, and the very next season we are confronted by something that we have never met with before, something that is entirely new tous. I have visited Mr. Hopkins’ place four or five times,and I have asked him every question I could think of, and yet the most important thing, to my mind, he brought out today was the fact that in covering his black raspberries he lays the canes down the way they bend. I don’t know whether you caught itor not. You may think it a small thing, but I have been covering raspberries longer in Minnesota than any one here. I think I was the first one to advocate that plan, but yet I have never caught on to the way of putting them down the way they naturally lean. Last year I was off chasing politics and let the other fellow do the work, and he broke off half the canes, but he was covering the canes just the way I told him to cover them, bending them all one way. Now, that is a great mistake-—and this is one of the latest things I have learned. I have four different varieties of raspberries, and every bush is covered now, and I either did it myself or saw it done,and I do not think I 70 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. broke a single cane this year, the first time I ever did it with somuch success, and all because we put the canes down the way they nat- urally lean. It cost me this year $7.50 per acre to cover my raspber- ries that way. The red raspberries I found we could lay down one way, but I became satisfied it was impracticable with black rasp- berries, and much better to lay them the way they would naturally go, some this way and some the other way, anda single hill would sometimes lean two, three or fourdifferent ways. This was the only way I could put down my Schaffer’s Colossal, by putting each par- ticular cane in its own direction. Ihave got them all down and have got them covered. I do not know of any work in the garden that pays so well for the amount of labor we put in as that work of covering raspberries. I have tried the plan of leaving one hill stand up straight and laying another hill down and covering it and I believe if a man can get back a profit of twenty-five per cent. on the money invested in a raspberry plantation without covering, it is not exaggeration to say he can get back one hundred pér cent. by covering. It pays; it is the most profitable work you put on your raspberry patch, putting them down for the winter. While I am on this subject of covering, I want to say there is another thing I learned last year. I watched Mr. Coe very carefully in what he said, and he prescribed exactly the customary routine, just what we read in the horticultural reports and papers, and just what has been said year after year, and that is, after the ground freezes hard enough soit will hold up a wagon, then mulch your strawberries. My strawberries were injured last year after it began to freeze and before it was frozen hard enough, before it was safe to put on the mulch for the winter; they were injured more at that time than at any time during the season. That was a year ago this fall. I thought I learned something again. Wehada few beans at the end of the strawberry patch; we threshed them out with poles and winnowed them with the wind, and the wind blew the chaff over the strawberries, and those were the best strawberries we had on the place this year. Then later I went into the woods with a big wagon box and raked up leaves and filled the wagon box,and then scattered them thinly over the strawberries, not enough to cover the plants out of sight, but just enough so there were a few leaves scattered all along the row; and, finally, about two weeks ago when I got ready to put hay over them, I had my strawberry plants in the finest con dition I ever saw them at that time of the year. The plants were all sound and good. Doubtless many of you have not taken the trouble to examine your strawberry plants when you got ready to mulch them. It freezes enough to seriously injure your plants before the ground will holdup a wagon. There were very few plants that were not injured by freezing. I havefound, in taking up strawberry plants at that season of the year, that there were a great many injured in the roots by that alternate freezing and thawing. Wecan prevent that by putting on a light mulching of cut straw, but I find it easier to get leaves. There were seven rows in my strawberry patch 120 feet long, and it took two men anda team four hours to gather leaves enough to cover that in good shape, so that I regard the expense of putting on this thin covering of leaves as about $6.00 ; ‘. A rh Sate *) lad ‘ LATE HINTS ON SMALL FRUITS. 71 per acre, as we ordinarily have to pay for labor, and I think that will pay. My strawberries went into winter quarters in the finest condition I ever saw. President Underwood: Is there any objection to covering before freezing? Mr. Smith: Yes, sir; I think there is a serious objection. I put four inches of slough hay over five or six feet of a strawberry row where there were strong healthy plants the 7th of October, the same time I put those leaves on, and in two weeks after I took a friend out and showed him the effects of it. The plants or leaves were all musty and rotten under the four inches of hay, but where we had put on the thin sprinkling of leaves they looked very fine—they were growing all the time—but where we had put on the four inches of hay they were spoiled. President Underwood: Why did you not wait until later? Mr. Smith: On that same day the plants that did not have leaves on were not looking so well as those which were covered with leaves. There was only a difference of a few feet between them. President Underwood: Why can’t you commence the latter part of October to mulch your strawberries, before severe weather comes on? Mr.Smith: As warm a November as we had this year, it would not do to put on straw or anything that lies close. Mr. Brackett: Is not four inches too much covering? Mr.Smith: I want about four inches of mulching around there next spring. It takes about four tons to cover an acre. Mr. A.J. Coe: You say it took two men four hours to cover that bed of strawberries, and at the same rate it would cost about $6.00 per acre. That was eight hours work for one man, and four hours for the team. They would have to work very cheap, a great deal cheaper than we could get the work done in Wisconsin. Mr. Smith: I give it to you simply for what it is worth. I think about that just as I did when I first began talking about covering raspberries. I think it would pay any one to lightly mulch the plants in October, and then later put on an extra mulch for the win- ter. That was my experience. I think I have learned that lesson. I have practiced it this year,and I am going to practice it next year. I have no strawberries injured by frost. I think it was about four years ago, in our horticultural meeting, some of the members _had solved the question of strawberry growing ata very large profit by growing them in reclaimed sloughs. They plowed it up, ditched it, but what would make a nice celery bed would not make a good strawberry bed. I have tried it, and [ have not had any strawberries on reclaimed sloughs. I have not found a way of preventing the frost from killing them. If you can get your berry patch on a side hill, do it every time. That is where we get the least frost. Not 72 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. down in a reclaimed slough, but along the slopes of a hill there is the least liability of frost. Can we prevent frost from killing the berries? Iam reading and experimenting a great deal. I tried the kettle of tar, and I tried the log heaps, and I tried wet hay. I can make smoke enough, but during the last three years at the time we had the frosts, there was no wind; the condition of the atmosphere was such that the smoke did not count. The smoke went right straight up inthe air. So far as making a cloud of smoke is concerned, that is all right, but it would not make a cloud, so I had to give up the idea of saving my strawberries with smoke. There is another way, which might be too costly,but I am going to try itjust the same. I want to look over the weather reports, and when they say there is going to be frost at nightI am going to cover before sundown all of my strawberries with slough hay. I have experimented a good deal, and all of my experiments have been a failure, except that when I covered them with the slough hay, just the same as I mulch them for winter exactly, the frost did not kill them. I may have to doit two or even three times, and supposing it does cost six to eight dollars each time, how many berries per acre would the frost have to kill in order to take out enough to pay for covering three or four times? The hay is on hand there now. We keep it there ready,so that if there is danger of frost we can begin after four o’clock in the afternoon and cover those berries all over before midnight. I cover them at night,and the next morning I uncover them, I believe it will pay. : Mr. Haggard: What slope would you prefer? Mr. Smith: I would take the north slope of the hill every time. I prefer the north or northeart slope of the hill for any kind of fruit. Mr. Brackett: How would it do for grapes? Mr.Smith: Iam not much ofa grape man;I cannot answer that; perhaps Mr. Latham can. Secretary Latham: Iwill not take up the time to go into this subject, but my best vineyard, the one from which I usu- ally take the premiums at the state fair, is on a northeast slope. Mr. Smith: I never did much with grapes, but I will know more about grapes after a while. In the matter of anthracnose, I have had very little experience withthat, but this is what I did do: Wher- ever I found any canes affected, not knowing what else to do, I simply dug up those hills and burned the vines. In one plat of Cuthberts, I had a strip about twenty feet in width and about forty- five feet long running through cornerwise, that was affected, and almost every cane was simply paralyzed withit. They set some ber- ries, but they did not get large, and dried up. I simply went in and broke up that whole piece, piled them up and burned them right there, and then I took good healthy canes from the plantation and set them right there, and they are just as healthy as any I have on the place. In my Schaffer’s Colossal I simply dug up the affected canes and burned them, and I have not seen any bad effect. % % j > NOMENCLATURE AND CATALOGUE. 73 In the matter of tying them up, I think the plan Mr. Underwood referred to of using wires is the best and cheapest and the most satisfactory. Some varieties do better without tying up than others. I have not been able to grow Schaffer’s Colossal without tieing. I go quite often on the market without saying anything to anybody, andI think my friend Hopkins can justly claim to get the best prices for berries of anybody who comes to the Minneapolis market, and for that reason I take a great deal of stock in his judgement as to the varieties to plant. There is one other item I want to refer to briefly, and if there ig time during the course of this meeting I want to talk about it a lit- tle further. Some of us grow berries for market, but the thousands and thousands of people of Minnesota who are interested in the work of this society do not grow fruit for market. I honestly believe there is a better way of growing strawberries for the family than is recommended by the market gardeners. I bave made experi- ments in that line, and sometime during the course of this meeting I want to talk about that. NOMENCLATURE AND CATALOGUE. J. S. HARRIS, LA CRESCENT. Fruits received for name since the late annual meeting: From M. Coffin, Bear Valley, Minn., one specimen, medium size, smooth, roundish, greenish-yellow with light blush cheek, flesh fine-grained, yellowish, subacid flavor, good. We pronounce it from the single specimen, with the stalk gone, to be one of the Rollins’ seedlings and, probably, the Rollins’ Pippin. The tree of this variety is uearly as hardy as the Wealthy, but too slow and shy a fruiter to be profitable for planting. Form E. M. Lewis, Kenyon, Minn., four samples, all past their best season, except No.2. No. 1isa large fruit—not able to identify it. No, 2is the Malinda, an excellent long-keeping apple, growing in favor. It has been described in previous reports, but for the bene- fit of new members we give it again. Size full medium; form ovate conical, slightly angular or five-sided; color when fully ripe, lemon- yellow, often with a pale blush cheek; stem medium, in a narrow deep cavity; calyx closed, in a medium deep narrow-ridged basin; flesh . fine, firm, yellow; flavor subacid,sweet; season Jan. to May. The tree as a root graft is slow in coming into bearing and should always be topworked upon some hardy stock like Hibernal or Virginia Crab No. 3 is the Wealthy, and No. 4 appears to be the Famense, and I should judge it was raised on a sucker or sprout of a tree that was killed to the ground in 1894-5, Mr. H. Knudson, of Springfield, has named his hybrid sand cherry the “Compass” cherry, by which name it is hereafter to be known as the name has been accepted by the committee on nomenclature. 74 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, A SIMPLE SUB-IRRIGATING PLANT. I have been experimenting in sub-irrigation during the past sea- son, and have constructed a simple plant which I finda success. I use common 3-inch drain tiling, laying them ten feet apart and » 4 ~ GROWING HUBBARD SQUASHES. 75 12 inches under ground. A 12-foot Gem windmill draws the water from a well 43 feet deep. Herewith is a simple diagram of a section of the plant. There are five rows of tiling in a section and five sec- tions in the plant. I can irrigate any section by pulling the plug at the place where the main pipe crosses the branch. I have not lacked for moisture at any time during the past season and have saved many times the cost of my plant. I have had many inquiries from gardeners who seem to be well pleased with the plan on account of its simplicity.—The Market Garden. GROWING HUBBARD SQUASHES. C. L, HILL, ALBERT LEA, MINN, The Hubbard squash takes kindly to our Minnesota soil,and under favorable conditions a large crop may be grown with no great out- lay of labor. When the soil is light, a good coat of manure plowed under is of great benefit. The planting should not be done until the soil is well warmed up; the squash is a tender plant, and never fully recovers from the effects of any serious backset. Several years ago I discarded the old system of planting in hills and never expect toresume it. Planting in drills is in every way more satisfactory, I have an adjustable corn-marker with three runners. I set this so it will mark rows four feet apart and mark off my field for squashes in long, straight rows. The marker goes about the right depth for the seed. When the ground is all marked off, a boy drops seed along the furrows, about a foot apart or less. The seed are then covered with a garden rake. This tool does good work, and with it the job may be done quickly. We plant only in every other furrow—that is, we plant one and skip one—so the squash rows stand eight feet apart. I would rather have them farther apart than less. At least twice as many seed are planted as we wish to have of plants. After the bug period has passed, the plants are thinned out so as to be about two feet apart Cultivation is done almost wholly with horses. The soil needs frequent stirring while the plants are small. The greater part of this cultivation may be done best with a section of the harrow. Ifa handle is fastened to the harrow, it may be guided so as to go close to the row of plants. My harrow section is five feet wide, and I go twice for every row. This knocks out the small weeds and keeps the surface soil in fine condition. As soon as the vines get a good start, on the run, so as to be in the way, the cultivation may cease. The rapid growth of vines soon covers the ground and prevents the further starting of weeds. The Hubbard squash is the standard winter variety. Itis of good quality and a good keeper. Even the green ones, if not too green, will ripen after they are harvested and become good for table use.— N. W. Weather and Crops. 76 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY BLACKBERRIES AT LAKE MINNETONKA. THOMAS REDPATH, LONG LAKE. I wish some one better qualified had been chosen to write this paper, but I will try and tell you how we grow “Blackberries at Minnetonka.” We plow the ground deep in the fall. I think sub- soiling would pay. After the ground is plowed, we mark out the rows eight feet apart; then we plow out two furrows where the rows are to be planted; in the furrows we put from four to six inches of well rotted manure and turn the two furrows back. When the ground is in good condition in the spring, we setout the plants three feet apart. The first year a rowof vegetables is grown between eachrow. Wecultivate every week from the time they are planted until Aug. 15, when all cultivation must cease in order to let the wood ripen before cold weather. About Oct. 20, we lay them down and cover them with earth, as all blackberries must have winter pro- tection in Minnesota. We uncover in the spring as soon as freezing weather is over and cultivate the same as the first year. They need no cutting back in the spring; let them bear all they will. As soonas picking is over, cut out the old wood close to the ground. The second fall the canes will have made a growth of seven or eight feet. Then we lay them down the same as the first fall, but instead of covering them all with earth, we only putenough on the ends to hold them down; then we cover them with marsh hay, straw or coarse manure, and when they are uncovered in the spring we put this mulching around the plants; it holds moisture, and blackberries like something decaying about them. This spring they must be wired. This is done by driving posts on each side of the row twenty feet apart; one wire on each side, three feet high, is enough. This year we may expect nearly a full crop—what we call a full crop is from $300 to $400 per acre. The varieties that do best here are Snyder, Stone’s Hardy and Ancient Briton. The first two are the most reliable. GETTING APPLES TO MARKET. SIDNEY CORP, HAMMOND, MINN. “T could have sent a few apples to the winter meeting, but knowing that most of the apples for exhibiting there had been in cold storage, and as mine had no advantage of this kind, or any extra care, I concluded not to send any. Besides, I am not in favor of showing apples at the winter meeting that have been in cold storage and think none should be exhibited but such as would keep under ordinary conditions, as it may induce people to plant trees of vari- eties that would prove very unsatisfactory. “My apples kept poorer this fall than ever before; I had them all gathered before I went to the fair,and when I got home I found them getting so ripe and soft, that I thought it would give me trouble to handle them. I had a standing offer for them at ninety cents per bushel cashif I would deliver them in good condition, but to do this and haul them fourteen miles in a wagon was diffi- cult, seeing they were mostly white apples that would show the smallest bruise. But I did it and delivered nine loads with perfect satisfaction in the following manner: I took sugar barrels and =— =" =» ] ¥ ' >» aa i 7 J s a 4 } 4 = first drove a fence staple into each side of the barrel just below the top hoop; I then filled the barrel to within a little of the top with apples, then spread a sack over the apples and filled the remainder of the barrel with grass or weeds, packing it in firmly and piling it above the top of the barrel. I then took an old barrel stave, tied one end down to the edge of the barrel, and springing the other end down tied it to the other staple, thus making a spring that held the apples firmly without bruising them. My experience this fall con- vinced me that Minnesota apples if properly handled, don’t have to go begging to market, for the demand outlasted my supply, although Rochester market was glutted with Southern apples at one dollar and fifty cents a barrel.” (We shall haveto try and convince Mr. Corp that noharm comes to any one from an exhibit of cold storage fruit, and the object lesson is worth a great deal to the faint hearted who have no faith in fruit growing in Minnesota. We want a full collection of his fine fruit at our next winter exhibit, which we hope will much surpass the last.—Sec’y.) FILLMORE COUNTY FRUIT GROWERS. R. PARKHILL, CHATFIELD, SECRETARY. A horticultural meeting was held on the 19th and 20th insts., at Squire Burleson’s office in Spring Valley. The meeting was called to order at 2:30 p.m., Thursday. D. K. Michener was elected chair- man, and R. Parkhill, sec’y. J. Marshall presided at the meetings Friday forenoon and afternoon, Mr, Michener not being able to be present. The attendance was not very large, but much interest and enthu- siasm was manifested by those present. C. G. Patten, Charles City, Lowa; O. F. Brand, Faribault, Minn; and C. F. Gardner, Osage, Iowa, professional horticulturists, were pres- ent and gave interesting addresses during the meetings. Wm. Somerville, of Viola, attended and gave very valuable assistance by practical talks to farmers on the varieties of the different fruits suited to this partof the state and the care and cultivation of the same. Healso spoke at some length of the large amount of money paid by the people of this state for Eastern apples, proving from his own experience that every farmer in southeastern Minnesota could, at very little trouble and expense, grow an abundance of fruit for his own use. A society was organized to be known as the “Fillmore County Hor- ticultural Society,” and the following were elected offlcers for the ensuing year: D. K, Michener, president; R. Parkhill, secretary and librarian; S. F. Leonard, treasurer; and an executive committee con- sisting of the president, secretary, treasurer and B. Taylor and H. Moon. It was decided to elect also one vice-president from each township in the county. Several of these were elected at the meeting, and the remainder will be elected at the next meeting of the society to be held at some convenient place in the county next February. A constitution and by-laws, somewhat similar to that of the state horticultural society, was adopted. Any person can become amem- ber by sending his name and fifty cents, the annual fee, to the secretary at Chatfield or the treasurer at Washington P. O. Your orner. PEACHES.—Mr. A. F. Collman, (Iowa,) committee of awards on peaches and pears at late annual meeting, said: “I examined the peaches and I pronounced them very good. I do not see why you should be discouraged in growing peaches when you can raise such fruit as is exhibited here. The pears are very nice, but they are a little past their season. I see no reason why you should be dis- couraged in growing those fruits.” A HORTICULTURAL CLUB was organized at Nimrod January Ist, 1896, called “The Nimrod Horticultural and Improvement Associa- tion.” There were eighteen members. The officers elected were: President, Mrs. M. L. Williams, - - Nimrod, Minn Vice-President, Mr. Elmer Raines, : = as a Treasurer, Mr. Pat. McCoy, = - : = if sf Secretary, Mrs. Dasie Morgan, - - - as ir Meetings to be held the first and third Wednesday of each month. Respectfully submitted, Mrs. DASIE MORGAN, Secretary. I see in the last number of the HORTICULTURIST the reporter makes me say in the discussion on “Fruit List,” just the opposite of what I did say. WhatI said was “the Stewart is the best currant in our section, and with such kinds as the Stewart, Victoria and Long Bunch Holland we did not have any use for the Red Dutch.” The published report reads: “Mr. Richardson:—In our part of the state the Red Dutch is ahead of anything else.” S. D. RICHARDSON. Winnebago City, Jan. 9, 1896. When the members get enthusiastic and several are trying to talk at once, as often happens, it is no wonder the reporter makes a few breaks.—SECRETARY. A NEW PLANT.—“I wish to inquire if any member of the society has tested the Poinciana Pulcherrima in Minnesota as a house plant, and if so how itis regarded. With us it is the most beautiful and satisfactory small tree we have. It grows to be eight or ten feet high. A nurseryman of Oneco says ofit: ‘A magnificent win- dow plant, combining the beauty of Mimosa leaves with gorgeous flowers; blooms continually on new growths.’ “By the way, trees were killed more extensively last winter than I ever knew them to be in Minnesota during the most severe winters of my residence there.” ‘ A. W. SIAS, Harbor View, Fla. a ee et. " Y. - YOUR CORNER. 79 SPECIMENS OF FRUITS WANTED.—“I have been on the committee on nomenclature for a number of years, and I have here a book con- taining descriptions of some two hundred varieties of fruit that have been grown in Minnesota. I want to get hold of everything new that is produced in the state, and | take an outline of it and make a description, and everything that I have ever reported in these reports | have in this book. When I get the book completed I ex- pect to have it printed and present it to the library of the horticul- tural society. I want the officers of the society to remember that the book is the property of the society, in my custody, except when I loan it to Prof. Green for the purpose of copying any description, and if anything should happen to me I want the officers of the society to secure that book and keepit. Now I have a request to make: If you haveany new fruit, any seedling fruit, I wish you would send me one or two specimens. One may bea little cankered and not good for anything, so it will be better to send two. The specimens of fruit should not be bruised, and the stems must be left on. It should be in as perfect a condition as possible.’”—Ex- tracts from reporter's notes of late annual meeting. J. S. HARRIS, La Crescent. A DESERVED HONOR. MINNESOTA HORTICULTURISTS ELECT MR. AMASA STEWART, A LIFE MEMBER. (Extract from a Texas paper.) At the recent annual meeting of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society, Amasa Stewart of Lamarque, Tex., was unanimously elected a life member of that organization. Mr.Stewart was one of the orig- inal members of that society. He originated the “Stewart currant,” now so famous in the Northwestern states; also the Stewart Sweet apple. Heis held in grateful remembrance by the horticulturists of Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota. He was the state treasurer of the Minnesota society for many years. Mr. Stewart is well known throughout this region of the coast country as one of the best authorities upon what can be successfully and profitably grown from coast soils. His extensive farm at La- marque has been made more or less of an experiment station by Mr. Stewart, and the results achieved have been of considerable value to the farmers for many miles around Lamarque The recognition by the Minnesota Horticultural Society is a graceful and deserved compliment.—Texas Coast News. The gooseberry is budded and grafted on the flowering currant, which is a higher growing bush than the gooseberry. Itis claimed by some that the fruit is superior in flavor, besides, it is quite orna- mental. ecretary’s (Yorner, ERRATUM.—A mistake in the financial report of the Secretary (see January number, page 15,) makes the expense of reporting the meet- ings $39.35. It should read $89.35. DELEGATE TO WISCONSIN.—Mr. E. H. S' Dartt, of Owatonna, was chosen by the annual meeting as delegate to the annual meeting of the Wisconsin society to be held early next month. We shall look for a report from him in the March number. STATE FAIR PREMIUMS.—The premiums on horticulture for the 1896 fair have been raised in the aggregate considerably. Fruits are increased about sixty dollars, flowers about forty dollars and vegetables sixty dollars. The premiums on county exhibits have been placed ata total of $700, an increase of $400, and this amount is to be divided proportionately amongst all the exhibitors, pro rata, depending upon the number of points of excellence each is awarded. ‘This seems a very wise plan and could well be tried in other departments. ANNUAL MEETING OF THE WISCONSIN SOCIETY.—The program of this meeting, to be held at Madison February 4, 5,6 and 7, is at hand. The meeting is to be held jointly with the State Agricultural Society, which will probably give them a rousing attendance, A wide range of subjects will be considered, not the least important of which is the plan to be pursued in operating the new orchard experiment station for which the state made an appropriation lately. We are interested to know how they are going to doit. We hope Mr, Darrt; who is our delegate, may not go alone from Minnesota. Who else will represent us there? MINNESOTA STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.—The annual meeting held January 14th, at St. Paul, was a very harmonious occasion. The president, Ed Weaver, of Mankato, and the vice presidents Wyman Elliot, of Minneapolis, and D. R. McGinnis, of St. Paul, were elected without opposition. On the executive board Mr. E. P. Wat- son, of Morris, was elected to succeed himself for the term of three years, and Mr. E. C. Cooley, of Duluth, took the place so long held by Hon. J. J. Furlong, of Austin. The complexion of the new board is, I believe, very satisfactory to the people of the state, who are plainly in favor of a clean and wholesome fair and a full recognition on an equal footing of all the important interests. Of course, we are especially pleased at the unanimous re-election of Mr. Elliot. The interests of horticulture will undoubtedly be fairly treated by this board. It has “many friends at court,” but not more than deserved. SOCIETY, TICULTURAL Hor < < Z Z = rs THE MEMBERS OF MEETING, ANNUAL THE TAKEN AT 4, Vile =e'e™= ? THE MINNESOTA HORTICULTURIST. VOL. 24. MARCH, 1806. NO. 3. THE ORCHARDS OF MINNESOTA IN AUGUST, 1895.— JOINT REPORT OF COMMITTEE. CLARENCE WEDGE, ALBERT LEA. PROF. S. B. GREEN, ST. ANTHONY PARK. (Read at the annual meeting, Dec. 6, 1895.) EXCELSIOR. Your committee began its work August 5th at the home grounds and young orchard of Peter M. Gideon, where, asin several other places, our work was hindered by heavy rains. His orchard is situ- ated ina clearing in hardwood timber, near Lake Minnetonka, on land of moderate elevation. The trees are about seven years old and were making a fair show of fruit. Considerable blight was present, as much as or more than in any other place we visited. The Florence crab was loaded heavily and seems to give promise of being an extra early bearer of a good general purpose crab for home use and early market. The Peter and the Wealthy were said by Mr. Gideon to be “right smart hard to tell apart.” It is doubtless a case where the seedling has so clearly reproduced the parent tree that there is little, if any, choice in the two kinds. Mr. Gideon thinks that the dark red crab shown at our fairs by Mr. Somerville and others, as “Gideon’s No. 6,” is most likely his “Mary.” Mr. Gideon’s peach orchard was, on account of the May freeze, carrying very little fruit, but the trees were in fair condition and many of them four or five inches in diam- eter of stem. It may not be generally known that Mr. Gideon has sold his old place, where the original Wealthy, Martha and other noted seedlings stood, and that his present orchard is a new plantation on a different spot. He informed us that the original Wealthy tree, or rather the sprouts from the same, were grubbed up by the parties to whom it was sold to make room for suburban improvements. WACONIA We next visited the orchard of Andrew Peterson, of Waconia. The location here is on land originally covered with hardwood tim- ber, in a region interspersed with small lakes. The soilis a reten- tive clay, and the slope and exposure decidedly southern, with a ~— SRE i yay - . 82 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY tendency to blight and sunscald. Of his planting previous to 1875, there is nothing now remaining but the Russian varieties,Hibernal, Charlamoff and Christmas, all of which are large fine trees in excel- lent health and prolific bearing. The other varieties noted below are of Jater planting. The Hibernal family, as he has it, under the three names of Hibernal, Lieby and Ostrekoff Glass, is looking ex- tremely well all over the orchard and is spoken of by Mr. Peterson as his most profitable variety. His four oldest trees fruited before and after the hard winter of 1884-5 and have never been seriously injured by the severe blight which has been so prevalent in this orchard. Their trunk circumference is something over two feet eight inches and their spread of top thirty feet. The Charlamoff, of which he has two trees, is looking equally well and is a regular and good bearer of what Mr. Peterson calls his choicest fruit. The Christmas is a tardy but good bearer of medium sized, red apples of good quality and a mid-winter keeper. The single tree which he has of this variety leans to the north and bas been injured by sunscald, but in every other respect is healthy and has never been subject to blight. This variety seems to deserve more attention than it has received. Of the younger trees, Bode (385) was bearing very early and heavily; fruit medium size, yellow, brisk acid, somewhat similarto Antonovka in flavor but smaller and nearly ripe at the time of our visit;tree hardy and particularly free from blight. Blushed Calville is more subject to blight than some varieties, but the trees are still in good condi_ tion and bearing such extra choice early apples that Mr. Peterson regards it very highly. The one tree of Patten’s Greening wasa very fine healthy specimen, an early and heavy bearer and esteemed by Mr. Peterson as among his best. Cross (413) is proving a good tree and a heavy bearer; fruit keeps better than Wealthy; trees were well loaded at the time of our visit and presented a fine appearance. Ostrekoff (4m) and Lead (3 m) were blighting very badly and appear unworthy of cultivation. Rambour, Queen, Grandmother and Rosy Repka are proving very tardy bearers. Komsk Reinette is bearing early and well, but the apple as we tasted it later at the fair was soft and insipid. Borovinka (245) is very similar to Duchess but a much better keeper. Anisim is an extremely heavy bearer and a choice though somewhat undersized apple; trees very free from blight and generally healthy, but two trees standing in a particularly dry soddy spot show signs of failing, probably on account of lack of moisture in the soil to supply the drain of such extreme fruitfulness. An old tree of the Minnesota crab is looking very healthy and is a profit- able bearer. Several trees of the Peerless were looking rather the worse from their habit of making a late fall growth, but were free from blight and showing a tendency to early bearing. On the whole, while the soil, general location and the good care this orchard re- ceives are in its favor, yet asit has long been known as a place where blight and sunscald were very prevalent and where all the old trees of Duchess had failed, we think the good behavior and present profitable condition of such a number of Russian varieties is greatly to the credit of that race of apples. These kinds that have stood well here are likely to at least resist blight elsewhere, and, as this THE ORCHARDS OF MINNESOTA. 83 orchard is situated in about the latitude of St. Paul, it should bea great encouragement to all orchardists south of that parallel. FARMINGTON. Our next exploration was in the direction of Farmington, by the way of Minneapolis and Ft. Snelling, using our bicycles. We noted on the road from Ft. Snelling south the almost total absence of any- thing like a good farm orchard in all the 25 miles, and it was a gen- uine pleasure to look over the fence three miles south of Farmington and see such a comfortable orchard of good old trees on the pleasant homestead of W. L. Parker. The Duchess here seems entirely healthy and the Tetofsky a good and profitable tree. The Hibernal was heavily loaded with its third consecutive heavy crop. The Minnesota crab, islarge, healthy and bearing well. The Virginia crab is a favorite a fine bearer; fruit generally larger than Transcendent, a better keeper and fully as salable. There is nothing in the loca- tion of this orchard that would seem to make it very favorable. It is on a rather level prairie and with slight protection except from natural groves at some distance. Mr. Parker’s success is doubtless largely due to persistent, intelligent planting of the best varieties. LAKE CITY. With considerable regret that we were unable to visit other orchards in the vicinity of Farmington, we left the highway and took the cars for Lake City, where we arrived late at night, but not too late to receive the cordial greeting of the president of our soci- ety. On the following day, we visited the orchards and grounds near the residence, which is situated on the bench below the bluffs of the river. One fine orchard of Duchess and Wealthy, which had arrived at profitable bearing age, has entirely failed onthis site, and the later plantings do not indicate that this is a favorable location, although old trees of several varieties of crabs and hybrids are standing in fair condition, Early Strawberry, Orange and Pickett’s Prolific among them. The latter is a fruit of good size and the tree exceedingly prolific. On this, their main nursery grounds, we noted a very fine and per- fect stand of spring set strawberries. They use a transplanting tool and plant quite closely in the row. We also observed the great beauty, hardiness and drouth-resisting qualities of juniper savin asa hedge plant. Itshould entirely supersede the arborvitae. In another part of the grounds on somewhat higher land sloping to the north, we were shown an orchard planted ten or twelve years, in asoil quite sandy and too dry for the best health of the trees. In this was a large variety of Russian and seedling trees coming into full bearing, but whose names were lost and many of which we were unable to identify. The Hibernal was there in superb health and heavily loaded, the Anisim was easy to identify with its tremendous load of rich red fruit, showing, however, some of the weakness found __ at Mr. Peterson’s place. Antonovka was a fine tree nearly free from , blight and no show of past injury from that cause. Yellow Trans- parent was blighting severely. A tree strongly resembling the Bode 4 84 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. found at Mr. Peterson’s was looking very fine, and an excellent crop had just been gathered from it. Some fifty trees of the Okabena situated on the lower and most sandy edge of the orchard were look- ing very healthy and bearing early and abundantly; the fruit aver- ages of fine size and high color and quality. This orchard abounded in interesting varieties, but the names being lost we were unable to make any report on them that would be of much value. We were next shown Mr. Underwood’s “bluff orchard,’ planted on the north slope and near the top ofa steep bluff. Although thetrees in this orchard have been quite recently planted and have as yet borne only specimen apples, we were impressed with their healthy, vigorous appearance and with the great promise that such locations give of being valuable, if not our best orchard sites. The land has never been broken up, as it is entirely too abrupt a slope for agricul- tural purposes, but the original forest has been cut down and the trees planted in large holes and kept well mulched, and with the natural cool, moist forest soil and the water and air drainage which the apple delights in, there is every reason to prophecy a grand future for this orchard. MINNESOTA CITY. A short visit to the interesting grounds of O.M. Lord, of Minnesota City, was our next move. Plums and stone fruits generally seem to be at home in this alluvial valley soil, but we also found.many vari- eties of apples, including some new seedlings, looking well, although blight has been severe in late years. The Rollingstone and Cheney are among Mr. Lord’s favorites, the former on account of its high quality and fine shipping character, the latter on account of its earliness, size and fine flavor. The Cotterell, Hall’s Peach, Comfort, Gaylord and many others are promising. Russian plums are decidely inferior in appearance and fruitfulness of trees to the best American varieties, although they may improve with age. Mr. Lord has a number of peach trees of several varieties that are in bearing and that look healthy and promising. The fruit, like most of the Minnesota grown peaches we have tasted, lacked in richness and flavor and does not give much encouragement to continue this somewhat expensive experiment. While the soil at this point appeared to be light, permanent moisture seems to be within easy reach of the roots of trees and plants, making it almost an ideal location for most fruits except the apple, for which it is lacking in elevation. LA CRESCENT. We arrived at the home of “our” Mr. Harris, of La Crescent, late in the evening of August 7th. We were expecting to spend the early morning hours of the next day in looking over his grounds, which are, perhaps, the most interesting of any experimental grounds in the state, but a heavy shower began very soon after daylight and our opportunity of doing any valuable work at this place was about spoiled. Theorchard here is situated on the lower slope of the bluff, which rises to the height of several hundred feet. The orchard and vineyard form a semicircle, enclosing a fruit and market garden of several acres. This arrangement takenin connection with the view THE ORCHARDS OF MINNESOTA, 85 of the river and the city of La Crosse in the distance, makes a highly artistic and beautiful home forthis pioneer of Western horticulture. We found several varieties of pears in full bearing; the Flemish Beauty in particular was arare sight. The Whitney apple is here a tardy bearer of inferior fruit, although the tree is quite healthy. ' The Utter, Price’s Sweet, Fameuse and Perry Russet were found in bearing, the latter a survivor of ’85. The Dartt was in heavy bearing, as isits habit here in alternate years. The Antonovka was looking well, blighting but little. Quite a number of Plumb Cider were in bearing. The Daisy apple, originating at the same place as the Okabena, was a fine upright tree, nearly free from blight and a full bearer of good fall fruit. The old orchard of Cheney plums, which was just ripening at the time of our visit, was a fine sight with its heavy load of bright red fruit. Mr. Harris calls it his most profita- ble plum. We ought not to omit a notice of some of the fine orna- mental and nut bearing trees which adorn the place. Both the sweet chestnut and shellbark hickory were in bearing, and several most perfect trees of white and Norway spruce were standing at least forty feet high. The location of this orchard appears to be quite favorable, and Mr. Harris is encouraged to start a new planta- tion still higher up the bluff. VIOLA. At noon of this same day, by the aid of our wheels, we took dinner with William Somerville of Viola. We were sorry to find that his fine orchard had recently been visited by a severe hailstorm, destroying a large share of a fine crop of apples. Ourattention was first called to the Sweet Russet crab, which is a fruit of good size, nearly as large as the Whitney and very choice to eat out of hand. The tree is healthy and hardy and highly valued by all who have tried itasa fruit for home use. Gideon’s No. 6(Mary?) is his best all around crab; very attractive rich red color and good size; tree hardy and perfect. Malinda top-worked on Transcendent about twenty years, was bearing heavily and, although severely injured ten years ago, is now in good health. Brett No.1(the large red apple) was a very perfect young tree bearing some fruit and highly thought of by Mr. Somerville. Juicy Burr appears to be a close rel- ative of the Hibernal, and all trees of that family were looking very healthy and proving early bearers. Zuzoff’s Winter was looking well, Longfield healthy and bearing well; Glass Green is of the Duchess family, but the fruit keeps a little better and the tree branches somewhat differently. Rollin’s Prolific is here quite healthy and one of the best keeping apples inthe orchard. Nearly all the trees of the Anis family are very healthy and extremely hardy, but shy bearers. The Russian Green seems to be an exception to this rule and bears heavily on alternate years. The Titus resembles the Tetofsky but is not suffi- ciently productive. Red Black is a healthy and prolific tree, bear- inga large, good fruit. Repka Malenka is a very fine, healthy tree bearing a true winter apple of good quality, a variety that Mr. Som- erville thinks is about the safest of the late keeping varieties for our climate. 7 86 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. We would not neglect to mention the famous orchard of fifty Duchess now over thirty-two years old, nearly every tree of which is still standing and promising to be useful for another generation; or the grand tree of the Transcendent which measures over five feet in girth of stem. Mr, Somerville is practicing a system of in-arch- ing, or connecting the opposite branches of natural forks with a living branch, and thus saving many valuable trees from danger of splitting down in this weak point. The connecting branch soon grows to a large size and makesa union of such strength that no strain of high winds or heavy fruiting will be likely to break it. The subsoil of this orchard isa retentive, yellow clay, underlaid with limestone ata depth of fifteen feet. The exposure is northern, and although quite sheltered has excellent air drainage from a ravine that starts from a spring not far from the lower edge of the orchard and which connects with deeper valleys. The spring indicates that the limestone is water-bearing and that the roots of the trees have not far to go for perpetual moisture. ROCHESTER. The orchards of R. C. Keel, on the old Jordan farm, near Roches- ter, were visited on the afternoon of the same day. We were much interested in an old jack pine, planted near the house. It was in good health and must have measured a foot in diameter of trunk, the only tree of its kind we have seen outside its native pineries. The trees of all kinds show the effects of the severe drouth of 1894 and that the high bluff upon which this farm is situated does not have as moist and retentive a soil as is desirable. A row of large white and Norway spruces was an interesting object lesson as to the relative ability of the two spruces to resist drouth, the former enduring far better than the latter, many of which were dead and all looking brown and parched. Here,as at Mr. Parker’s place, we found the Virginia crab much better liked than the Tran- scendent, Mr. Keel saying that it bears better, keeps better and takes better on the market, and he would plant ninety-nineVirginia, to one Transcendent. We noted one tree of the Virginia standing alone that had developed into magnificent proportions, the grandest tree of the apple kind we have seen in the West. Old trees of the Malinda top-worked on the Transcendent were in good condition and profitable bearers. Longfield on Orange crab were rather dwarf in appearance, but healthy and exceedingly prolific. Standing, as they were, in matted blue grass sod, the fruit is sometimes very small, especially in dry seasons. The Wealthy was killed to the ground in 1884, but is now bearing well from sprouts. The Gilbert is a variety that is quite promising at this place and also highly esteemed at Mr. Somerville’s; fruit is somewhat like Duchess but_ considerably later, and the variety is readily distinguishable from the Duchess inthe nursery. A large orchard of mature Duchess trees, planted rather closely, were affected almost ruinously by the drouth of 1894, although admirably mulched and altogether free from sod. It would seem that some artificial supply of water was in many cases almost a necessity for closely planted trees in dry ‘seasons when bearing a heavy crop. The orchards at this place, * eg aS » THE ORCHARDS OF MINNESOTA. e being very much scattered and occupying inirregular ordera large amount of ground, are difficult and expensive to care forin a thor_ ough manner. HAMMOND. We next had the pleasure of visiting the noble orchard of Sidney Corp, of Hammond. The main orchard at this place is situated on very elevated land sloping towards the east and well protected by natural groves on the south and west, somewhat protected on the north but entirely open to the east. Although on a high elevation in rather a broken country, a well nearthe orchard only sixteen feet deep has, up to the present, furnished an abundant supply of water, thus indicating that there is moisture presentinthe soil. But the magnificent health of the trees and the fine crop of large apples in the orchard spoke most eloquently of favorable conditions and good care. The trees are planted a rod apart each way, and while there is grass in part of the orchard it is all well mulched and enriched. As at Mr. Somerville’s place, the Anis family were exceedingly fine trees but unprofitable bearers; fruit of excellent quality but rather below medium size. Duchess unusually high trimmed but in per- fect health at twenty-eight years old. Autumn Streaked, twenty- two years old, an unprofitable bearer and bad blighter but a large handsome fruit. Five trees of McMahon, set twenty-two years, are fine, perfect trees in profitable bearing ten years. Wealthy looking very well are scattered here and there through the orchard, but, as we approached a tree of Brett No. 1,Mr. Corp remarked that this was, in his opinion, the best Minnesota seedling he had tried. The Giant Swaar is here a tardy but heavy bearer; White Pigeon a good tree bearing a particularly beautiful, early fruit of fine qual- ity. Several trees of the Avista were blighting badly, worse even than the Autumn Streaked; Hibernal, a perfect tree, bearing well. Mr. Corp showed us his tree of Anisim, twelve years set, as “his best Russian,” The tree is hardy, perfectly free from blight, a some- what tardy but exceedingly prolific bearer from the time it begins to bear; fruit nearly as dark as Hyslopin colorand keeps rather better than Wealthy. Some time after our visit, while at the state fair, Mr. Corp informed us that he picked over sixteen bushels from this single tree, which cannot measure more than six inches in diameter of stem. We noted a tree of Plumb Cider in bearing, also that the Early Strawberry crab was much prized. The glory of the orchard was, however, the grand apples of McMahon White, which hung in great profusion from trees that would be acredit to any Eastern orchard. This loca- tion is so evidently of the most favorable kind that it will not be safe to reason from the behavior of a variety here that it wil] be safe to plant it in the average orchard, even in this portion of the state. OWATONNA. It was but a few hours’ ride from this most favored place to one of the most trying locations in Southern Minnesota, the orchards of E. H.S. Dartt, of Owatonna, where we arrived justin time to have hy SES ™ > Raynes 88 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY our plans spoiled again by a heavy shower. The following day was devoted to looking over the orchards as well as the tree station which is under Mr. Dartt’s charge. The soil here is a retentive clay and the locations generally high with guod air drainage, the latter being one of Mr. Dartt’s well known hobbies. The Duchess is by far the most commonly planted but is not standing very perfectly as an old tree, sunscald and stem-weakness being very common. The trees have, however, been quite profitable, and Mr. Dartt has soldas high as 1,000 bushels in a single season, mainly Duchess. The Min- nesota crab is doing well, rather better than the Early Strawberry. The Greenwood crab is an extra hardy, extra early bearer, very free from blight, prolific, and fruit is of good size. The Whitney is a tardy and moderate bearer. The Dartt makes a fine orchard tree, very hardy and free from blight; fruit about the size or larger than the Whitney; a seedling of the Tetofsky. In the tree station orchard, the Hibernal is about the finest appear- ing tree and is bearing early; Avista blighting; Patten’s Greening bearing some very fine fruit, showing very little blight; Florence crab looking well, no blight, fruiting; Yellow Sweet a fine tree; Karly Strawberry crab blighting considerable. All the varieties men- tioned above after the Hibernal are young trees just beginning to fruit. We found the tree station kept in admirable order and the private orchards all cultivated and highly manured. The seedlings at the station nursery,were a remarkably even, fine looking lot, making a far more presentable appearance than the average Northern nursery of standard varieties. Careful record is kept of the position of the various varieties on trial and also of the parentage and location of a large share of the station seedlings. It is no flattery to report this work a credit to the state and one of the most valuable auxiliaries to Northern horticulture. WINNEBAGO CITY. Our next visits were made about two weeks later and occupied but one day’s time. We first looked over the nursery and experimental grounds of S. D. Richardson, of Winnebago City. While none of the orchard trees have been planted very long, and few have fruited, we were surprised to find such varieties as Rawle’s Genet and Iowa Blush in fair condition. Mr, Richardson received his Russian varie- ties from the Minnesota Central Station some years ago, and, while he happened to get a few good kinds, it was, like all sent out at that time, very far from a select lot of varieties. We noted the Peerless set several years and that it: was not of very promisiug hardiness. Mr. Richardson stated that it showed no indications of being har- dier than Rawle’s Genet. Crampton No.3 is avery promising crab and the Oligher seedlings seem worthy of quite general trial in our stations. The Mankato plum is a favorite, and trees of a Ger- man cherry are looking very healthy. The orchards about Winnebago City are in many respects the best we visited. The Holly orchard, about two miles north of the city comprises about one thousand trees, nearly all Wealthy; it was set about twenty years ago,and bore 150 bushels of apples the summer THE ORCHARDS OF MINNESOTA. 89 of 1885. The trees are generally in fine condition, showing excep- tionally healthy trunks for that variety and almost perfect freedom from blight. Nine hundred bushels of apples were sold from this orchard in 1893, bringing $1.00 per bushel on the trees; the follow- ing season 750 bushels were sold at seventy-five cents per bushel; the freeze of last May ruined this season’s crop. We noted one fine healthy tree of the Malinda in this orchard. Theorchard originally covered ten acres, but part was set in low, unfit land; a fire has run through a portion of it, and, having always been in the hands of a tenant, it has stood in blue grass sod, utterly without nurture or care. The number of old trees of this second hardy variety in per- fect health is certainly surprising. A half mile nearer the city is an orchard covering perhaps an acre, composed of Duchess, Wealthy, Minnesota and Haas, old trees in almost perfect condition, standing with very few vacant places. In the outskirts of the city is a small orchard belonging to lawyer Dunn, where old trees of the Wealthy are in the same fine condition as in the other orchards hereabouts and also good old trees of the Haas, Malinda and Perry Russet. FAIRMONT. After partaking of the kind hospitality of friend Richardson, we departed on our wheels for Fairmont, about twenty miles distant. Although we did not stop to make any examinations on our way, we noticed that there was an unusual number of comfortable orchards and gardens about the farmhouses. About a mile east of Fairmont, we stopped to view the orchard of F. S. Livermore. We found the trees bearing a very fine crop, having in some way escaped the freeze of May, and the show of fine healthy old trees of Tallman Sweet, Utters, Fameuse, Walbridge and Haas, besides the Duchess, Wealthy, Whitney and several seedlings, was a sight that very much astonished us. Cer- tainly, a remarkable collection of trees for this latitude. The loca- tion is but slightly elevated, the slope is gently to the south, and the site very closely sheltered on all sides. Everything in this section, including Faribault and Martin counties, indicates that it is a natu- ral orchard region, probably the best in the state. It is difficult to determine what should make it so, as the finest orchards, while not on low land, are not on particularly elevated sites and do not seem to be favored by any assignable circumstances in their surround- ings or care, and we seem drawn to the necessary conclusion that their success must be largely due to some favorable quality of the soil. ALBERT LEA. One member of the committee, S. B. Green, was much interested in looking over the grounds of the other member of the committee, that is, the grounds of Clarence Wedge of Albert Lea. These are situated about two miles from the depot, on rather high land, over- looking a lake thatis fast drying up. The fruit trees here are par- ticularly thrifty and promising. Most of the trees of bearing size have been planted about ten years, but some Duchess trees twenty 90 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. years old are vigorous and sound. The Wealthy does not seem to do as well here as farther west near Winnebago City. Mr. Wedge says that the Russian apple, Yellow Sweet, is a fine sweet fruit that ripens Augustist. The trees have been planted eight years and are sound and good. Itis a rather tardy bearer, Hibernal is here an early and heavy bearer, fruiting younger and more heavily than Wealthy, and is proving an excellent stock for top-working. The trees are eight years old and arein perfect con- dition. Charlamoff fruits regularly and younger than Duchess. The trees have been planted ten years and are sound, though they have blighted a very little. Malinda top-worked on Hibernal had here come into bearing, while the tree on which it is worked had not produced any fruit. Longfield seems to be perfectly at home here. The trees are in perfect condition and are early, regular and heavy bearers of excellent fruit. Repka Malenka makes a good tree and is standing well, but is not as hardy as Duchess. It has fruited sev- eral years; the fruit is small butkeeps all winter. Mr. Wedgethinks highly of it. McMahon White is doing well here. Russian Greenis here, as generally elsewhere, a light bearer though making a good tree. Antonovka fruits some but blights quite a little. Tetof- sky does well; Summer Lowland is a tardy and light bearer; so far Czar’s Thorn is doing fairly well; 4 M, whichis a green apple with a long stem, blights badly. Of plums, the Rockford, Stoddard and Blackhawk were bearing well. The Stoddard was received for the Rockford, which is the second similar case coming under our notice. Fhe white pine sun- scalds badly here, while the Scotch and dwarf Mugho pine are do- ing well. RICHLAND. The Miller place, at Richland, in Rice county, was visited by one member of the committee. Its location is high prairie, having re- tentive soil. The orchard is made up largely of seedlings. These are near the house and enclosed by a high windbreak on all sides, It was a great surprise to find so many very good seedlings in such a small compass. Most of the trees were well loaded with fruit. Notes were taken on fifteen different seedlings growing here. The original Peerless tree had a very heavy crop of fruit. It is, however, seriously injured by splitting in the crotches and is held together with a chain. : ‘ AITKIN. From Aitkin, which is almost due west from Duluth, one of the committee drove ten and rowed three miles to Bay Lake, which is situated between Bay and Faun Island lakes, and visited the home of Mr. Otto Wasserzicher, which is pleasautly located on heavy white pine and maple land, which is, ke believes, always good fruit land. There is much very excellent farming land in this vicinity and it can be bought very cheap, but the expense of clearing it is so great that itis not being taken up as fast as it deserves to be. There are some very good roads in this section and many that are very poor. Mr. Wasserzicher’s place is located on high land sloping to ‘ 4 THE ORCHARDS OF MINNESOTA. the north and south. He raises raspberries, strawberries, grapes, plums, currants, gooseberries, apples, cherries, etc. His raspberry bushes are unusually healthy and vigorous. The fruit from these he ships to Minneapolis, where they net him about 15 cents per quart. His grape vines are very thrifty and generally produce abundantly, but the blossoms were mostly killed by the late frosts last spring, so he had little fruit and this very late. However, from a Delaware vine growing against the house, he had on Sep- tember 16, the time of our visit, some very nice grapes, thoroughly ripened. He has quite a few Russian apples, trees that he received from Professor Budd, including Hibernal, Juicy Burr, Charlamoff, Steplianka, Prolific and 38 Vor. Most of these trees look exceedingly well, and a few of them have borne a little fruit. He also has October, Virginia, January and Florence. The Florence crab has been very productive, while several other Gideon seedlings have blighted badly. The Peerless trees, of which he had three, are all dead but one, and that is severely injured. He has recently put out quite a large planting of apples on a north slope, which at the time of our visit he was cultivating in corn. The four or more varieties of Russian cherries, which must have been planted four years, are very flourishing. He grows some seedling apples each year and takes great pleasure in the work. His Red Cloud seedling apple was exhibited at our last state fair and attracted much attention. The tree, however, seems inclined to blight. He has several kind of grapes, including Cottage, Delaware and Concord. His collection of plums embraced some Russians and named and unnamed native kinds. These are doing well, though his crop this year was nearly a failure. He had an extra good veg- etable garden in which was growing, among other things, some very fine Savoy cabbage. The home buildings are large and com- fortable and made oflogs. Surrounding the house was a nice lot of annual and perennial flowering plants that showed that some one loved and cared forthem. Take it allin all, this place showed plainly to your committee that we have rather overlooked the horti- cultural possibilities of the northeasterly part of this state. ; KIMBERLY. At Kimberly, twenty miles east of Aitkin, a member of your com- mittee had a very enjoyable visit with our friend, H. B. Ayres. In this section there are no graded roads and but little cleared land, and no fruit is raised, but large amounts of vegetables were pro- duced the past season. There is much ignorance here as well as elsewhere among the people of the northern part of this state in ‘regard to the varieties of fruit best adapted to their conditions. DULUTH. At Duluth we attended the St. Louis county fair, where the show of vegetables was particularly good. There were practically no apples or crabs in this exhibit, owing to the late frosts oflast spring. At the fair here a year ago, which a member of your committee vis- ited, there were several plates of good apples. The only show of ey ee 92 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. plums consisted of a plate of Green Gages that were grown in Du- luth. The show of cut flowers and decorative greenhouse plants was exceptionally good. In traveling through the woods in this section, the mountain ash was frequently seen growing wild and seemed to be well adapted to the prevailing conditions and was heavily loaded with fruit. It would seem that in any section where this tree does well some varieties of the best apples could be successfully grown. There was anabundance of water in N. E, Min- nesota last summer, and the streams and lakes were full at the time of our visit. LONG LAKE. The orchard formerly belonging to C. W. Gordon, at Long Lake Hennepin county, was visited by one member of this committee in company with Mr, A. H. Brackett. Itis located on high land, sloping mostly to the north. The land isa retentive clayey loam with clay subsoil. Many of the Duchess and crab trees are old, and some of them have died back and sprouted from the roots, but the sprouts are generally healthy and fruiting heavily. Among the younger trees, of which there are a large number, are Hibernal, Wealthy, Longfield and Duchess. These are all doing well and were fruiting heavily at the time of this visit. Large trees of Pride of Minneapo- lis and Virginia crabs were heavily loaded with fruit. Here asin some other places visited, the Virginia crab apples showed a zone of arussety color near the basin, which we think due to the late spring freeze. This orchard produced a large amount of apples this year and, if well cared for, bids fairto last for many years. SUMMARY. Although in making up this report we have endeavored to give the facts as far as possible so that each might draw his own conclu- sions, we presume thata summary embodying some of the opinions we have formed or had strengthened by our visits, might be of interest to the society. As regards orchard sites, it appears that river valleys, bottom lands or benches are the least desirable, being generally of an allu- vial sandy or gravelly nature, subject to severe drouth and conse- quent root injury and general debility of the trees; and in such loca- tions, especially if closely hemmed in, blight seems to be particu- larly prevalent. Elevated locations with a retentive subsoil and, if possible, veins of water within reach of the roots of the trees, seem to be most favorable. North slopes are best; even steep and bluffy hillsides of little or no value for agricultural purposes, if sloping to the north and possessing a clay or limestone subsoil, where forests. naturally thrive, are valuable orchard sites and should be more generally utilized for this purpose. We find orchards doing well in both open exposures and when closely sheltered, and think it likely that the matter of shelter may be of less importance than many suppose. As to varieties: We find the Hibernal quite generally planted and looking extremely well everywhere; itis doubtless even hardier THE ORCHARDS OF MINNESOTA. 93 than the Duchess and about as productive. Our society has made no mistake in recommending it. The Charlamoff has hada long trial and is proving so good in tree and fruit that it may be about time to place it on the list for general planting. The Anis family are in general very fine trees, but unprofitable bearers; the Russian Green may be an exception as to bearing. The Anisim is a tardy but extremely heavy bearer of choice fruit; the tree will need good care and rich ground in order to maintain its health when bearing such heavy crops. The Antonovka may not be as bad a blighter as has been supposed; it was looking quite well in a numberof places. Longfield was looking very fine everywhere; however, as there seem to he no trees old enough to have stood through our test winters, it may be well to plant it with caution. The Whitney, while looking well as a tree, seems quite variable in fruiting, and in some places ) is atardy and unsatisfactory bearer. The Malinda will doubtless be best as a top-worked tree, and the Repka Malenka being a much earlier bearer, an acid apple and rather hardier in tree, may be bet- ter as along keeper for the home orchard; it is rather too small a fruit for market. Ostrekoff (4M), Transparent and Avista blight too much to be worthy of further trial. Of the newer seedlings, Patten’s Greening, Okabena and Peerless are all very free from blight and inclined to early bearing; the lat- ter does not, however, ripen its wood well and shows strong indica- tions of lack of hardiness. Brett No. 1 seems to deserve more atten- tion than it has thus far received. Wedo not find the Russian varieties, as a class, any more subject to blight than the American, and, as a rule, they are of far superior hardiness. Of the crabs, the Virginia is proving of great value, and on account of its freedom from blight and the better keeping quality of the fruit should largely, if not entirely, supersede the Transcendent The Minnesota is doing extremely well everywhere. The Early Strawberry, Martha, Mary, Florence, Sweet Russet, Greenwood and several others appear to be quite safe varieties. We cannot but recognise the fact that such a report as this would be of far greater value if made after a series of hard winters had shown up the weak points of the large list of varieties now on trial in our state. Wealso could wish that we had beenable to take more time for our visits and made more thorough work of examination at each place. But, such as it is, we have endeavored to report without. fear or favor, and trust that the report may prove as valuable to the society as the examination was interesting and pleasurable to our- selves. Torenia Fournieri is a beautiful annual, being covered until late in the season with one mass of bloom. The flowers are large, and sky blue in color, dotted with three dark blue spots, and a yellow throat. T.Bailoni is a newer variety, bearing yellow flowers, with a brownish red throat. Mignonette Machet is decidedly the best of mignonettes. It is of a strong, bushy habit and bears large spikes of bloom, brick-red in color and deliciously fragrant. a y 94 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. APPLE TREES ON THEIR OWN ROOTS. JOHN NORDINE, LAKE CITY. ss For the past few years the cry of the intelligent buyer of hardy roses has been, “Give us roses on their own roots,” and today roses on their own roots will command a much higher price than budded roses. This cry for roses on their own roots leads us to the consid- eration of apple trees on their own roots. I think, to secure this re- sult, the best way is to make our grafts with a long scion on a short root. By along scion, I mean one that is six or seven inches long, while the root should be about three inches long. This makes a graft about nine inches long when ready for setting, and they should be planted deep enough to leave only about one- half inch above the surface. By planting in this manner, you get the union of the graft deep enough below the surface of the ground so that all circulation of air is prevented; besides, at that depth be- low the surface, the moisture is more evenly distributed, and this will cause the scion to throw outa system of fibrous roots above the union. (See figure No. 2). This leaves the young tree established almost wholly on its own roots. In this locality where the winters are so severe as to necessitate the planting of only the hardiest varieties, iron-clads, as they are commonly called, it is necessary to have the roots equally as hardy as the tops in order to prevent root-killing. The advantage of this getting our hardy iron-clad fruit trees on their own roots is that they are as hardy and calculated to resist as severe cold below the surface as above the ground. That is, the roots have the same-re- sisting power against cold as the tops, being, in fact, identical. Many nurserymen, particularly those of the East and South, do not fully understand and appreciate the importance of this, but graft or bud their apple trees on tender seedling stocks above the surface or with very short scions and long roots. When such trees are set in orchards with any part of the tender stocks above or near the surface, as they often are, the trees almost invariably die from root-killing. In this case the whole tree and even the entire orchard dies, notwithstanding the iron-clad variety of the trunk and limbs. That so many nurserymen in the milder sections refuse to recog- nize this important principle may be the cause of so great mortality in Eastern and Southern grown trees when transferred to our severe climate. Again, the commercial apple seedling sold for root grafting is usually grown from imported French crab apple seed. The variable and unknown character of these roots with regard to hardiness and vigor has been recognized for a long time by the more intelligent nurserymen who are making an earnest effort to render the growing of apple trees a success beyond the forty-fifth parallel. Owing to the high price of laborin the United States, it is impossible to se- cure selected apple seeds from matured samples of native apples, hence we are compelled to resort to some other method of obtaining hardy apple trees that will withstand the rigors of our climate. Individual effort may be successful in securing an orchard by top-grafting, but some other plan must be found to supply the c EXPLANATION OF PLATE, No. 1. Samples of young trees grown from roots grafts with short scion which have not rooted from the scion and have only the original root to depend on, and are very liable to root kill in this climate, o. 2. Samples grown from root grafts with long scions set deep enough in the ground so that roots have grown from the scion. Judging from these samples young trees that strike out roots from the sclon make a closer unton also with the root upon which it is grafted, as the union {ts not easily descerned in these as in No. 1. No. 3. This is a sample of a budded tree. When budded upon our common seed- lings they are liable to root kill whenever we have an open winter and but little snow. The sample shows a trace of black heart inthe root already, Again, the bud is neces- sarily inserted above the ground, thus leaving the less hardy stock exposed and sub- hay injury. There is no possibility of the scion putting out roots, and if the tree s injured so as to render it necessary to cut it back, it is absolutely worthless. All in- telligent horticulturists agree that budded apple trees are inferior to grafted trees where they are to be planted and grown in asevere cold climate These photographs are taken from genuine sample trees. 96 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. general buyer. The intelligent grower of nursery stock who would succeed in this latitude must give the closest attention to every de- tail of his business, from the selection of his roots and scions, the manner and method of union, to the growing, pruning and trans- planting of his trees, etc. As the result of much thought, close observation and many expe- riments, I am convinced that the scions should be selected and preserved with the utmost care, that the seedling roots should be grown as nearly as possible from seeds of hardy apples and that the use of a long scion and a short piece root will,in every instance, produce better results than the old practice as usually observed. By all means, use the long scion with a short piece root,and set the grafts in the ground to the top bud and give them thorough culti- tivation. The piece root willserve as a temporary support, whilst a root system is being developed upon the scion. As stated above, using a long scion insures getting the root down well into the ground where there is permanent moisture, hence, a much larger proportion of your grafts will live, and at the end of the usual three years in the nursery this piece of the seedling root is sometimes entirely absorbed or falls away of itself when the trees are dug. In this manner apple trees upon their own roots can be obtained. Even scions with three buds often emit roots, but the scions are not long enough toreach down into uniformly moist soil; and, again, there are some varieties which do not strike roots on the scion very freely, but the majority of the so-called iron-clads will do so if encouraged by favorable conditions. In securing our supply of apple seeds, we should be careful to get seed that is fresh, as that which is old or has been dried too much does not germinate readily but comes very unevenly and produces a weak and unhealthy seedling. We much prefer our native Amer- ican or the Russian seed; while it is not as cheap nor as free from foul stuff, we are satisfied we secure a much healthier root on which to place our scions. In conclusion, I would advise all intelligent growers of apple trees designed for the Northwest to give this method a thorough trial. Even though it costs more to grow trees in this manner, your suc- cess will more than repay the extra expenditure; and,again, I would advise all purchasers to buy trees on their own roots where it is possible to obtain them, even at an advanced cost. The result of my experience and observation has convinced me that Iam on the right track. Try it for yourself and be convinced also. DISCUSSION. Mr. A. J. Philips, (Wisconsin): You said nearly all of the ironclad varieties would grow readily. Are there any varieties that will not grow? Mr. Nordeen: There are some varieties found that will not throw out a root the first three years. Mr. Phillips: What varieties throw out roots first? Mr. Nordeen: The Duchess do the best. 4 a. Sie n Se we ee ee APPLE TREES ON THEIR OWN ROOTS. 97 Mr. Philips: Do the Tetofsky do it? Mr. Nordeen: The Tetofsky will throw out roots, too, but it is harder to get them to throw out roots. Mr. Philips: Are those grafts tied or wrapped with wax before you put the paper on? Mr. Nordeen: No, they are just wrapped with paper. Mr. E. H. S. Dartt: Ihave not a doubt but that a hardy tree onits own roots is better than a tree that is on a seedling root. I have made some cuttings from seedlings and have got some started. Those other trees might have been hardy if the roots had come from the scion, but if we take the root cuttings we are sure we have got it. Those I haveare very sure. I think that applies to plums with a greater force than it does to apples. A plum tree on its own roots is liable to throw out sprouts and suckers, and we can get a good lot of trees, whereas, if grafted on the wild root, the ground will become full of worthless sprouts. I am in favor of trees on their own roots if you can get them. Mrs. A.A. Kennedy: A while ago I had some trees budded on the Hibernal, and last spring they died from root-killing and weakness. When Mr. Wedge was at my place I pulled one up; it was a budded tree, budded on the Hibernal. We got all the old root system and the entire lower part of the root which had come from the root that had been grafted; those roots were entirely dead without exception, and the only roots sustaining the tree at all were three or four roots from the original graft. The small roots thrown out from the graft were alive and seem- ingly thrifty, but not enough to sustain the tree. These roots were near the surface of the ground, and if the tree had not become weakened by the action of the drouth they would not have suffered somuch. It struck me that with the Hibernal family, at least, if ithad had a largerroot and a year more time it would probably have had strength enough on its own stock to carry the thing through. Mr. Pond: How do you get your root cuttings to grow? Mr. Dartt: Well, we have an original plum tree to take the roots from, keep them until spring and then set them out. plums and apples both. Mr. Kennedy: Would you set them even with the surface of the ground? Mr. Dartt: I endeaver to leave mine just a little below the top of the ground. “"e 98 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Mr. Wedge: I would like to ask Mr. Nordeen what their practice is with apple trees in the nursery. Do you cut them back to the ground so as to get a straight trunk? Mr. Nordeen: Sometimes we cut them off to the ground. When we are short of scions we cut them clear down to get scions, and that does not seem to hurt them any. Mr. Wedge: What sort of tree do you get from that the sec- ond year? Mr. Nordeen: That depends upon the condition of the tree when it is cut back. If it isin a favorable condition, if you havea good season, you can make a pretty good tree out of that the second year. If you cut it back, it does not seem to get as strong a root. Mr. Wedge: Would you recommend that as a common prac- tice or not? Mr. Nordeen: I would not, because there are some winters when the weather is so cold and the ground freezes so hard that it disturbs those roots so that some of themare injured. I would not recommend cutting back the trees. Mr. G. J. Kellogg (Wisconsin): If it injured the stock, would it injure the tree? Mr. Nordeen: Not so much. Mr. Philips: How would it do to wait until spring to cut it? Mr. Nordeen: We never practice that. Mr. Wedge: You do not think there is much advantage in cutting back? Mr. Nordeen: No, not in this state. Mr. Philips: Don’t you think with the Hibernal and Long- field itis of advantage to cut back to have them grow straight? Mr. Nordeen: That may be true of those varieties; it may be of advantage to them. Mr. Harris: Don’t you think if you gave those Hibernal a long graft it would save their cutting off? Mr. Nordeen: We tried that one year. I made fifty grafts of the whole root, and selected some good roots and made fifty piece grafts, and we could not see any difference in them atall. Tn the fall I examined them both, and the piece roots had thrown out a nice system of roots, while the whole root had thrown out a weak root. Mr. Philips: Mr. Pearce said the tap root was the only root to grow the tree from. APPLE TREES ON THEIR OWN ROOTS. 99 Mr. Nordeen: I can’t see any difference. We make some- times three grafts from one root. We never seeany difference. I don’t think anybody can. Mr. Kellogg, (Wisconsin:) When you say the whole root, what do you mean? Mr. Nordeen: It is the whole root. Mr. Harris: I think the crown graft makes the better piece. Mr. Kellogg: Well, now, I know itdon’t. (Laughter). One year I tried it with the Northwestern Greening; I took the first section and three or four cuts, sufficient to try them. The fourth cuts did not come as well, but in the rest no one could tell the difference. Mr. Harris: Did they have as good feeding roots? Mr. Kellogg: Yes, sir. Mr. Dartt: I once grafted fifty of the ground grafts and tifty second cuts. I grafted them alike and set them, and they grew about the same; I could not see any appreciable difference in favor of the ground graft; the second cut was just as good as the first cut. . Mr. Nordeen: I think I know where Mr. Harris gets the idea of the first cut being the best one. It is the thickest portion of the root, and if I can put on a good sized scion it may make a larger growth the first season than the second cut would make, but at the end of the second season you could see no difference. President Underwood: If you weresetting grafts by the thou- sand, two, three hundred thousand, and putting a good deal of money in it too, you would see which was the most practicable. We have set them in large quantities, not fifty, but probably ten, fifteen or twenty thousand of short scions on long roots and long scions on short roots and tested them, and there is no appreciable difference. The short pieces will grow just as good trees as the long roots. A short root is just as good as a long one. Mr. Wedge: Could we not take a show of hands as to those who are in favor of the whole root and those in favor of piece root trees? Mr. Kellogg: I don’t see that that would do any good. Every one would doas he pleased anyway. Mr. Wedge: This is only to get the sentiment of those pres- ent who are interested in apple growing. I would like to see a show of hands as to what they prefer for our climate. 7 o 100 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. President Underwood: Mr. Wedge’s idea is this: There are certain nurserymen in the South who make a great advertising feature of the whole root and say that no trees grown on piece roots are worth setting out, and the idea is to find out whether you must have trees grafted on whole roots or piece roots. Mr. C. L. Smith: We had a report from Prof. Green and Mr. Wedge of their visit to the orchards of the state, and I was interested in two items of that report. One was in regard to some trees belonging to Sidney Corp that were thirty years old; and we had a paper by Mr. Bullis that mentioned a Tal- man Sweet twenty-eight years old. Those trees are in good bearing today, and they were grafted on little pieces of roots less than two inches long. I know that because I did the work myself. Mr. Wedge: I want to say in addition to what the president has said, that in our section of the country thousands of trees are sold, and they make that the general feature. A vote being taken, the members present declared them- selves unanimously in favor of trees grafted on piece roots. Mr. Wedge: I want the reporter to get that down straight, that this society was unanimously in favor of piece root grafted trees. Z A REMEDY FOR GRUBS, CUT WORMS, ETC.—There have been so many complaints of damage done by these pests during the past season that the experience I have had with them may be of service. Some years since I cut some flower beds in a lawn, which I planted with coleus and achyranthes, that started to grow finely for a month, when I noticed some began to flag. Upon examination I found them eaten nearly through and atthe root by large grubs. I tried several “sure cures” but without success. At last a friend recommended me to try a good coating of oyster shell lime. The plants were all taken up, and a thorough dressing forked in. The plants were reset, and in a very short time they made a splendid growth. In fact, the beds in which the lime was used far surpassed all the rest in growth and coloring,and when I mention the fact that I had 20,000 plants in beds and borders, it was a very good test. I have used oyster shell lime for pot plants, vegetable and, in fact, almost every crop, and have never seen a thing injured with grub or cut worm where it has been used. To my mind it is one of the best fertilizers one can use, and I have often wondered that it is not more generally manufactured and used. The shells can be had for the carting, andthe cost of building a kiln is comparatively trifling. —The Florists Exchange. PEACHES. 101 PEACHES. O, M. LORD, MINNESOTA CITY. In the spring of 1853, I wanted to plant some fruit trees where I now live. I had occasion to go to Galena and visited the fruit farm of Mr. Soulard, a very genial and intelligent man. Headvised me to try apple, cherry, pear and plum trees, “but,” said he, “ peach trees will not live up there. Whenever the mercury falls to 14° or 15° be- low zero Fah., they will be killed.” Remembering his advice, I considered it useless to try, as we are liable to much more severe cold. However, peach seed was fre- quently planted in this vicinity, and sometimes the trees made a fine growth, to be killed back every winter, and, of course, no fruit. The first one to meet with success, I believe, was Mr. P. M. Gideon, and his method has been published and illustrated till it is generally known to all who care to inquire. In the spring of 1884, the Jewell Nursery Company sent me two Hale’s Early peach trees, which I set out, and both grew but winter killed. In cutting backI saved some scions and crown-grafted into plum roots. These grew readily and finely, and the third year blossomed and produced some fruit. These trees were accidentally killed. The next venture was with one dozen trees from Savannah, Mo., Hale’s Early, Old Mixon and Waterloo. Mr. Frazee furnished me with a description of his method, which was’ to place a board or flat stone under the roots and place the roots in such a shape as to make them grow over one edge of the board, so that by removing some of the dirt the trees could be bent over and covered for the winter. I did as directed but covered the trees with dirt and killed them, as they never exhibited any signs of life. Had I protected the roots with dirt and tops with straw or hay, I presume they would have lived, as since then I have sometimes thrown a little dirt on the tops of the trees, which it invariably kills wherever it comes in immedi- ate contact. Attempts have been made in this vicinity to protect the trees by binding with straw or hay or by placing cornstalks about them, but without much success. As I knew but little about peach culture except by reading, I was underthe impression that our seasons were not long enough for them to ripen. I therefore wrote Mr. Kerr, of Denton, Maryland, to send mea few trees of the earliest peaches. He sent three varieties one year from the bud, Early Rivers, John Haas and Elberta. The third year after setting, they bore finely, though we were visited by some frosts late in May. The Early Rivers were ripe the first week in August, the John Haas about the middle of August and the Elberta the first week in Sep- tember. These trees were planted rather deeply ona sandy soil, with care to place the longer roots lengthwise of the row with the intention of bending them over crosswise to cover for the winter. In setting trees in the future, I would set further apart in the row and place the longer roots crosswise, so as to bend the trees length- wise of the row. To lay them down, I first put sufficient straw in a small pile to keep the tops from the ground, and dig down beside the stem, cutting any roots that may be in the way, and, if necessary, a 102 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. taking a little dirt from under the longer roots, bend the tree toward the hole. Some will be laid down easily and others quite hard, de- pending on the shape of the roots which are in the yround. Itis not necessary to lay them flat, but only so far as to be easily covered with straw or refuse hay, which must also be fastened so as not blow off. I would not try to set them up in the spring till frost is out of the ground and the weather settled. Take off all the covering, remove some of the dirt near the roots and set up stright and pack the earth firmly around the roots. A rigid cutting back is now neces- essary; take off from one-half to two-thirds of the last year’s growth and any large limbs that are not wanted. It is desirable to keep the tree in rather a bushy form, as it is more easily handled and protected. This ground has not been highly manured but was occupied with red raspberries for several years. The treesall appear to be healthy and remarkably vigorous, and while I do not care to discuss com- mercial peach growing in Minnesota, I shall plant enough to furnish an abundant supply for the family with as much confidence and as- surance as I would plant blackberries, which are considered a sure crop here, though subject to the same conditions of winter care. Mr. J. S. Harris: I think the gentleman is here who raised the peaches which are on exhibition. I would like to have him give us a history of how he raised them. Mr. G. F. Flatin: I have prepared no paper on the subject, but I will try to answer any question that I can. Mr. G. J. Kellogg, (Wisconsin): How do you plant? ° Mr. Flatin: ‘The plants were all raised here; they were raised from the seed. Mr. C. Wedge: How old are your trees? Mr. Flatin: Seven years old. Mr. Wedge: When did they come into bearing? Mr. Flatin: They were four years old when they came into bearing. Mr. M. C. Bunnell: What kind of peaches are they? Mr. Flatin: Those I got the seed from were Michigan peaches. Mr. Wedge: How do you protect them? Mr. Flatin: I lay them down in the winter. Mr. A. H. Brackett: How many peaches did you raise? Mr. Flatin: I raised about five bushels this year. . Mr. Brackett: On how many trees was that? Mr. Flatin: On six trees. Mr. Kellogg: How do you lay them down? i Mr. Flatin: I lay them down the same way this paper told you. PEACHES, Mr. F. W. Kimball: What do you cover them with? Mr. Flatin: I put straw over. Mr. Brackett: Do you cover them all over with straw? Mr. Flatin: I don’t suppose so much would be necessary, but too little might do them harm. Mr. Brackett: Are those six trees all of the variety of which you show those samples? Mr. Flatin: I have two yellow varieties and two red ones. Pres. Underwood: Do the tops take any harm during the winter? Mr. Flatin: No, they are kept off the ground. Mrs. J. W. Ray: How tall are the trees? Mr. Flatin: About twelve to fifteen feet high. Mrs. Ray: Do you lay straw on the tree? Mr. Flatin: A little. Mr. Harris: What time in the spring do you take them up? Mr. Flatin: In April sometime. Mr. Harris: Were they covered during the freeze in the spring? Mr. Flatin: They did not freeze. The frost did not hurt my peaches. Mr. Harris: I think you told me the peaches were quite a little size when the frost came. Mr. Flatin: Yes. Mr. Kimball: You are on a high elevation? : Mr. Flatin: Yes, about the highest elevation in Houston county; I don’t know how high it is. Pres. Underwood: Is it level ground? Mr. Flatin: Yes, nearly level ground; on a north slope. Mr. Brackett: Ifa person can raise five bushels on six trees, I don’t see why peach culture would not pay. Mr. Bunnell: I understand these peaches are raised near Spring Grove? Mr. Flatin: About one and a half miles from Spring Grove. Mr. Bunnell: What is the nature of the country? Mr. Flatin: It is rolling prairie. | Mrs. Stager: Do they always get ripe? } Mr. Flatin: I never had any trouble; they always get ripe. They got ripe last year. Mr. Harris: Some of those peaches are not as large as last year? ‘Mr. Flatin: I guess there were too many on the trees. I did not thin them out. a 104 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Mr. Harris: Some of those peaches he raised measured nine inches in circumference. Mr. Flatin: These Ihave on exhibition here are not as large as when I shipped them here. Mr. Harris: Do you think peaches can be grown so the cul- ture could be made profitable? Mr. Flatin: Yes, I guess they could, if straw was cheap enough. Mr. Brackett: How many hundred weight would it take to cover those six trees? Mr. Flatin: Usually all Il can put on the hayrack. Mr. Busse: Did you ever try covering with leaves? Mr. Flatin: No, I never tried it. Mr. Pearce: Peaches! peaches! There is no fruit that grows that I am so carried away with as peaches. Mr. Philips, (Wisconsin): How mauy did you raise this year? Mr. Pearce: I had thirty trees, and they were just loaded with truit. There came that terrible hard frost, and as a mat- ter of course I thought the peaches were all gone, and yet some of the trees had thirty. forty to a hundred on, with all that freezing. I thinkI would have had thirty bushels if it had not been for that freeze. Now, peach trees will stand much more cold than you have any idea of. The idea is to get them down before the ground freezes, and let them remain in that position, let this ground freeze, and then it is the easiest matter in the world to throw a little marsh hay over them. A ton of hay will cover fifty trees. We just threw a light cover- ing of hay over those peach trees, and it was just as good a thing as we coulddo. On the strength of it I bought 150 trees, and I have also planted a lot of peach pits and plum pits, and I have been more than well pleased with my success. Mr. Brackett: How much fruit did you get last year? Mr. Pearce: I got agood dealof fruit. I have taken every precaution to protect the fruit trees. Mr. Kellogg, (Wisconsin): How tall are your trees? Mr. Pearce: Some eight to ten feet high. Mrs. J. Stager: I live in a colder part ofthe country. We have had peaches year after year in St. Cloud, This lady who is here with me has had some of my peaches, I bought Cana- dian Iron Clad, and that tree lived sixteen years and for nine years was almost every season loaded with peaches. Iplanted it as any greenhorn would, setting it up straight instead of GROWING STRAWBERRIES WITHOUT IRRIGATION. 105 slanting. I laid it down with a board over it, and had to take a 2x12 to lay it down with; I had to bend it over slowly and then work it down with chains, and [kept it covered with straw. Mrs. A. A. Kennedy: One of our neighbors had a peach tree growing eight to ten feet high, and they wrapped it with straw and bound it round with blankets, but last winter it froze to death. Mrs. J. Stager: I thought they needed a little air? GROWING STRAWBERRIES WITHOUT IRRIGATION. M. PEARCE, CHOWEN. | Those who have been engaged in agriculture or horticulture in Minnesota during the past thirty-five or forty years know all about the climate, its long and cold winters, and short, hot and dry sum- mers. Cold and drouth are two great obstacles in the way of fruit growing, both of which can be bridged over to some extent by cov- ering, mulching and irrigation. Irrigation is of two kinds, one by direct application of water, the other to plant intelligently and by proper cultivation draw moisture from below. In the brief paper that follows, we shall confine ourselves to grow- ing the strawberry without the application of water. Close obser- vation of your own work and that of your neighbors who are in the same line of business is of the utmost importance to all progressive fruit growing. Watch the results where different treatment has been given. It is often the case that where one fails another will make a great success by correcting a few errors, A failure, in the place of discouragement, should be a means of future success. We are in the habit of inviting progressive fruit growers to visit our grounds in September. Those gatherings are of unusual interest, and each one returns home with new ideas to put in practice. We also make it a special business to visit the fruit farms in our neighborhood at the close of the growing season. At that time a correct conclusion can be arrived at what the future crop will be. When we visita plantation at the stated time and find the plants well grown, heavily rooted and evenly distributed over the ground and nothilled up, we we say in our mind, “If the season is favorable, here will be a heavy crop of fine strawberries, and even if the season is very dry there will still bea good paying crop. A failure will be almost impossi- ble.” The reverse of this, if the runners are thick, small and matted together, leaves and plants small,poorly rooted or matted rows badly hilled up. Our verdict in a case like this is, “little fruit and that inferior, let the season be the best.” So much from observation, from which we draw valuable information. On our own ground, we are using our best judgment and that of others in preparing the ground, setting out the plants, their cultivation and mulching, that we may be able to avoid the heavy losses in-time, Jabor and money which have greatly discouraged strawberry growing for years in the North- 106 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. west. Of this we are fully persuaded, it takes the whole of the sea- son to grow good fruiting plants; there must be no delay in rooting as soon as the plants are in condition. We commence preparing for strawberries by plowing the ground deep in the fall, harrowing level and planting it to potatoes in the spring, giving them the best of cultivation. Allow nothing to seed on the ground. At digging time, leave all the small potatoes on the ground. Give the grounda good dressing of well rotted compost, composed of horse, cow and hog manure. Plow potatoes and compost under deep, harrow till the soil is fine and level and go over it again in spring with a heavy harrow with long, sharp teeth, cut the soil fine and deep and smooth it over with a light har- row. Plant about the 15th of May or as soon as the ground is warm in rows four feet apart, plants from twenty inches to two feet apart in the row, every third row a staminate variety. Stretch a strong line on one side of the ground the long way; stretch the line until it is perfectly straight. Atintervals of forty or fifty feet along the line place a small stone or some weight on the line to keep it in place. Use good plants from new beds; dig, trim and tie in bunches of fifty; puddle the roots of each bunch in a mixture of clay and water about the thickness of paint; heel the roots of the bunches in moist ground, each variety by itself, marked with a stake with the name of the kind. We plant in the following way: Usea sharp and bright spade; place the edge near the line and press it down perpendicular six or seven inches, work it back and forth two or three times and then draw it out. In this way the holes are all made to receive the roots. Another person sets the plants in the following way: He takesa plant in his left hand, spreads the roots like a flat broom and places them in the hole, presses the soil about the lower parts of the roots and then fills up to the crown and presses the soil lightly with both hands. When our plants are set out they are all in little holes about five or six inches in diameter and an inch and a half deep, and the crown of each plant is an inch and a half below the surface soil. In this way two persons should set out at least 6,000 plants in a day and do it good. As soon as the plants make a good start, in place of cultivating and hoeing, as is the usual custom, we draw with hoes an inch and a half of soil from between the plants in the rows to the center of the space between the rows. This leaves the soil between the rows in the center three inches higher than it is in the rows of plants. Cultivating with a horse commences soon after the soil has been drawn between the rows, and is continued with about ten days be- tween each cultivation, going each time the same way. The plants being straight in the rows, the cultivator is run close to the plants, and but little hoeing is required. But one tool with a horse is used the first season, and that is a small iron cultivator in the shape of the letter V; it opens and shuts with the aid of a thumb screw. On the end of each tooth is a very small steel shovel. This cultivator cuts the soil fine, loosens it below and does not hill up the plants. GROWING STRAWBERRIES WITHOUT IRRIGATION. 107 When the plants throw out runners a foot or fifteen inches long, they are all placed by hand properly in the rows with a little soilon each runner where it is to root. In this way the plants are all rooted and make a vigorous growth regardless of drouth, the best of plants for fruiting another year. We go twice over the plants to arrange them for rooting. After that, if fruit is the prime object, all late runners and plants should be destroyed; they are worse than weeds, parasites to the mother plants. Mulching should be done the last of October with marsh hay, litter from the stable or wheat straw. To keep the mulch from blowing off, we place a telegraph wire on top of the mulch, each end attached to a stake at the ends of each row, with weights on the wires at intervals of forty or fifty feet. The same wires we use to hold up our raspberry canes when fruiting. If we did not have them, we would use something else to holdthe mulch. It is an ex- cellent plan to remove the mulch in the spring and cultivate between the rows and then return sufficient mulch to protect the fruit from the ground. In writing this paper I have gone more into detail than usual. To put all those details in practice takes time and labor, but no more than it does in the usual way. The plants are straight in the rows, and the cultivator does the work of ten men. Our experiments in growing plants for fruiting, as we have stated, have never failed to grow a paying crop of good fruit the dryest seasons we have had. We practice what we write and expect a good crop of fine fruit another year without the application of water, regardless of drouth. Mr. G. J. Kellogg, (Wisconsin): I would like to ask Mr. Pearce what variety escaped the rust and blight with him the most successfully. Mr. Pearce: Iam not troubled a great deal with that. In the first place, [ try to keep the blight away, I do not think I had any blight last year. I always grow my own plants. If you destroy all the spores that produce the blight on your plants, with proper care it is just as easy to grow strawberries without blightas withit. Blight isa fungus that is propagated by spores or seeds the same as weeds. Ido all my work be- fore the plants are set out. Now there are some varieties that are more liable to blight and rust than others. You find the Crescent free, the Warfield quite free, the Greenfield quite free. Then there are other varieties that are quite apt to blight. The Wilson blights on my soil, so does the Capt. Jack, and the Downing blights very badly. The blight has been the least of my troubles and will be the least of anybody's trouble if the proper precaution is taken in growing the plants. I would not take plants from an old bed unless I wanted to get a start, and then I would spray the new plants right along with Paris green, I grow pure plants free from disease, and you can do 108 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. it. There is no earthly use in having a bit of that in the country. Itis a parasite, and the parasite produces the seed, the same as the seed produces the weed. Mr. M. C. Bunnell: Do you think every third row is sufficient to plant for fertilization? Mr. Pearce: Yes, I think so. Pres. Underwood: Here isa question: ‘‘ What is the best way to keep berries overnight if they cannot be shipped until the next day ?” Mr. Pearce: We often keep ours overnight by putting them where there is a free circulation of air. Mr. G. J. Kellogg, (Wisconsin): If you find it necessary to keep them overnight, put them in a dry cellar. The best way to keep them is to get them off in time for supper. Mr. A. J. Coe, (Wisconsin): If you put them in a cool cellar and then bring them out in the warm air, they will sweat and spoil. Pres. Underwood: We have often left crates of berries in the grass under the rows of grape vines or in the raspberry bushes, and they would keep in perfect condition. Ishould think it would be a good idea to havea room for fruit, have it open so as to get a good circulation of air right through the room, then set the boxes out so that the air could circulate around them, and I should think in that way you could keep the fruit as well as ina cellar. They have fruit rooms like those at Sparta. Question: ‘‘ What is the best time to cover the plants?” Mr. Kellogg, (Wisconsin): The best time I should say was as soon as we have heavy frosts, not early frosts. Mr. Coe, (Wisconsin): Our practice has been not to cover until the ground would stand it to drive on, say one load in the morning before the ground thaws. Mr. A. F. Collman, (lowa): I agree with Mr. Coe; that is our practice. Mr. C. Wedge: Ithink an earlier slight cover would be an advantage. Mr. Pearce: I think the best time to cover them is before a hard freeze comes in the fall; cover them a little thin to pro- tect them from freezing and thawing. A freeze and a thaw will injure them more than freezing will. [always cover about the last of October. Mr. O. M. Lord: Last year the frost was so severe every night before the ground froze that I was alarmed about my plantation. I found they were being injured by the severe GROWING STRAWBERRIES WITHOUT IRRIGATION. 109 frost, and I had a mixed crop. This year I waited until last week—I have covered them now. Mr. Dewain Cook: I have not had a great deal experience with strawberries, but the last two years I have covered them, waiting until the ground was frozen. This year I covered mine the last of October one and one-half inches deep. I looked after them just before I left home, and they are in fine con- dition. President Underwood: I have plowed the first day of Janu- ary in Minnesota, and I think to say that you must not cover berries until the ground is frozen is not safe advice. Mr. Harrison: I have had considerable experience in cover- ing strawberries in Dakota. I have had more trouble in cover- ing too early than toolate. My friend’s idea here is very good; commence to cover lightly and then increase. Mr. Lord: If the ground freezes at night and thaws during the day, I think it injures my vines a great deal more than it does to have them freeze solid and stay frozen. President Underwood: No onelikes to cover before freezing. It is the alternate freezing and thawing that hurts the straw- berries. I would rather have them covered. You must be governed by your location; the same rule in all cases might not work so well. Mr. Lord: I would have liked to have covered my plantation earlier this fall, but it was located on a side hill, and I preferred to let them take their chances. Mr. C. L. Smith: What these men have said here just ex- actly corroborates what I said yesterday. You put on mulch- ing sufficient for the winter at that early season, and you are liable to smother your plants, so from what they said here lam surel am on the right track. Put on alight mulching first, and then wait until November and put on more mulching for the winter. Mr. Pearce: I tried mulching of different kinds. I think threshed bean straw makes the finest kind of a mulch. I raise some beans every year just for the purpose of using the straw asamulch. Itmakes the finestkind of mulching. I find some- how or other it is the best thing I ever tried, and my berries are all in good shape. Mr. Bunnell: I would like to know if begasse is not a good thing? A man down in Worthington county is going to try that. Dr. Frisselle: I think one of the best things to cover straw- berries with are cornstalks laid along the length of the row. They are heavy enough so as to afford protection; they gather ". 110 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY the snow and make a very good protection. Ido not know but what good begasse would lie down more closely. Mr. Harris: It is a great deal better to cut those cornstalks in pieces an:inch long than to put them on the full length of the stalks. My son cuts up his fodder for the cows, and what the cows will not eat he uses for mulch. Mr. Collman, (lowa): All the strawberries I ever covered were covered with cornstalks. Itis very quickly put on and very quickly taken off in the spring. Wedonot have much hay to puton, and corn fodder is much cheaper. Dr. Frisselle: There is one other material that has been used for years in the Hast, and that is tanbark. I know a man who used it. He put it on plentifully between the rows, and it was clean in the rows, and he had a most magnificent crop; I never saw a more magnificent crop. Secretary Latham: For several years I covered my straw- berries in the fall with cornstalks. It is not much trouble to lay them along in the row, just enough to partially hide the vines, and in the spring you do not have to take them off. By the time the crop is gathered, they are rotted and out of the way. There is no foul seed connected with the use of them, and they seem to be a sufficient mulch for the purpose. They can be put on early in the season, and they afford the necessary protection against severe frost in the fall. Ido not know whether it would be practicable on a large scale. IMPROVING STRAWBERRY VARIETIES BY SELECTION. While the following will apply to fruits of all kinds, it is specially effective with the strawberry. There is no other fruit so susceptible to improvement and none so variable and liable to ran down under neglect. To improve them one should follow the course pursued by suc- cessful breeders of fine stock and poultry—breed up by selecting the most perfect individuals to raise from. Just before the berries ripen, go yourself over the best rows of each variety and carefully select young plants conspicuous for vigor, earliness (if earliness is of value to you), productiveness with general excellence and symmetry of fruit. Pull all fruit and blooms from those plants at once. Then with a garden trowel remove as large a clod as practicable, contain- ing the plant and set in rich soil well prepared, each variety separ- ate, of course. From these well cultivated, raise plants to set your young fields the coming year; and from the fields thus set, again likewise select the best. and so on forever. The good effects of this plan will soon be manifest. It cannot change bad varieties into good ones; but it will surely make good varieties better. Having tested it for years, I can speak from expe- rience. Whenit is not practicable to remove the selected plants, they can be marked with stakes and left in the fields; but great care will be required to keep the young plants from running among and mixing with others——The Western Garden. SPRAYING FOR APPLE SCAB. 111 SPRAYING FOR APPLE SCAB. (Extract from Oct., 95, Bulletinof Del. Agr. Experiment Station.) After giving in detail the process and results of certain ex- periments to overcome the apple scab on the place of S. H. Derby, Woodside, Del., Prof. F. D. Chester summarizes the results and gives directions as follows: RESULTS OF SPRAYING APPLE TREES—UPON THEIR GENERAL CON DITION. A notable effect of the season’s work was the protection which the spraying offered against diseases of the wood and foliage. The general condition of sprayed trees was better than that of the unsprayed both as to vigor of growth and density of foliage. This favorable condition also persisted later into the season. On October 18th, I found that those apple trees which had received but a single spraying were entirely defoliated, while those treated four and five times were still clothed with leaves. A further good effect was noted in the general condition of the buds on the sprayed trees, seen on October 18th. On the sprayed trees the buds were mark- edly larger and more vigorous, On October 4th, Mr. Derby wrote, “The indications are for com- plete success for the spraying for scab, and, further, the condition of the trees as to next year’s fruit buds and ‘staying on’ of the leaves makes the experiment satisfactory to me, the russeting of the fruit, undoubtedly from the action of the spray, being the only drawback.” Fic 1—A shows a hypothetical Strawberry apple free of scab. } ' B shows the relative size of a badly scabbed apple of the same variety GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR SPRAYING APPLES, Regarding the cost of spraying apples, Mr. Derby has estimated it for material and labor at about ten cents per tree for five sprayings. In spraying apples we would recommend the course pursued by Mr. Derby in this experiment. Use the Bordeaux mixture, (4g D) made up as follows: S2eIGK UA DRIDCE Joona son obese deanp ne ye ete cae ys ue 6 lbs, SN aN at Sats Wen anihd Was waidny Metab vo van wadabes 9 lbs. POREUNIOS 10 Sts OL aLdy coun sade Saky Anceee Rieke 4 ozs. EM Gll ch Ga dau te 0 cane pond OnGalkewh.d ue sasiece ods 45 gals. (1 bbl.) > Sh as rales 112 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. For the first application, which should be made as soon as the buds begin to swell, London purple need not be added to the Bor- deaux mixture, but for the second, third and fourth application it should be included. The second application is to be made just be- fore the bloom opens, the third when the petals are nearly all shed, the fourth when the fruit is about the size of peas and the fifth about two weeks later. The profitableness of spraying apples, so far as the control of the scab is concerned, will depend upon the susceptibility of the variety and thelikelihood of the appearance of the disease without treat- ment. Trees affected as little as either the Early Harvest or the Wine Sap would hardly pay the cost of spraying, so far as this one disease goes. But upon general principles we firmly believe that it will pay to spray all apple trees with a combined fungicide and insecticide, inasmuch as there are other foes than the scab fungus to be com- batted by the treatment. Of these we have the various fruit rots, leaf blight and that very formidable enemy, the codling moth. Furthermore, there is reason to believe that the general health of the tree will be so greatly improved that this alone will make the spraying of apple orchards a profitable expenditure. RUST VS. FROST ON STRAWBERRIES. President Underwood: I willsay that Mr. West has received a sample of his strawberry vines he spoke about on Tuesday as being afflicted with rust. I asked him more particularly as to the condition of the vines. I see nothing like rust on those vines. It is not what I call rust at our place. He says it did not appear until after the first heavy frost came, and then they began to turn brown. I think they were in good condition when the first heavy frost came, and the alternate freezing and thawing produced the appearance he calls rust. Mr. C. F. Gardner, (Iowa): I would like to say that my vines after some of those severe freezes looked as though they were struck with rust, and I made a close examination of them, but I could not find a particle of rust. It was caused altogether by the frost. There was no rust on those vines, and I know there was not on ours. Still a little ways off it looks just like rust. Mr. G. J. Kellogg, (Wisconsin): I should say there was no rust on those plants. It may be a little hard to distinguish except on close examination, but I think the appearance of those vines was caused entirely by frost. Mr. GC. L. Smith: That again corroborates what I said the other day, that it is benefiaial to give your strawberries a light covering early in the fall before they are subjected to any severe frosts. ; , IRRIGATION WITH RESERVOIR. IRRIGATION WITH RESERVOIR. GEO. H. WHITING, YANKTON, 8S. D. Mr. President and Members of the Minn. Horticultural Society: It is at the earnest solicitation of your secretary that I undertake to give you in a crude state a few thoughts on my experience with irrigation; “Irrigation with Reservoir” your worthy secretary has been pleased to name it on the program. Now, I shall not perhaps confine myself very closely to the latter part of the title, because a great portion of my irrigation has not been from my reservoir but direct from the well. My artesian well, which is a three inch one with a flow of about 400 gallons of water per minute, gives one man all of the water he can conveniently handle as it flows from the well. Thus far, I have only tried to cover from thirty to forty acres and have had a suffi- cient amount of water to do it without the necessity of storing it in advance of the time it was wanted for use. Now, just a few words in regard to my manner of distributing the water. My grounds are laid off in blocks, making the rows from twenty to thirty rods long, and I run the main ditch across the upper ends of the rows that it may be tapped at any point desired. My method is to begin at one side of the plat (usually the side nearest where the water is coming from), taking the water out of the ditch by removing a few shovelfuls of earth from the side of the bank and placing the same across the channel, and turn it into one or more rows, allowing it to move along down the cultivator marks until the lower end is reached and the ground is well soaked. Right here allow me to state that land with just a sufficient incline to make the water run is preferable to land with a greater slope where the water runs over it rapidly, causing it to wash more or less and not giving it time to soak well into the soil. . The water from my well has a temperature of sixty-three degrees, making it warm enough for irrigation just as it flows from the well without taking the time to warm it in a reservoir. Returning to the subject of reservoirs, I find that they have many advantages, especially so in cases where the water supply is limited as regards the amount of land to be covered. In fact, they are an absolute necessity in a majority of instances, especially where the water does not run continuously or where it is necessary to save it for a dry time between showers. In my case, I have not yet been troubled about storing water in advance. My reservoir is comparatively a small one, being approximately round with a diameter of about one hundred feet and a depth of about four feet. As my demands for water increase, I expect, of course, to increase my reservoir capacity. With two years experience with irrigation in the growing of nursery stock, fruit and vegetables, the writer is thoroughly con- vinced that it pays to irrigate where practicable, and that Minne- sota fruit growers and gardeners should give more attention to irrigation. It is the only sure method; that is, it is comparatively 114 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY so, as the periods of drought more surely cut off a portion of the crop on an average than all other causes combined. Water is absolutely necessary to the growth and development of vegetation, and it is becoming more and more apparent to intelligent cultivators of the soil,from the Pacific to the Atlantic,that the natural rainfall is too uncertain to be depended upon, especially with crops where alarge amount of time and money are necessarily expended VIEW OF RESERVOIR IN USE ON MR. GEO. H. WHITING’S PLACE. ‘yi i i} SP ih gh i ie i Pic scannnalertygrilj aussi i aay ‘9 . AWS SY | YY TMNT A . AS | | | i \ : Mi Lae MenMt A IRRIGATION WITH RESERVOIR. 115 upon a small piece of land. In the case of small fruits, where a drought of even short duration may rob the grower of perhaps one- half or more of his crop for the entire year, it is rather expensive, to say the least, to be without that supply of water to tide you over. To those unacquainted with the facts, it will be a surprise to learn how much the tendency to winter-kill and the short life of Minnesota orchards is due to the lack of water; how many trees and plants actually starve to death during the long winters, because they had not sufficient water during the growing and maturing season to carry the food to them to bestored up for their winters subsistence. I firmly believe that it behooves the fruit growers of the North- west to give this subject more thought and more attention. Nearly every one can in some way obtain a water supply at some time of the year and store it upina reservoir of some form or other so that it will be of great value when wanted. Talk it over and try it; it will pay you. Mr. Bunnell: In irrigating lawns from wells, what effect would it have? Would the grass look as green as if the water had been brought from a lake? A party at Newport had a lawn that would not color green. I do not know whether it was because the water was brought directly from the bottom of the well or not. Mr. Richardson: In Winnebago City we have adug well, and the water should be very cold in the summer. The water is applied directly on the lawns, and they are very green all summer. Prof. Green: I have maintained a little lawn all summer by putting the water on directly from the well. Mr. Kellogg, (Wisconsin): I would like to ask Prof.Green if it would pay to raise water seventy-five feet to irrigate a level prairie. Prof. Green: I would like to have Mr. Hansen answer that question. Mr. Hansen: Iam very much interested in this matter of irrigation. I think a great deal of it, although I cannot get much use of it yet. You can never expect so much benefit the first year. I hope to think it is a good investment, Mr. Brackett: How large is your reservoir? Mr. Hansen: 60x 100 feet, dug in the hill and clay puddled. Mr. Wedge: How did you puddle it? Mr. Hansen: I putin sufficient water so as to make it best to work, made a paste of it, then I put in my horses and kept them driving and backing until I thought it was very solid. I found it soaked considerable at first, but it kept getting closer and closer, and I have a good deal of faith init now. I keep my ducks in there. I believe it is very tight now. 116 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Mr. Wedge: How do you raise your water? Mr. Hansen: I havea well put in 93 feet deep. I have a mill that pumps it right into the reservoir. It runs into the reservoir as it comes from the well. Pres. Underwood: What kind of a mill have you? Mr. Hansen: A St. Paul mill. Pres. Underwood: How large is your well? Mr. Hansen: Three inch cylinder. Pres. Underwood: How large is the wheel? Mr. Hansen: It is a 14-foot wheel. Mr. Wedge: Would not a 12-foot wheel do? Mr. Hansen: Well, it might do, but I want it big enough to draw all the water I want. I knew I would want a good deal of water. Pres. Underwood: How large is the cylinder? Mr. Hansen: It just fills a three inch pipe. Pres. Underwood: It is a two inch cylinder and has a twelve inch stroke? Mr. Hansen: It has a twelve inch stroke. Pres. Underwood: What is the capacity of the pump? Mr. Hansen: I never measured the capacity so I can say. Prof. Green was at my piace and saw the pump; perhaps he can tell. Jam sorry I was not at home. Mr. Wedge: How long does it take to fill the reservoir? Mr. Hansen: At first it soaked away considerably, but now as it gets closer I think it fills up about ten inches in 24 hours. Mr. Wedge: Would it fill the reservoir in about a week? Mr. Hansen: Well, I couldn’t say about that. Mr. Wedge: How large is the reservoir? Mr. Hansen: 60x100 ft. Pres. Underwood: Do you think it could be made of coarse sand with plenty of clay to puddle it? Mr. Hansen: Well, I dont know. Mine is clay. I strew the sand on the bottom and then put my clay in. I have blue clay. Mr. Brackett: Would it not freeze to the bottom? Mr. Hansen: Well, it might if the water was left in. Mr. Wedge: When it is emptied once and filled again does it leak? Mr. Hansen: No, it does not leak. The ducks I keep in there help it a good deal. Mr. Collman, (Iowa): I have one of those artificial ponds. I put thirteen teams at work and kept them at work for three weeks. The pond covers about one acre; itis from six to ten FOU - f IRRIGATION WITH RESERVOIR. feetdeep. Idammed it up at the lower side, put down adam sixty feet wide at the bottom; then I put an inch pipe under the bot tom of the dam, and three feet below the lowest point of the basin, then I put a feeder in to furnish the stock with water. The water is always clear. We have not pumped a pail of wa- ter for our stock this summer. We had a little pond there be- fore we made it larger, and my little boy went to the river and caught some of those little catfish and put in three or four. When we dug it out to make it deeper, we caught fish only two years old that measured eight or nine inches in length, and I think we caught something like a hundred. I am going to use this water for irrigation purposes. I can cover about three acres and I expect to irrigate. I expect to put that area out in small fruits and I want to carry the water by windmill and run it down between the rows. I think I can make it very profit- able. Mr. Kimball: How large a watershed have you to fill your pond? Mr. Collman, (lowa): About twenty acres. I have a large waste pipe to carry it off. Mr. Brackett: Do you not lose considerable water by evap- oration and seepage? Mr. Collman, (lowa): There was at first, but there is not a particle now. It will evaporate some, of course, but we always have plenty of water, Pres. Underwood: While the discussion of this subject is of very great interest to all of us, we cannot neglect the business that must be transacted. Sanvitalia is a very pretty annual of low, creeping habit and blooms continually throughout the summer and autumn. The flowers are double and of a bright, golden yellow color. Many people are not aware that Dahlias from seed sown in the spring will bloom finely the first summer and give quite as good if not better satisfaction than bulbs. The seeds germinate in a few days and grow rapidly. Lobelia Pumila Grandiflora is an exceedingly attractive variety of this old and popular flower. It blooms profusely, bearing flowers of pale azure blue, very large and double. White Gem is another annual of this class, with pure white single flowers, The plants only grow toa height of four or five inches and are densely covered with lovely white blossoms. 118 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. GREENHOUSE LABORATORY WORK AT THE SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE. PROF. S. B. GREEN, ST. ANTHONY PARK. The illustration showing students at work budding roses in the greenhouses of the school of agriculture is given to call attention to a phase of horticultural instruction which we call greenhouse laboratory work—for it is laboratory work. It will be remembered by those familiar with the course of instruction at this school that its session is from October to April, which precludes doing such work as budding and grafting in the open air; so it is taught in the greenhouses. The boys of the A class bud roses and root-graft apples, and both buds and grafts are started at once into growth that the students may become familiar with the callousing process by which both buds and grafts unite, and they see the results of their labor. Roses are selected for practice, because they can be got into the right condition for working in January. Other lines of work followed are mixing of potting soils, potting of cuttings, re- potting,making and rooting of cuttings,sowing of flower seeds,prick- ing out of seedlings, the destruction of insects injurious to house plants, testing farm and other seeds to determine per cent. of germ- ination and quality and quantity of impurities and the crossing of plants. For crossing plants we use the Chinese primrose, which readily crosses, has flowers large enough to be easily manipulated by stu- dents and is well adapted to illustrating the principles involved in such work. The object of this instruction is not to make gardeners but to teach some of the more common things relating to plants, that the students may think of them as individuals instead of as fields of plants, and also to encouragea love for plants.in and about the home. SUBSOILING WITH DYNAMITE. S. M. Emery, director of the Montana Experiment Station has resorted to the novel expedient of using dynamite to loosen the sub- soil on a portion of a tract to be used for fruit setting. He describes the process as follows: “Two-inch holes were drilled to a depth of 414 feet, in which were placed quarter-pound dynamite cartridges to which were attached sufficient lengths of fuse to admit of the safe discharge of the cartridges. The holes were filled with earth and thoroughly tamped. The explosion effected a complete mechanical disintegration of the soil for many feet in all directions from the hole. Two results will thus be attained—a porous, friable soil much sooner than would result from cultivation and an abundant moist- ure storage system.” We hope to report the practical results of the experiment later. Sec’y. 119 WORK. GREENHOUSE LABORATORY INTERIOR VIEW OF GREENHOUSE AT MINNESOTA STATE EXPERIMENT STATION. PROF. 8S, B, GREEN’S CLASS IN HORTICULTURE GRAFTING ROSES, 120 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. NOTES FROM THE FARMERS’ INSTITUTE. CLARENCE WEDGE, HORTICULTURIST, FARMERS’ INSTITUTE. It was a very pleasant surprise to your institute worker to find the conditions in the pine regions of our state so favorable to our art. The better rainfall, moist soil and comparative freedom from withering southwest winds, together with exceptional market facilities, make it the best small fruit section of the state, and it may well be doubted if with proper selection of varieties we havea more favorable location for the larger fruits, especially plums and crabs. At Rush City, where we began our work after the holidays, we found in the audience a man who had brought with him for his noon lunch a pocket full of beautiful Walbridge apples. We had the pleasure of spending the night at his home and looking over his orchard. While his trees of the Walbridge were, as we had expected to find them, injured in the forks of the main branches, it was certainly very wonderful to seea variety that is scarcely hardy enough for central Iowa looking as well and bearing as well as it is fifty miles west of St. Paul. Single trees of his Transcendent crabs have borne an average of ten bushel per annum for some years past. Considerable blight is seen on the trees, but otherwise this variety is in good health, and the largest of seven old trees measured forty-five inches in circumference of trunk. His Early Strawberry, sixteen inches, fine and fruitful, was in perfect health, except blight; Maiden Blush crab, nearly perfect trees, twenty-two inches in girth; Wealthy and Haas, the latter twenty inches in girth, looking no better than Walbridge but fruitful and profitable; Russian sweet apple, name lost, is in excellent condition with little blight. Mr. M. Denning, the owner of this orchard, is by no means a careful or progressive horticulturist, and his varieties are allin amuddle. The orchard is not in what would be called a favorable slope, and the trees are in a matted sod, but the proximity to Rush lake and the rich retentive soil have doubtless combined to make it so good and profitable. Mr. Denning sold last season $100 worth of Turner raspberries from one-sixteenth of an acre, and has also quite a number of promising plum trees. At Aitkin, we found the first city in our travels in the woods that appeared to appreciate the value of the beautiful native pine and other trees. Asarule, the original forest trees are mercilessly cut down and those who care for shade obliged to plant anew. At Brainerd, we found great interest in all fruits. We found fine crab trees growing in the city, and from the representations of those who attended the institute at Bay Lake they have anespecially favorable location at that point. Robert Maghan, of the latter point, has one Transcendent crab that has borne as much as five bushels per annum. He is also growing some of the standardapples. D. Arch- ibald, of Bay Lake, reports the Florence crab the hardiest and best tree he has tried and a very heavy bearer. He has picked in all as much as twelve bushels from his two trees of this variety. At Little Falls, we visited the orchard and fruit garden of a man- who sells $30 worth of plums and $50 worth of crabs per year. We measured some fine apple trees but have lost the figures. He was GRAFTING. 121 ‘not attempting any special care or selection of varieties, but was proving very conclusively that even on the sandy soils of Little Falls it pays to plant fruit trees. Wewere greatly pleased to meet our old friend Mr. Cutler at the institute at Princeton, where he has recently settled down onacozy farma mile or two from the city. He has not lost his old love for the horticultural society and is arranging to use considerable of his land for fruit and will be heard from in the future. There has been no point visited by the institute where some varie- ties of crabs or plums are not found to be flourishing, and our faith in the final success of horticulture in. Minnesota is constantly growing. GRAFTING. J. S. HARRIS, LA CRESCENT. Grafting is an art not nearly as well understood by the majority who plant fruit trees as its importance merits. It is an easy and sure method for changing a hardy tree that is unfruitful or produces worthless fruit into a fruitful tree, producing fruit of the first qual- ity. Itisalsoamostcommon method of propagating and increasing a new variety rapidly. There are a number of methods of perform- ing the work, or styles of grafting. This paper will treat briefly only on the style or method termed “whip-grafting,” as it applies to the propagation of nursery trees or making “root-grafts.” “Root-grafting” is generally understood to mean taking up young seedling trees by the roots and grafting them in-door during the winter. The best stocks are well grown one year old seedlings, having an average diameter of about one-fourth of an inch, that were taken up in the late autumn and have been buried in a cold cellar or other suitable place away from frost or drying. The scions used in this, as well as other kinds of grafting, are the growth of the last season, or the terminal shoots, and are best if cut before winter has set in and preserved in the same manner as the stocks. The stocks and scions being on hand, the only additional materials needed are a sharp, thin bladed knife and some waxed cloth, paper or cotton yarn—No. 18 being about the right strength. The best cloth is worn calico or muslin, which is cutinto strips'and made up into rolls or balls, care being taken to wind the strips smooth, or without folds. These rolls are to be put into melted grafting wax and soaked until they are thoroughly penetrated, and then laid on a board to drain and cool. Grafting paper is prepared by taking strong, thin manilla paper and with a brush spreading the melted wax thinly upon one side of each sheet, and afterward cutting it into strips convenient for using. The cotton yarn is prepared by dipping the ball into melted wax same as the cloth. Grafting wax is made by melting together over a slow fire eight parts of resin, four parts of beeswax and two to three parts of tallow, or about that proportion. The stocks are prepared by washing them, cutting away the small fibrous roots and cutting them into suitable lengths. For what is termed whole root-grafting, the scion is inserted atthe collar, or that 7 422 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. portion where the stem joins onto the root, and the bottom of the root is cut away five or six inches below. For piece root-grafting the seedling stock is cut into lengths three to four inches long, the graft always being placed on the BODES end. The operation consists in taking the root and making a sloping cut upward like the mouthpiece to a whistle,an inch to an inch anda half long; then at the center cut a tongue down- --€ ward (Fig. 3.) A scion about the same size and three to fourinches long is cut in the same way, ex- cept that the slope is downward, and italso hasa tongue cut from the center upward (Fig.4.) The two are now fitted together with the tongues interlocking and a “3 pressed together firmly with the MES Lig Fig5 Tre 6 inner ee at least on one side, exactly joining, as in (Fig.5.) The union being satisfactorily made, they are bound together by winding a piece of the waxed paper or cloth two or three times around, covering the junction closely—or binding them together with the waxed cotton yarn (Fig. 6.) The cloth or paper are most generally preferred to the yarn, as some- times that does not rot and give way to the growth soon enough: often causing partial strangulation and dwarfing of the root. These grafted stocks are then placed in boxes (each variety separ- ately and correctly labeled) with sand or sandy earth among their roots and kept in a cool cellar until spring opens and the soil is in good condition for working, when they are usually set out in nursery rows that are about four feet apart, and for best results should stand sixteen to eighteen inches apart in the rows. They should be set deep enough so that the junction will be below the surface level, and usually but one bud of the scion is leftabove ground. Root- grafting may be done any time between December and May if the scions and stocks are kept dormant, but February is about the best time for doing it. =e Se == A S4hS5 . (To be continued in next No.) When apples bring $2.00 per bushel and wheat only about 50 cents, when the expense of taking care of an acre of apple orchard is no greater than that of an acre of wheat, while an apple orchard will yield ten bushels of apples to one bushel of wheat, it is about time fruit growers are opening their eyes and taking care of crops which pay the largest profit. What is true of apples may also be said of other varieties of fruits. STARTING DAHLIAS.—Dahlia roots should be started in damp moss, sawdust or sand by covering and placing them in some warm situ- ation, about one month before it is time to plant them out. By that time the eyes will be started; then cut the tubers so that there will be but a single eye to a piece. Should any more appear after plant- ing out, remove them and neverallow buta single stalk in one place. uestion “Pox, “Which is the best form for planting strawberries to insure best pollenization?” Prof. Green: I prefer to plant two rows pistillate and one row staminate. Mr. Kellogg, (Wisconsin): If it is for the farmer and he wantsa single row, I should alternate every other plant, planta pistillate and then a perfect. If he can plant two rows, I should advise for the general farmer that he plant one row pistillate and one row per- fect, and on the outside of those rows he would always have the proper plants for replanting. For the market I prefer two rows of perfect and four of pistillate. I believe we get better pollenization if we plant two rows perfect and fourrows pistillate. For that reason I would plant two rows perfect and four rows pistillate. “Will it pay a man having one thousand Duchess apple trees to provide cold storage to keep his apples? If so, what is the most practical course for him to pursue?” ' Mr. Elliot: Iam not competent to answer that question, I have not had experience with cold storage. It seems to me if I could not use the kind of cold storage they use here in the city I would pro- vide myself with a quantity of ice and arrange a storage room for apples underneath, so the cold would come down from the ice above it. That would be my method. Mr. Harris: I should think that kind of cold storage would pay if they would keep to be sold in the winter and spring, but I think the better way would be to have a man in the city put them in storage. “Where is the best place to hold our meetings, in the city or in the country towns?” Pres. Underwood: The advisability has been discussed of hold- ing our meetings at the agricultural school. These questions are asked to bring out an expression from the members as to what their preference would be or as to where the most good could be accom- plished. Mr. Philips, (Wisconsin): This isa good place. Mr. Kellogg, (Wisconsin): Lake City is one of the best places I know of in the state. , Pres. Underwood: Of course, there is no reflection intended on any place, if there should be an expression in favor of any one place. This was simply to get an expression as to whether it would be advisable to hold our meetings in Minneapolis or St. Paul or go to some of the smaller towns, move around. Mr. Kellogg, (Wisconsin): With us in Wisconsin we migrate from place to place. If we find an opportunity to go to a place that needs a horticultural stimulus we go there, and we have sometimes built up a good local society in that way. We have done it more in the summer meetings than in the winter meetings. In the winter we want a hall that will hold the people. We go to Madison, be- cause we want to be near the legislature. 7 124 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. “Please tell us how to keep apple seed from fall to spring so it will grow?” Mr. Lyman: Plant them in the fall. Mr. Elliot: If any one does not wish to plant them in the fall,they can be put in moist soil and packed away in the cellar and then planted in the spring. Prof. Hansen (S. D.): I would sooner pack them in moist soil in the fall and bury them outside just below the surface where they can freeze hard all winter long. If the snow piles up too much over them, shovel it away. If you get the seed in the spring, it is pretty well dried, and you have to soak it over night in water before you plant it. “How much value is there in subsoiling?” Pres. Underwood: We will ask Prof. Snyder to answer that ques- tion. Prof, Snyder: I think that is a question on which we have hardly enough data to venture an opinion. If we havea stiff clay soil, we would derive benefit from subsoiling if we have enough rain. If we have a gravelly soil, I hardly think we gain anything by sub- soiling, unless it be done for a special purpose. Mr. Collman, (Iowa): I donot know that I know any more about this matter than any of you living here, but with us in southwest- ern Iowa we think there is nothing like subsoiling. < NOTICE--ARBOR DAY PLANTING. PRIZES FOR THE BOYS AND GIRLS. The membership fee of the Minnesota State Forestry Association is one dollar; the annual membership fee of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society (including the cloth bound report of 1895—500 pages—and their monthly magazine, THE MINNESOTA HORTICULTUR- IST) is one dollar; the nursery price of the number of plants in each lot designated is one dollar; but at the expense of the association, to encourage the planting of reliable trees, I make the following offer: For $1.60 I will send you an annual membership in the State Hor- ticultural Society, including the report and magazine as described above, for the year 1896, and, post-paid, 25 evergreens,4 to 8 inches, nursery grown, consisting of Scotch pines, white pines, arbor vites, white spruces; or 25 barberries; or 25 rooted hazlenuts; or 100 one- year green ash; or 100 box elders; or 100 soft maples, the plants to be mixed or separate as you may order. Also, for six cents to cover the postage, a copy of the 11th edition of the Tree Planter’s Manual, con- taining a world of information on tree culture,and another able pamphlet just published, on “Water Disappearance in Minnesota,” and one package of green ash seeds gathered last fall, containing over 500 seeds. The forestry literature and seeds will be mailed on reception of the order with the money, and the plants mailed in proper season. This makes you a life member of this association, entitled to all the issues of our future forestry literature and no after dues required. Now fora grand Arbor Day rally of a full week of planting next April! Let us see what town or county will do the best! It is understood that you are to report success to me for record on the Roll of Honor. Send in your orders fast as possible. Editors of other papers are requested to co-operate. Address: J. O. BARRETT, Sec’y Minnesota State Forestry Association, Brown’s Valley, Minn. . arch alendar. J. 8S. HARRIS. It is rarely ever that the spring is forward enough in this locality to plow or plant in the orchard and nursery in March, and should the frost come out it is hardly wise to plant trees so long before vegetation will start; the roots cannot supply the moisture that would be evaporated by freezing, thawing and drying winds. Those who have neglected to place their orders for the needed supply of trees and plants should lose no time in doing so. We advise purchasing as near home as possible, for the reasons: first, the trees will generally be received in better condition; second, the cost of transportation will be very much less. The orchard and nursery should be looked over at once. If any limbs have been broken by winds or accumulations of snow and ice, make a smooth wound and cover with grafting wax. Trees that are girdled with mice or rabbits, if well banked up with earth or the injured parts covered by the application of a thick plaster of fresh cow dung and loam, bound on by a coarse cloth, provided the inner bark is not destroyed all the way around, will generally recover. Where the girdling is complete, the trees can generally be saved by taking shoots of the same tree, sharpened at each end, and inserting them in a cut made with a chisel above and below the wound and covering the wound with clay or grafting wax. Should the weather permit, grafting may be done about the last ofthe month. Plums and cherries should be grafted the earliest and before the buds begin to swell. Apple trees may be grafted throughout the next month. Root-grafting should be finished up as early as practical. If itis necessary to do any spring pruning, it should be done before the sap and buds start, and it is in order to wash the trunks and large branches with lye and soft soap reduced to the consistency of thick paint. If a half ounce of carbolic acid is added to each bucket- ful of the wash, it will assist in killing the eggs of insects and the spores of fungi. Blackberries and raspberries start early and should be planted early. Therefore, if the weather permits, the ground should be got ready so there will be no delay when the planting time arrives. It is in order now to haul and spread manure in the orchard. In the vegetable garden it is useless to plant seeds in the open ground, but plants of cabbages, cauliflower, lettuce and tomatoes should be started in hotbeds, cold frames or window boxes, and spare time should be utilized in securing a plenty of manure and getting it ready to push business when the time for making garden is at hand. Your orner. THE LOUDON RASPBERRY.—Mr. F. W. Loudon, of Janesville, Wis., the originator of the Loudon raspberry, in a letter dated February 18, 1896, gives the following succinct description of this new berry: “The Loudon originated fifteen years ago and showed its first fruit when two years old, and there has never been a failure since. The plant is perfectly hardy here and has never lost a bud by a hard win- ter. Itis immense to yield. The berry is the largest ever sent out; so firm that it will ship over one thousand miles in good condition; quality, best; it does not crumble, never drops from the bush and will hang onthe bushes ten or twelve days and look bright and fresh.” Some of our members visited Mr. Loudon’s grounds last summer and wrote in regard to this berry in the HORTICULTURIST. They were evidently much interested init. Our readers would be glad to hear further from any reliable source as to this new fruit.—SECRE- TARY. “Your very welcome letter of January 27th, informing me of the action of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society making me an honorary life member of the society, is at hand,and I assure you that it gives me much pleasure to know that Iam still remembered by my old horticultural friends. Nothing would be more gratifying to me than to have a good hand-shaking at some of your meetings, “T received the report of your meeting and noticed that you put my seedling currant on the list for cultivation. I thought it the best currant that I hadin my collection. It is a seedling from the White Grape currant grown by the side of the White Dutch,.Red Dutch and Cherry currants. You will notice that it resembles the Cherry currant both in looks and flavor; it also has the marks of the White Grape currant. The seed was planted on my place at Le Sueur the summer of 1857.” AMASA STEWART. A CORRECTION.—“In the discussion on raspberry, page 46, Febru- ary magazine, Iam made to say‘our landis not a very strong soil.’ The ‘not’ should have been left out, as the soilis a black loam and had been highly manured. ‘Marlboro,’ on the next to the last line on page 49, should read ‘Cuthbert and Shaffer. Iam not blaming the reporter for it,as I do, sometimes, make mistakes in speaking off hand.” J. S. HARRIS. AN ENCOURAGING WoOrRD.—“Yes, I think fruit growing in Minne- sota is about as sure and profitable as elsewhere.” A. W. SIAS. Harbor View, Fla., Jan. 25, 1896. (Mr. Sias, having spent three years in Colorado and some time in Florida, after his thirty-one years in Minnesota, is well qualified to speak on this subject.) ecretary’s (Yorner, CAN’r YOU send inanew member in April? Our roll should be doubled, and you being the one benefited are the person to do it. GRAPE CROP OF 1895 IN THE LAKE ERIE REGION.—A little idea of the magnitude of the grape growing industry in the North may be gathered from the fact that in round numbers 4,170 car loads of 2,500 ten pound baskets each were shipped in 1895 from the region around Lake Erie. These are the grapes that come tothe Minnesota markets. No wonder the price of Minnetonkas is “down,” it aa ee. LEND A HAND!—The growth of our society comes largely from the individual efforts of its members. Can’t you send the secretary at least one new member during the month of March? By doing this you would be entitled to a copy of Prof. S. B.Green’s “ Amateur Fruit Growing,” a book you should certainly own. The increase of the society means increased benefit to you and every other member. A WISCONSIN MONTHLY.—Our sister society has decided to try its fortunes as publisher of a 32 page monthly. I do not know all the details of the plan yet, but if Secy. Philips is editor, as is probable, the enterprise is sure to be pushed with his usual vigor. They re- port a “good” meeting at Madison; all the old officers were re-elected, E. H. S. Dartt, our delegate, will give us a report of it for the April number. DEATH OF SECY. D. N. REED, NEBRASKA.—News has just come to me of the sudden death, by accident on the railway in September last, of D. N. Reed, of Blue Springs, Neb., secretary of the Nebraska State Horticultural Society. He was elected the winter previous to succeed Prof. Taylor, who had held the office with marked efficiency for several years. Mr. Reed’s wife filled the office till the annual meeting, at which J. H. Hadkinson, of Lincoln, was elected. HORTICULTURAL LITERATURE AT THE FARMER'S INSTITUTES.—Mr. Clarence Wedge is supplementing his work as lecturer on horticul- ture at the farmer's institutes by distributing, at the same time, the fruit lists of the society and sample copies of our magazine. Fifty of the latter and 400 of the former have been sent from this office to each appointment where Mr. Wedge has been present during the winter, and we believe much good is being accomplished in this way. A. W. SIAs.—For sketch of his life, prior to 1890, see report of 1891, page 92. His portrait appeared as frontispiece in the last number. Mr. Sias emigrated to Pueblo, Col., in December, 1890, where he re- mained for three years, employing the most of his time in improv- - a, f= 128 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ing the city parks. He lived the whole time in Central Park, but planted and cared for trees more or less in Fremont Park. He then moved to Harbor View, De Soto Co., Fla.,and went into fruit grow- ing, where he still resides. PRESERVING FRUITS.—A process for preserving fruits, etc., by sterilized air has been patented by Dr. A. T. Perkins, of Chicago. It is Claimed that by this means perishable products can be carried around the world. If this claim proves to be well founded and the process is inexpensive, a revolution will come about in this class of commerce, in which all except, perhaps, some of the fruit growers, will share the benefit. The products of Australia and California will fill the markets of Europe,and tropical fruits will be plentiful in North America. PUBLISHING THE FRUIT List.—A mongst the other work done at this office the past month, a copy of the last fruit list adopted by this society accompanied by a brief description of the general pur- pose, etc., of the society, was sent to every newspaper in the state outside the large cities, and to some of these,in all about 425. If you did not see the list in your local papers, it would be in order for you to inquire why information of such valueis withheld. It ought to have the most prominent place in the paper, at least once, that every reader may be reached. MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS.—If you are one of those who has over- looked renewing membership till now, please sit down zt once and send $1.00 to exchange for a membership ticket for 1896. Should yon, for any reason, desire to postpone this for a while, kindly notify the secretary, or if you do not care to remain a member longer (happily there are few in this class) please write also, that the secretary may know your wishes. It is the desire of this society to continue the names of allits old-time members upon the rolls. Being a mutual association, its interest and power for good lies in its membership. AN IMPORTANT COMMITTEE.—The committee has been announced, whose appointment was provided for by the late annual meeting of the State Forestry Association, to draw a bill for presentation to the next legislature, putting in practical form the suggestion of Capt. J. N. Cross, that the state, as trustee, assume the charge of such for- est lands as may be tendered to it, the proceeds to go mainly to the fostering of educational institutions. It consists of Capt. Judson N. Cross, of Minneapolis, H. B. Ayres, of Carlton, and Ed. A. Beals, of Minneapolis. The proposition if carried out would be far reach- ing in its effects and should and will receive the most careful con- sideration, If properly planned and successfully executed, it would provide a permanent and sure fund for education and result ulti- mately in a perfected system of forestry in our state, first for these trustee lands and later, necessarily, for all the forests in the state. : - (a 7 ac? Fem LA I LG Oe LAMARQUE, TEXAS. A life member of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society. THE MINNESOTA HORTICULTURIST. VOL. 24. APRIL, 1896, NO. 4. E ESigiesy: AMASA STEWART, LAMARQUE, TEXAS. (See frontispiece. ) Amasa Stewart was born in Ohio, April 4th, 1828. He went to Illinois with his father in 1835, and was educated in the common schools of Marshall county, finishing with a two years’ course at the Granville high school, in Putnam county, after which he settled in La Salle county, of the same state, and engaged in farming and the nursery business until 1855. At that time he moved to Le Sueur county, Minnesota, where the wild indian was still roving. There he opened up a large nursery and continued there until 1865, when he was eaten out by the grass- hoppers. The next year he determined to try a more central part and moved to Minneapolis, continuing in the same business and meeting with increased success. He gave special attention to the planting of shade and ornamental trees and furnished the material for beautifying many of the elegant homes of Minneapolis. His health failing him, he left his beautiful home at Minneapolis November 7th, 1882, scarcely able to sit in the carriage to ride to the depot. Two days later he arrived in Denison, Texas, nearly ex- hausted, but he began to rally in a few days, and the next spring he was able to superintend the planting and gathering of his fruits and vegetables. He remained at that place until 1889, when wanting to get nearer to salt water he purchased lands on the main land eleven miles west of Galveston and near Galveston bay, which were ‘generally conceded to be worthless except for grazing cattle. He divided the lands up into small tracts and planted fruits and flowers, and now they are giving in return fragrant roses and Cape Jessa- mines, delicious strawberries, blackberries, plums, peaches, pears, etc., etc., which is a great pleasure to him in his sixty-eighth year. Mr. Stewart first became a member of this society in 1868, and was intimately connected with it thereafter until his removal to Texas. At the last annual meeting, he was unanimously elected an honorary life member. 130 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. IRRIGATION FOR SMALL FRUITS. (Read at the winter meeting, 1895, of the Southern Minnesota Horticultural Society.) It has become so common fora dry spell to occur sometime in the life of our small fruits in this state, that the question of irrigation is being seriously considered. This question came up before me six or seven years ago, and I propose to tell you how I answered it. After losing part of my strawberry crop every year by drying up, I concluded to try watering them. At first I hauled water ona wagon from a lake half a mile distant and put it on with pails; but it was slow and hard work, though it made the berries grow larger and better; finally I dug a well in the middle of my garden to have the water near at hand, built a platform about eight feet high near the well, put a kerosene barrel on the platform, and, with some old three- quarter inch gas pipe and some troughs made of six inch fencing, the water, after being pumped into the barrel, was conducted to the middle of the patch. We still carried the water in pails and poured iton the row. It did very well and had the desired effect. This was my first irrigation plant. But we never seem to be satisfied in this world, so the next year I built a tower sixteen feet high over my well and puta tank that held fifteen barrels on it. This was about eight feet higher than the highest land on the place. Then I runa line of gas pipe from the tank through the middle of the strawberry patch, each pipe being about fifteen feet long, with a T coupling on every second pipe to attach to at right angles to the main line, and with a three-fourths inch rubber hose twenty feet long and a one-fourth inch nozzle I was ready for business. It took some time to establish a system of applying the water, but we finally settled on the plan of putting two lengths of pipe at right angles with the main line, then attaching the hose, with which, being twenty feet long, we could water a square of forty feet; then two more lengths of pipe and so on through the patch, when we would have a piece watered forty feet wide across half the patch. Then we move down the main line to the next T, taking up the side line just used, and water another piece forty feet wide across the patch, and so on until all on that side of the main line was watered. Then we take the side line pipes and go over to the other side of the main line and do as we did at first. One man pumped and put on for me fifty barrels a day, or one acre in three days. As to putting on the water after the hose is attached to the pipe, coil it up so as to carry it on the left shoulder, and with the nozzle’ in the right hand direct the stream onto the middle of the row, mov- ing fast or slow according to the amount of water desired. As you move away from the pipe, drop a coil of hose, and you will soon get used to it. The berries should be well mulched with straw to keep the fruit from getting dirty, and the water sinks down under the mulch and does not dry out so soon. The results were very satisfactory; the berries grew of large size and kept their size longer than usual, When the first berries were picked, we found berries, blossoms and IRRIGATION FOR SMALL PRUITS. 131 buds which came on in a natural way, and we had very few knotty berries, such as we had without water. Our crop was very much larger, and when other berry raisers were done picking or had only a few dried-up, knotty berries, ours were good, smooth berries until the last. When the others were done selling, we had plenty and the whole trade to ourselves. Prices came up from eight cents per box to ten cents per box. As irrigation was a new thing at first, I did not know how to go at it, so I made inquiries among those who, I thought, might know, but did not get much encouragement, as they were in the same fix as myself. Some parties had been to California and Colorado, but we have no mountain streams to flood our lands, and I soon found we must pump the water we used. One friend told me it would not work, for well water had not the virtue in it that rain water had, and it would not do any good; another said well water was so cold it would do more injury than good, and it might kill the plants unless it stood in tanks long enough to get warm. Then we read that in watering the garden it must havea good soaking, or it would be time thrown away, but I found watering often in the row is as good as, if not better than, a flood. In watering blackberries or rows of bushes of any kind, lay your pipes between the rows in such a way that with the hose you can reach three or more rows on eitherside. [ removethe mulch near the hill and dig a hole large enough to hold threeor four pails of water and lay the nozzle in and let it run until the hole is full, and while it is filling dig more holes and fill in those that have been watered with mulch, but not with earth, so that next time you will have to take out the mulchonly. I lost mostof my blackberries in’95,as my well gave out entirely, it being what is known as a surface well, but since then I have put ina tubular well, with plenty of water, with tank sixteen feet above the highest land and shall use a small one- horse power, so I can have water whether the wind blows or not. I suppose you have read something about sub-irrigation. For such things as blackberries, raspberries and such bushes, that can stay for years in the same place I think it would be just the thing. I intend to try a few rows the coming spring. By plowing a ditch one foot deep and laying two inch tile in it where you wish to set the row, applying the water at the highest place in the row and fill- ing the tile from the tank as often as needed, it would be the cheapest and take less water than any other way. When the tile are once laid down, it will do for anything else for a long time. APPLE TREE LEAF FOLDER.—Apples and roses are also very fre- quently infested with a leaf-rolling caterpillar, belonging to the family of Tortricide. In some seasons the Russian apples are in- jured to such an extent as to lose all their leaves and are forced to do two years labor in one, which is of course very weakening to these plants. Roses that are not constantly watched will soon lose most of their leaves by such insects. Early and repeated applica- tions of Paris-green or London purple would prevent all these damages.—Minn. Ex, Station, Bulletin No, 43. 132 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. THE NEW HYBRID SAND CHERRY. H. KNUDSON, SPRINGFIELD. This new fruit, which was originated by me, is a cross (which [ made in the spring of 1891) between the sand cherry (Prunus pumila) and the Miner plum. It is botanically called a cherry. Years ago I received plants of the sand cherry, native to eastern Minnesota, from J. S. Harris, and latter on I read an article, written by Prof. J. L. Budd, stating that a cross, no doubt, could be made with it and the tame cherry, which I had imported from Denmark, Europe, in the spring of 1884. The Miner plum I had a year later, and have all these growing in my garden. I had determined to plant some sand cherry pits to see whether there would be any im- provements in that way. I thought of Prof. Budd’s article and that I would try the experiment. I had never done any such work and went atit in a somewhat rude manner. It was in the spring of 1891. I did not remove that part of the blossom which bears the pollen, except upon one blossom, that one being near the ground and cov- ered up with a leaf of the sand cherry. I took whole flowers from the Danish morello cherry and from the Miner plum, being the only ones to secure pollen from at that time. I applied the pollen of these, both at the same time, to the blossoms of the sand cherry and covered up this blossom on the sand cherry each time with this leaf, which naturally answered the purpose. I did this several times, now and then, after which I left it alone. The other blossoms on the sand cherry bush were not protected. The fruit from this protected blossom when ripe was much larger than the others on the bush, which were mostly carried away by birds, were small and I cared not so much for them. I planted the one I had protected by itself between two sticks, and from it came the hybrid. I did not think any more of what I had done till sometime after, in the spring of 1892, when this seedling came up, which reminded me of the crossing work I did in the spring of 1891; and when in 1894 this hybrid seedling fruited at three years old from the seed, every- thing showed that the sand cherry had partaken of the pollen from the Miner plum. The tree also fruited again this year (1895), in spite of the heavy freezing in May being the worst we ever had here and which ruined nearly all the other stone fruits I had on my place, in- cluding the choke cherry, bird cherry, sand cherry, four or five kinds of the tame cherry and many kinds of the native plum. The ‘crop from this, my hybrid sand cherry, exceeded by far that of last year, thus promising to be a productive variety and a sure fruiter, even when others fail, and a valuable tree to plant on this account alone, being so far the hardiest of all the stone fruits and a young and early bearer, and the fruit being the best in quality. The tree is of an upright growth and is,in itself, ornamental. It is some- thing entirely new, distinct and different from anything known or grown in the fruit line heretofore, a vigorous and healthy grower, and the tree and fruit are, so far, free from insects and disease, in short, free from all objections. Ithas the best root system, similar to that of the sand cherry, which it resembles in color of bark, leaf and THE NEW HYBRID SAND CHERRY. 133 fruit buds. The leaves are somewhat similar, but finely and evenly serrated, larger, more widened, but not so trough-like as those of the Miner plum. The form or shape of fruit is its own; skin very thin and free from all of the unpleasantness found in some of our other stone fruits, and the fruit can be used for most purposes for which our other stone fruits are used and will, no doubt, find ready sale in any fruit market, being an amber colored, even sized fruit, about one inch in diameter, more or less. soe The tree is not affected by our hot, cold, wet or dry seasons, neither by the sudden changes, but is well adapted to our climate and will grow where others fail. The fruit this year ripened nearly a week earlier than last year, coloring up the latter part of July. I picked ripe fruit the second or third of August, 1895. I had girdled a couple of small limbs to see its effect, and the fruit on these rip- ened about a week earlier, the last picking being on the 15th or 16th of August. The tree being shaded on the south and southwest by taller trees close by was the reason for the fruit not ripening up all at the same time. I have sent out samples of the fruit this year (1895) to several parties to get their opinion of it. The original tree (for certain rea- sons) is about six feet high now, is without thorns, is easily propa- gated by budding or grafting and unites well with the stocks of our native plums, possibly with other stone fruit stocks, and may pos- sibly be grown from cuttings in a moist soil. The original tree may be seen on my grounds; all are welcome to see it, and I will be pleased to showit. To those who may wish to know all the facts aud full information regarding this my “Hybrid Sand Cherry,” I will upon application for same explain it ifthe party is willing to pay postage on same, as this paper does not mention all the important points which would make the paper complete. THE PERKIN’S PROCESS OF PRESERVING FRUITS. REPORT OF PROFESSORS HILGARD AND SMITH. (Made to the California Fruit Growers’ Convention.) The process embraces two main points, to-wit: First—The longer preservation of the fruit by the effect of a slow current of air having a minimum temperature of 55° to a maximum of 65° Fahr. passing continuously over it. Second—The maintenance of this temperature at all times in the hot desert as well as in cold winters by appropriate means not in- volving the use of ice, the refrigeration being accomplished by the expansion of compressed air. The committee have not had the opportunity of witnessing the process in operation, and as regards the results must rely upon the statements of Dr. Perkins (the correctness of which they have no reason to doubt) and the testimony of one of their number, Professor Smith. The efficacy of a current of reasonably dry air in promoting the conservation of fruit so as to insure its arrival in good condition, even after a considerably longer transit than now commonly occurs, seems thus to be placed beyond doubt. Fruit thus conserved has q 134 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. the additional advantage that upon arrival at destination it will not under the influence of moist air become covered with condensed moisture, as inevitably happens when it has during transportation been maintained at a low temperature by refrigeration with ice. That such bedewing of the fruit is highly injurious to its keeping quality is well known. The Perkins process apparently obviates this difficulty and leaves the fruit to arrive and remain perfectly dry. It is but reasonable to suppose that its life will thus be ma- terially lengthened while in the hands of the dealer and consumer— an advantage which it is difficult to overestimate, especially if, as is claimed, fruit to be thus treated may be more fully matured at the time of shipment. As regards the second point, viz: the maintenance of the air cur- rent at the uniform temperature of say 55° to 60° without the aid of ice, even in the hot desert air, there is no question that it can be ac- complished by the means claimed, viz: the compression of air by means of a pump; then, after giving it time to cool down to the outside temperature—say 120° at most—allowing it to expand under proper conditions, reducing its temperature and, therefore,that of the air current to 55° or less. The proposition is theoretically sound, and it seems possible to make it practically feasible with perhaps only a slight addition to the weight of an ordinary car in the way of reservoirs and minor appliances, the exact arrangement, size and form of which must be determined by experience. As re- gards the maintenance of the same temperature in winter, there can be no difficulty about making the same appliances answer the pur- pose of heating by the addition of a steam coil or otherwise. We are, therefore, of the opinion that this invention deserves the most earnest consideration on the part of the fruit growers, trans- portation companies, and all interested in the fruit industry, since it appears to offer a simple and (as compared with the ice-refriger- ating process) inexpensive solution of the problems both of cheaper transportation and of better conservation of fresh fruit. THE ALICE GRAPE. (From report of a committee of the Southern Ulster, N. Y., Horticultural Society .) “ Of the fruiting vines there are about a dozen, including the orig- inal seedling. Their bearing capacity was not exaggerated by the specimen branch exhibited at the fair, all the vines showing a pro- lific crop. Its growth is remarkably strong, many branches of this season’s growth being a dozen feet long or more, the wood ripening up uniformly. The foliage is exceptionally healthy, the large, thick leaves plainly distinguish it from all other varieties and enable it to resist mildew and rot, which appear to have had little if any effect upon it, although the season has been remarkable for the prevalance of those maladies, which the vines of other varieties immediately adjoining plainly show. The berry is of good size, nearly as large as Concord, has a tough skin, without astring- ence; pulp meaty and tender; flavor fine and quality high; seeds few and small, ranging from 1 to 3, averaging about 2. It adheres ALICE GRAPE. THF A YOUNG FRUITING VINE OF THE ALICE GRAPE, FROM PHOTO., SHOWING FOLIAGE, PRODUCTIVENESS, ETC. firmly to the cluster, showing no indication or tendency to drop or shell. Its color is a pale red, but darker where grown in the shade of the foliage. The clusters are of medium size, generally slightly shouldered, compact, yet not so crowded as to cause dislocation of berries. Four clusters to the branch are often found, but more fre- quently three. The wood appears to be medium jointed, neither ee EE a 136 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. long or short—were it shorter than it is the clusters would neces- sarily crowd each other. “During the winter of ’85-86 a vine was left tied to the upper wire, and in the spring appeared alive to the terminal buds and set fruit throughout. “Your committee would say that this vine now has 68 clusters on it, probably weighing 25 pounds. One of the young vines (second year’s fruiting) shows 48 clusters, probably weighing 16 pounds, and a larger average than those shown at the fair. It appears to ripen with Concord, hold its fruit firmly, seems rich in saccharine, and has every appearance of being a long keeper and excellent ship- per.” ANTHRACNOSE OF THE RASPBERRY. (Gloeosporium venetum, Speg.) R. S. MACKINTOSH, ST. ANTHONY PARK. In considering the subject of anthracnose, we have to note the fact that it is a disease that has come upon us within recent years; not more than fourteen years ago it was first described briefly by Professor T. J. Burrell in the Agricultural Review, November, 1882. Probably the first detailed description was in the report of the De- partment of Agriculture in 1887, in which it states the territory over which it prevails. The following is part .. Mis, ig of the report that appeared in 1887 from y SH), . {4 the Department of Agriculture: \ eS fie “That the disease is directly due to the GQ 4 ¢/ a action of a fungus which is a true para- ah Ey site there can be no question. VEN it “On the Canes.—The fungus attacks x ») ~\ i both fruiting and non-fruiting canes or 1c * “e ; 142 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. at the station using the Bordeaux mixture, and with very fay- orable results, indeed, but I found that after I had renewed a bed by burning it off that it destroyed about all the fungus, so that we had very little trouble with it. Since we have been burning off our beds, we have very little trouble, although this year I noticed some in spots. My new bed is clean. I find burning to be very reliable, as it destroys the fungus. Mr. Kellogg: When would you make the application? Prof. Green: I should begin in the summer or earlier, just as soon as the mulching is removed. I think we should wait until they start to grow a little. There is no use in putting on the Bordeaux mixture as a remedy; itis nota remedy. Inregard to the snowy tree cricket, we have had them more or less at the farm, and I have had them sent to me from a good many sec- tions of the country. It is sometimes quite injurious, so far as I know, as this gentleman from Wisconsin has said. We have it for a few years, and then it disappears, probably due to some parasite, then it comes back again, and, as Mr. Cook says, it works in almost anything, but I think Mr. Cook is a little mis- taken in his description of the mature cricket. It is that green insect that gets in the house in the fall of the year and makes a chirping noise. Mr. Kimball: What have you to say about the anthracnose? Prof. Green: I saw Mr. Mackintosh’s paper, and I think that about covers it. I believe the best treatment is to apply sulphate of copper, one pound of sulphate to twenty-five gal- lons of water, and spray the canes before they are laid down. That killseverything. After it gets to the inside it may work in winter. In the spring of the year, I believe it would bea grand idea to spray with sulphate of copper. The Bordeaux mixture is a very good remedy and safe. One thing about it is that Bordeaux mixture will burn the leaves on the old growth but not on the new growth. The new growth seems to have the power of resisting its effects more than the old growth. The time to spray is just when the shoots are coming out of the ground, and perhaps after, but if you leave it until later the new wood will get up in the old wood, and you cannot reach it without getting it on the old wood, when it will burn the leaves on the old wood. Use that treatment, and it will cure anthrac- nose completely. In the Hastern states, it is a good deal worse than itis here. I visited Prof. Maynard in Massachusetts, and he showed me some blackberries, and he said the only thing he could keep them healthy with was the Bordeaux mixture. About this leaf curl, no one knows anything about it. We do not know the real history of it. I can remember as long ago as 1882 it was very injurious. WhenI found it so bad here, I wrote to Prof. Bailey, of Cornell, but he could give me no in- formation—he had never heard anything about it. This sum- mer I was at the Geneva station and looked it over with Prof, Beach, and while we were walking along I asked him if they had the leaf curl; he said they had none of it. I asked him to wait a few moments while I looked at his raspberries. 1 saw his Cuthberts were diseased, and I asked him what it was, and he said it was leaf curl, the first he had ever seen. \ s THE DALLES OF THE ST. CROIX. “THE DALLES OF THE ST. CROIX.” FRANK H. NUTTER, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, MINNEAPOLIS. To most of the inhabit- ants of Minnesota and Wisconsin, the locality of which we write is an unknown one, or at best onlyremembered on those occasions when the papers call attention to the fact that so many million feet of logs,“the largest jam on record,” have accumulated inthe Dalles of the St. Croix, and the lumbermen and river-drivers are sum- moned to their danger- ous task of “breaking the jam”; and it willcomeas a new revelation to be as- sured that probably no- where else in the state can there be found with- in a similarly circum- scribed area so much of interest to the scientist, the artist or the ordinary tourist in search of rest and recreation. wre | » gt i as nt ad rer b 4, a ,, w=? In the Dalles 143 144 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. The geologist, with these basaltic cliffs fora text, can take us back in imagination to the time when the earth opened, and from beneath the powers of fire forced up the molten lava which now forms the extensive “trap dykes” which traverse this section of the country; and then in more recent periods show us the roaring torrent of the river, as it slowly wore away the gorge through which it now flows, while in some of the eddies stones revolving with the motion of the water grad- ually cut out and polished the “potholes,” or “wells,” which are now found near the village of Tavlor’s Falls and regarded as such curi- osities. These “wells,” Below thieDallos: bored into the solid trap rock, vary from six inches to four or five feet in diameter and from two to thirty feet in depth, and in their grooved and waterworn sides give evidence of the method by which they were made. If we follow a short distanee down the river, we reach a different scene; the trap rock with its fantastic forms is left behind, and we are confronted with cliffs of white or colored sandstone, towering above us per- pendicularly; and here our iso oC. Our can point out to us the for- ces of nature still at work, for we find the springs and little streams ge AC oe re Bog down the face of the cliff, gradually Cetin o> Lt back in pla- ; cea in thie Bian Pies form of a nat- In the Dalles, i ala gett ee Soe ee | - THE DALLES OF THE ST. CROIX. 145 ural amphitheatre, and we note that even the green moss which drapes the sandrock is gradually disintegrating it aud preparing it asan ingred- ient of the soil. The botanist also finds int- eresting specimens here for his study, for we are assured that almost every species of plant known in this latitude may be found among these hills and gorges, while in the moist shade of the ledges rare and striking varieties of ferns are growing, and in the forest fine specimens of our native trees are seen. As may be ex- pected, the larger pines are i} mostly removed, but young ~ seedlings, abounding in spots, give promise that their places may at length be filled again. The naturalistis also afford- ed objects for study, whatever his special field may be; the fisherman may choose from the “channel cat-fish” of the The Sentinel. In the Dalles. river gorge, the bass of the neighboring lake or the trout of the tributary brooks; while the artist revels in the riches set before him, either in the sparkling rapids, the dark depths of the river in the Dal- les, the craggy hills or the fan tastic rock forms, some of which are shown in the ac- companying illustrations. The so-called “practical man” has also looked upon these cliffs and announced that in connection with con- venient means of transporta- tion they may be profitably attacked with dynamite, and with the aid of the stone crush- er made to serve our day and generation in macadamizing city streets. Fortunately this . eg project did not’. materialize, The Devil’s Chair. In the Dalles. 146 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. but it worked good in that it created an interest in preserving this beauty spot, and,though time was short, legislative action was taken in Minnesota, under which a tract of about 150 acres has already been secured by the state. This will preserve the “Upper Dalles” from desecration, but it does not include the sandstone cliffs or the “Tower,or Franconia, Dalles’ which are also wonderfully picturesque. Toembrace these,about 200 acres more should be added to the state’s present possessions, which, as it is most of it almost valueless for agricultural purposes,may be purchased for an almost nominal sum, The legislature of Wisconsin at its last session, at the eleventh hour, took similar action to that of our own state, but nothing has as yet been done in the way of securing any of the land, but some action will probably be taken ere many months more elapse. On the Wisconsin side of the river the scenery is somewhat different from that on the western bank, but with its semi-mountainous hills enclosing a beautiful small lake, and its wooded meadows opposite to the frowning sandstone bluffs of Minnesota, it is an admirable complement in the way of landscape effects, and it is to be hoped that in designating the lands to be taken the Wisconsin commis- sioners may be prompted to take a broad and liberal view of the matter. It is, of course, unnecessary in this connection to enlarge on the desirability of preserving intact for future generations this spot, which one well fitted to judge has pronounced “the most pictur- esque locality this side of the Yellowstone Park,” but we would urge attention to the fact that official action in a matter like this rarely goes much in advance of public sentiment; so let all interested plead with their local representatives and senators and those in places of influence to do all that they can to forward this matter; and if any of our readers are citizens of Wisconsin let them do the same,that the “Inter-State Park at the Dalles of the St. Croix,’ may be one that both states may rightly be proud of. ' THE NEW STRAWBERRY CULTURE. At the last meeting of the Western New York Horticultural Soci- ety, Mr. L. J. Farmer,a strawberry specialist, explained his new system of managing strawberries. Instead of setting the plants as early in spring as possible in the more or less carefully pre- pared patch,as is usually done, he first trenches them in rather closely together, leaving them there until late in May, altogether perhaps six weeks, during which time they are given frequent spray- ings with the Bordeaux mixture for leaf blight, if at all affected. The job of trenching in is done in the simplest manner, by plowing a furrow and setting the plants to the landside, about twelve plants to the running foot, then covering with the hoe. During all this time, the land intended for the strawberry patch may be plowed and cultivated frequently to bring into fine tilth and to destroy all early weeds that may have germinated. The plants are then carefully removed from the trench with a lump of earth adhering to the roots and planted the usual way. The fine rootlets, which began to grow while the plant was trenched, will enable it to bear removal and replanting more successfully than if planted directly from the nursery, and they will grow at once with scarcely any failure. TOPWORKING THE APPLE. TOPWORKING THE APPLE. A. J. PHILIPS, WEST SALEM, WIS. Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: When first asked by your secretary to present a paper on this important subject, my first thought was to politely decline, as I had talked of it 80 much at your meetings that it would only bea repetitionof what I had before said, but when I took into consideration the many inquiries I am con- stantly receiving, both from Minnesota and Wisconsin, on this branch of horticulture and the great importance I place on it in my own or any other orchard in a trying Climate, I concluded to accept the invitation, and the resuit is I am here, and if I can create any new interest or throw any new light on it so that Northwestern horticulture may be advanced, then I am well paid forcoming. At the outset I will say that what I offer in this line will be largely the results in my own orchard, as I have more of this work there than I have seen in any other orchard in the state, experimental or other- wise; and, further, I shall have to be guarded in my remarks and not give an exaggerated account of it, as during the past year two of your members, Mr. F. G.Gould and Mr. C. W. Sampson, visited my place; Prof. Goff of Wisconsin, also visited the orchard and gave an account of what he saw in your magazine last fall. I will briefly outline the subject and then will try and answer any questions on it. We are drilled to be brief at our institutes for lack of time, and twenty to twenty-five minutes is about all a fruit man can have. Mr. Wyman Elliot: I want to interrupt you to ask a ques- tion. Why can’t you have more than twenty-five minutes. Mr. Philips: Well, the rank and file of the people do not care for horticulture, and our programe are all printed, and all we can get in our institutes on horticulture must be limited to that time. I told the people in one place if they would appoint the second even- ing for horticulture they could have the whole management of the meeting. Well, we held the meeting,and Mr. Coe was there with me,and they kept him on the floor for over an hour answering ques- tions, and I spoke to them awhile, and we had a two hours meeting. Three weeks after that, they held a meeting to re-organize the society, and they asked me to come down and talk to them. I did so, and when on the floor I said: “Ladies end gentlemen, I do not know just what to say; I was here three weeks ago and told all I knew. If I could re- member what I said to you then, I might say something tonight that would interest you.” The president rose and said: “Mr. Philips, you need not stop on that account, because that doesn't make any differ- ence. I was there and I don’t remember a word you said.” (Great laughter). Now,if you do not remember what I say about topwork- ing, you will not be much the wiser. I have been grafting and bud- ding and talking it for over twenty years, and I do not know any one in the state that is doing as much of itasIam. You tell people to topwork, and they say it is too much work. Mr. Wilcox, of La Crosse, was the first one at our meetings to advocate it; that good old man urged it years ago, and we only laughed at him, but after a while we had to come to it. 148 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. The first time I was impressed with the idea of doing it was at your meeting held at Rochester, the year you offered the premium for the best essay on topworking. That year I bought some Virginia crab trees from Mr. Grimes. Mr. Sias gave a $5.00 premium to the one who could show the best growth of an apple tree. He had a shoot of the Virginia crab that had grown five and one-half feet that season. That convinced me that it was vigorous. I went home and topworked five different trees. When I get hold of something new, I am anxious to get it to growing as soon as possible, so I secured scions and topworked as soon as I could. I topwork for several reasons, and the first is to increase hardiness;I have proved that to my entire satisfaction. Then I topwork to increase longevity, and I have abundant proof that it does that. I topwork to increase pro- ductiveness, and I have proof that it does that. I topwork to in- crease the size and quality of the fruit, and I have proof that it does both. I wrote two years ago to Prof. Bailey, of Cornell,—he wanted some leaves and fruit of the Virginia crab—I sent him some—he wanted to see some fruit that had been topworked. I sent him an Utter’s Red, Wolf River, McMahon White and Wealthy. ThenI sent him the same number of specimens that grew on their own roots of the same varieties. His answer was this, that every apple of the topworked trees was as good in quality as it was on its own roots, and he said he thought the McMahon White was a little better. I topwork to increase size. I took those four varieties because they had such good fruit. I have trees in my orchard topworked on the Virginia crab, labelled “for exhibition purposes.” I get better spec- imens. I took to our fair last year topworked specimens of Utter’s Red that were the finest [saw there. In regard to the quality, I do not see why the quality should deteriorate any, for the reason that the Virginia when ripe is of a good quality. Now, to tell you or to show you that I believe what I preach, I will say that for three or four years I have been setting two hundred trees a year. They are Hibernal, Duchess, Longfield and McMahon, but every alternate tree is a Virginia crab. People might think we were going to havea large lot of Virginia crabs, but I topwork them as soon as they are fit. I have topworked trees there that will stay. Now, I said a moment ago that I topworked to increase longevity. Fifteen years ago I had about fifty Haas trees on their own roots, beginning to bear, and I also had five trees of the Haas topworked that began to bear about the same time. Last year every single one of those Haas trees on their own roots was dead and gone, but the topworked trees are still there and bear fruit. A Fameuse tree that Uncle Wilcox gave me fifteen years ago is still bearing; it was top- worked. There is abundant evidence that we can increase the life of a tree by topworking. As Mr. Owen said last night, people will rot pay much attention to what you say. If a man should come down to my orchard, as Mr. Sampson and Mr. Gould did, and see the evi- dence in favor of topworking, he would make up his mind there was something in it, Mr. Pearce: Did you ever investigate the effect that top- grafting had on the roots? EE TOPWORKING THE APPLE. 149 Mr. Philips: No, I have not; my observations have been on the tops that are in sight and fill the barrels. Mr. Pearce: Do you believe where you cut a limb off your graft, new roots come out and the old roots die? Mr. Philips: I don’t know anything about that. Mr. Harris: Week before last I dug up a Russian apple tree © that I had purchased from Mr. Budd twelve to fifteen years ago, and there was a dead limb on that tree, and I found the root of that tree under that dead limb was dead clear up to the trunk of the tree. That root was one and one-half inches in diameter and was dead. I suppose all the roots were dead, but the root that was right under the limb, right exactly under the limb I cut off, was clear dead and beginning to decay. Mr. Pearce: I have found this to be a fact, that the best trees I have in my orchard are trees that have been mutilated. Mr. Richardson: I cut off the limb of a tree about two years ago because it was in my way. The wound was healing over nicely, but the root was dead to the trunk of the tree. Mr. Pearce: I was with Mr. Harris some years ago, and on every tree he had topworked we found every root dead six inches below the ground. Evéry time you put a graft in the tree, if one limb is grafted the lower part dies and new roots must put out. If you graft the whole tree, all the roots die and new ones put out. Now I quit it. I have some samples of trees here that I have grafted,and I never lose aroot. If you wish to see them, I will pass them around and let you examine them. Mr. Wm. Somerville: That is not my experience. I hardly can agree with Mr. Pearce that it will kill a tree to cut the top off, because I have grafted trees, that is, stumps, where I cut the whole top off, and where the stump was three or four inches in diameter, and those trees are as good trees as I have got on my place, and they have been grafted in that form. I have cut the whole top off, and I have put in as many as six or eight scions in the top of that stump, and if they grew 1 would leave all grow the first summer, and then I would cut one by one off, until I would leave but one of those scions to grow, and I would put those others down to receive the sap so that I would not have a dead place on the side of the stump. In my orchard I can show you a number of trees where I have cut the whole top off and stuck them full of scions, and they are just as good as any other tree. 150 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Mr. Philips: Is that Malinda tree that bore the twenty-five bushels grafted in that way? Mr. Somerville: Yes, that is grafted right on the stump. I have a number of trees in my orchard in the same fix. It cer- tainly did not kill the roots, or they never could have lived. I do not like to think that of the trunk, and if I had done that, according to Mr. Pearce and Mr. Harris, the tree would have died. Let me tell yousome more. Some fourteen years ago, I had some Transcendent crab trees, and they branched down near the ground, and one side fell right off and split down to the ground. I let it lay until the next spring, and I told my men I wanted that thing up, we would raise it up. We raised it up and I tied the tree together with a chain at the top, and I set a scion right in one side of the tree and run it up to the other side and let it stay there two years, and by that time it had taken a pretty good hold, and I am right sure it is now all of five inches across, and now no one could pull the tree apart. In my orchard I take a sprout across and put it on the other side. Have you ever tried that, Prof. Hansen? I have a num- ber of trees large and small, and when I find a water sprout coming out of one trunk I take thy knife and put it right across on the other side, and it holds together there in very fine shape. It was a new thing for me when I first tried it. I had never seen the like, and I was going to see how it would do. I fol- lowed it with all my trees and have them tied together in that form. Mr. Brackett: Didn’t new bark come in the split of the fork? Mr. Somerville: It is assolid there now as in any other part of the tree. You would have to look pretty sharp to find it now. I have others as large as my arm that have been put in since then. Mr. S. D. Richardson: Did the split at the bottom of the tree ever heal over? Mr. Somerville: Oh, yes; you cannot tell that there was ever anything the matter with that tree. For fear that | might leave a wrong impression here today in regard to what I said yester- day of the number of bushels of apples that grew on my place, I wish to explain my statement. I said we raised 1,500 bushels. That is, if they had all matured, but there were lots knocked off. I did not sell that many this year. Some storms we had blew them off immature. We did not get one-half that number of bushels of ripe apples. Thus, whether I intended it or not, TOPWORKING THE APPLE. 151 I thought it might leave a wrong impression, that I sold so many bushels of apples. Pres. Underwood: Are there any other questions on this topic? Mr. Wedge: What time of the year should this topworking be done? Mr. Pearce: Itshould be done in the spring when the growth keeps right along. Topworking can be done from early spring until June. Mr. Philips: I use the Virginia crab—lI like to have about four limbs for a head; I prefer thatto more. I bud the trees in August, and then in the spring I examine them, and usually sixty per cent of them live. I leave them until they grow a little, and then I cut the limbs off. The bud takes possession, and in the fall it will heal over. Pres. Underwood: You prefer to bud the limbs rather than the body? Mr. Philips: Yes, I prefer to work in the limbs rather than in the body. The point in topworking the Virginia crab is to have a horizontal limb; then the tree will not split down. Mr. Brackett: You bud instead of graft? Mr. Philips: I bud as many asI graft. I did do some whip grafting, but I do not get as good and thrifty a growth as by a cleft graft. Pres. Underwood: What is the Virginia crab? Mr. Philips: I guess you have asked me a question I cannot answer. I think the first man who introduced it here was Mr. Grimes. I was at Mr. Lord’s ten years ago, and we were talk- ing about topworking. He said he had a letter on topworking from N. K. Fluke, of Iowa, and he read the letter to me, and I could not have better expressed my views on the subject than he did in that letter on topworking. Itis about fifteen years ago since I commenced topworking the Virginia, and I have fol- lowed it up. Mr. Pearce says he has given it up. Iam more impressed with its value than I ever was. I do not know of any way in which I can leave my boys a better orchard. Col. Stevens: The Virginia crab was introduced into Min- nesota from Illinois, and into Illinois from Virginia. It was brought from Virginia aboutforty yearsago. I have a history of the tree; I think it was published. It was not a wild crab tree by any means. It was a seedling of an apple, not a crab, that grew in the hilly country of Virginia. Mr. Philips: Prof. Budd thinks it is the wild crab of Russia. 152 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Mr. A. F’. Collman: A few years ago I brought some Vir- ginia crab trees, and I planted 700 in my orchard which I ex- pected to topwork, and I felt as though I had an elephant on my hands, but when I saw Mr. Philips was on your program I knew I would be much interested in what he had to say about topworking. Mr Philips has had a good deal of experience. Ido not believe in healing over a wound. I do not think it pays to get the bark to cover a wound, because where there is a dead spot in the body it will decay. I think if Mr. Somer- ville would saw his tree in two, he would find there was a dead spot there and very little sap wood. We know in cleft graft- ing you can split the tree and insert a graft and let a little air in there. Now it is a question whether it will heal up perfectly sound, and I have not practiced it, because I have some doubts about grafting that way; so I have adopted a new way. I side graft. I take a good, sharp knife and cut into the bark, make a little wedge scion and put it in slanting. I make it on the upper side of the limb, next year I can cut off the limb, and that makes a perfect union. I would like to know if Mr. Phil- ips ever practiced that? Mr. Philips: Speaking about healing over, if I have a horse . cut on a wire fence I want that wound to heal over. Thatsame question was raised last summerby aman. Healso did not be- lieve there was a perfect union. I told him I had a number of those topworked trees, and I would cut one to satisfy him. I cut one in two, and it was as perfectly solid where that graft was putin as it could be. The air had been excluded and the wound had healed over perfectly. You cut a limb off slanting on the under side and there is no chance for air to get in, and no chance for decay. I have practiced the other way a little, but I like my own way better, and I can do it faster. I haveno objection to side grafting at all. You put it on the top of the limb, and it gives a nice union. Mr. Harris: That side grafting is the best way for plums. Mr. Collman: A year ago last March I topworked a plum scion on one I knew was perfectly good, and it made a growth of five inches that season and matured eight plums on that little twig. Prof. N. E. Hansen: Don’t you think budding is the best way to topwork the Virginia? Mr. Philips: Well, yes; I do. I am sixty years old, andl want to see all the good done I can. I put the buds in in the falland graft the next spring to change them as soon as possible, : es TOPWORKING THE APPLE, If I was young I would practice budding altogether. If I were a young man, from fifteen to twenty years old I would start an orchard on those lines. Mr. Theilmann: WhenIwas a young boy in the old country, I also learned topgrafting. The question comes up here about this topgrafting and healing up sound and solid. That seems to be the question before the house now. I grafted trees in the old country, where I put in 150 scions on one tree, and I have grafted hundreds of trees where I put in from 25 to 150 limbs. All the people that come over tell me that those trees are all sound and bearing very heavy every year. So they must be sound, or else they would not bear. I split limbs and put in my grafts. As far as my knowledge is concerned, that would settle the question, but whether the climate here would be so well adapted to the trees as the climate where I came from, I do not know. Mr. Wedge: I would like to ask Prof. Hansen if he saw the Virginia crab in Russia? Prof. Hansen: I saw a good many there, but I am unable to say if it was the same. I did not examine closely enough for that. Mr. Pearce: Ido not wish to take up any time. The roots are the foundation of all fruit trees. Every fruit tree has got to have three classes of roots. In the first place, there are the feeders, then the secondary roots, and third the tap roots. If the ground is suitable they godowndeep. And there is but one cut of the root that is fit to graft. That is the first cut. That contains all the elements that go to make a perfect tree. Anything below that will be abnormal, and the roots will be mixed together and allinferior. Hereis a double-worked tree (showing a specimen). I have been in the business eight years, and I know a little something about it. That tree will stand drouth. Last season it was very dry, and they made a wonder- ful growth. Mr. Kimball: In setting out topworked stock, do you set them out as whip stocks, dr wait until they throw out two or three limbs? Mr. Philips: I wait until they throw out limbs. Mr. Kimball: The whip stocks do not give as good results? Mr. Philips: Not in my experience. Mr. Kimball: Did you ever find any trouble with rust in the Virginia? Mr. Philips: I never have. 154 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY Mr. Kimball: Mr. Cotta, of Illinois, told me he had discard- ed the Virginia. Mr. Philips: Mr. Phoenix wrote to me he had discarded it because of blight. He used the Shield’s crab. I asked him how long either of them had been bearing. I thought I could learn something. I found he had never fruited an apple on either of those stocks, so I concluded my experience was worth more than his. The Virginia is good enough for me. Mr. Smith: I got a letter from parties down there giving the same recommendation for the Shieid’s ashe had. I got five hundred, and I do not want any more. They blighted as bad as the Transcendent. They were not a vigorous grower. Pres. Underwood: Would it not be a better way for the nuurserymen to set out the Virginia crab and get them started? Mr. Philips: That is the way; buy your Virginia crabs of the nurserymen, and then you can bud them to suit yourselves. Mr. Kimball: You take the rank and file, and the question is to get it before the people. Topworking trees is all right, but how are we going to get the people to take advantage of it? It is an easy matter to topwork or graft, but how are the people going to know how to do it? Mr. Philips: I said when I commenced, it is a hard subject to get before the people. I show aman my trees and tell him just how the thing is done, and the chances are he’ll say, ‘‘I would not go to all that trouble; I would rather buy my apples.” There is no way of getting it before the people, if they don’t care to know anything about it. Mr. C. L. Smith: The way to get this before the people, to get them interested in horticulture, is to write it up and spread it before them through the public press. This matter came up last winter, and I had a short sketch in the paper, and I got a number of inquiries from farmers’ boys who wanted to know something about grafting, and at an expense of a few cents I sent them a few grafts and buddings to show them how it was done, and they did some grafting, and I have reports from four boys in Minnesota who did successful grafting, and if we do a little work in that direction we can get it before the people. We must agree on what is the proper thing to do; if one says this, and another says that, our instruction will fall flat. If we agree on what is the right thing and then spread it before the people through the public press, we will accomplish some good, because the boys in Minnesota are taking an interest in horti- culture; and if we answer that question intelligently, we shall soon have them doing good grafting. Mrs. Kennedy: One of the best ways to get it before the public would be at the institutes; have a little grafting done there. Thatis where our boys all go, they go to those insti- tutes, and if they cou!d have twenty minutes or half an hour’s instruction, they could learn more in that time than by all the reading they could do in the public press. An object lesson of twenty minutes would do more good than any amount of read- ing. ._ Mr. Kimball: As I said before, the question is, getting it be- fore the people. I think we must send out reading matter to the people and educate them as fast as wecan. I would like to assist the rank and file to a more hardy and better tree. Pres. Underwood: We do not want to keep the same ones talking all the time, and I would be glad to give an opportunity to those who have not spoken on this subject. Mr.G. J. Kellogg: The Shield’s makes the nicest tree. The Virginia is good, but I prefer the Shield’s. In answer to Mrs. Kennedy’s suggestion, I would not ask the conductor's permis- sion to show the boys how to graft; I would do it without his permission. Pres. Underwood: I think Mrs. Kennedy’s suggestion is most practical, and I hope Mr. Wedge will follow her sugges- tion and make an opportunity for educating the people of our state in this matter. Mr. Wedge: I am very glad to get these suggestions, and am glad that you feel free in giving them to me, but the way our institutes are conducted it is not always possible to follow out the suggestions. At some time when it is convenient, I would like four or five minutes time to say a few words in re- gard to my experience on the institute corps, and to ask some questions. IMPROVING THE LAWN. In looking over the lawn in the early spring, one is likely to find little hills and hollows that greatly marits beauty. Places not over an inch or two below the level may have sufficient soil put on to even them up, and the grass will readily come through. Where a deeper filling is required, the sod must be taken up,rolled to one side and soil putin to bring it toa level. The sod is then to be rolled back to its place and pounded down with the back of the spade. Where the soil is too high, the sod isto be taken off, the surplus earth removed, and then the sod is put in place as above. An inexperienced person will be surprised to see what a little labor will accomplish. 7 SST ! us CA , : , 156 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. GRAFTING, CONTINUED. J. S. HARRIS, LA CRESCENT. Last month we treated of whip-grafting as practiced in the propa- gation of nursery trees by root-grafting on yearling seedling stocks. Itis at the same time the simplest and best of all methods of topgrafting young orchard trees in the branches or the trunks where the place for inserting the graft is less than one-half inch in diameter. For grafting in the top of small trees,select a branch of suitable size and cut it off atthe point where it appears best to fix the graft (a,fig. 1); then, with a sharp, thin knife, make a diagonal cut beginning from an inch to an inch and a half below according to size of stock and scion and extending to the end (b, fig. 1); next make a slit in this cut extend- ing from the center downward one- half an inch or more (c, fig. 1). Cut the scion (fig. 2) so as to have about three buds; then shape the lower end with a smooth, sloping cut about the same length as on the stock, and cut a tongue (f, fig. 2) upward so that it will fit in the downward slit (c, fig. 1) of stock, Now put the scion and stock to- gether, interlocking the tongues (d, fig. 1) and pressing them firmly together, making the inner bark of the scion and stock exactly fit, at least on one side. Next care- fully wind about them some cotton or woolen yarn to hold them in place, and cover the place of union with grafting wax (g, fig. 1) or, if they are wrapped with a narrow strip of waxed cloth, as with root- grafts, the tying with yarn will not be necessary. The operation is done exactly the same whether done on the trunk of a small tree or on the limbs of a large one, as shown in figs. 7, 8 and 9. For this climate, the trees operated on should be of un- doubted hardiness and in thrifty con- dition, CLEFT-GRAFTING. es) Cleft-grafting is as easy but a more 72 7 Tre 8 clumsy method than whip, or tongue, 7; ie grafting, but the cut end of the stock never knits with the center partof the wood above and literally remains dead wood. The union of the two takes place in the inner bark, and, although subsequent PP Re wliteen| yer growth spreads out and covers the wound,the union is compara- — tively weak, and decay is liable to begin before it is accomplished; hence, in this climate this method should not be practiced, except on trees or branches that have become too large for working by the other method. GRAFTING. 157 Tools. In addition to a sharp knife for preparing the scions, a fine saw with the teeth set rather wide will be needed for taking off the limbs; a chisel grafting knife or strong butcher knife will answer for splitting the limb; a mallet and wooden or iron wedge for open- ing the cleft will also be needed. The practical operation consists in first sawing off the limb or trunk at the front where the graft is desired; if on a limb, usually leaving about six inches below to the point where it joins on to the tree (a, fig. 14), choosing a smooth, straight part and smoothing the edges over with a sharp knife. Sec- ond, place the chisel or knife across the end of the butt and with a few moderate blows of the mallet split it to the extent of an inch or or two (b, fig. 14), A scionis prepared by cutting its lower part to the shape of a long wedge (fig.15), taking care to have a : bud (b, fig. 15) at the base of the scion me” above the wedge. It is customary to make the edge of the wedge opposite to this bud slightly thinner than the other. Next spring open the cleft sufficiently to receive the scions by driving the wooden wedge in the center, when the scion is inserted with the bud b outward. The inner bark of the scion and stock must exactly meet, as in other methods of grafting. The opening wedge is now withdrawn, and the scions are held quite firmly in place(c, fig. 14). The whole wounded portion must now be covered with grafting wax (d, fig. 14), and over that itis well to wrap waxed cloth. It is customary to insert two scions in stocks that are an inch or more in diameter, one to be cut away afterward if both live. When small stocks are cleft-grafted, ranging from one-half to one and one-fourth inches in diameter, itis better to make a sloping cut on one side of the stock, beginning an inch to an inch anda half below and cutting up to the center, as shown at a, fig. 16; then split the stock just at one side of the pith (b, fig. 16) and hold the cleft open with a knife or chisel until the scion is inserted with the lower bud outside and just at the top of the cleft, and wax or wrap with waxed cloth (a, fig. 17). But one scion is required, || and the wound heals over and makes a better union than when two scions are set in one stock. The renewal, or topworking, of a tree of any considerable size j should not all be done at once i eR Fug IE. but should extend over two or three seasons. Beginning with the upper part is most usually recommended, but we prefer working the lower branch first. Where a tree is entirely worked over in one year, it is best to leave some of the original top to act as a safety valve and prune it away grad- ually afterwards. [riz ral a } n° “- 158 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. NOTES FROM THE FARMERS’ INSTITUTE. CLARENCE WEDGE, LECTURER ON HORTICULTURE, ALBERT LEA. We suspect that there is beginning to be a wearisome sameness in these reports, and that our members have had about enough of measurements of apple trees and reports on blight, drouth and sun- scald. But we trust that the names of parties interested and more or less successful in our art and some report of their progress in the different sections of the state may prove of value, at least for future reference and encouragement. While at Shakopee, we had the pleasure of spending the night with Osburn Cummins, of Wash- burn,who is particularly interested in trying to grow some of the half- hardy fruits by bending them to the groundand covering with litter. He also has some of the Russian and other apples on trial. Al- though on elevated ground, the subsoil is of a dry, gravelly char- acter, and the apple trees show the want of a congenial soil, though given excellent care, by their lack of thrift and vigor and inclination to weakness and disease. We noted the Hibernal and the Bode, bearing trees, looking as wellasany. Mr. Cummins is devoting much intelligent care and thought and not a little en- thusiasm to his fruit garden and orchard, and our society should keep in close touch with his work. While at New Ulm,in company with Martin Penning and C, W. H. Heideman, we visited the orchard of H. C. Miller, about one mile east of New Ulm, considered one of the best in that section. We found the orchard on an east slope well up on the brow of the bluff overlooking the Minnesota. The trees have held on well, and are simply dying from lack of moisture and consequent loss of thrift, — finishing their career with sunscald and general decay. We noted Duchess of thirty-three inches girth, Whitney very perfect, twenty- eight inches, Minnesota crab in good condition. The orchard is not cultivated and presents a very dilapidated appearance. Within the limits of the city, we visited Chas. Wagoner’s place, where we found a Duchess tree thirty-three inches, in perfect condi- tion, that two years ago bore twelve to thirteen bushels of apples; also a fine Minnesota, twenty-four inches, not as yet a heavy bearer butin very perfect health. These fine trees have nothing favorable in their environment but are in the midst of a garden and ina soil that seems to have a reasonable degree of moisture, as is evidenced by a fine thrifty plum grove near by, and by the bright healthy green of the evergreens about the place. Mr. H. Knudson’s place, at Springfield, abounded in interesting young trees in great variety. We noted that he had several seed- lings already started from his now famous Hybrid Sand Cherry, showing that the cross was not violent enough to render it sterile. He has also the seed from other crosses planted, and hopes for still more of value for our climate. Mr. K. speaks of the quality of his hybrid,now named “Compass,”in the highest terms,and we hope his labors may be rewarded both by a general recognition of his work and by a satisfactory pecuniary compensation. In the prairie sections of the state, the groves that have become established are very generally used as pastures for stock of different LINGS. * REPORT ON SEED kinds and are suffering from this unwise and uunatural treatment. We have earnestly recommended that every hoof be kept out of the groves and shelter trees, but have been somewhat in doubt as to the injury that the hog mightdo. While at Pipestone, we were very glad to learn the experience of Mr. A. E. Gilmore on this point. He had enclosed a portion of his fine grove of box elder and ash with his hog pasture, and had observed during the past season that the foliage of the portion so pastured had a distinctly yellow and poor look in comparison with the rest of the grove. REPORT ON SEEDLINGS, APRIL 1, 1896. J. S. HARRIS. BUTTERMORE’S SEEDLING APPLE. At the late meeting of the State Horticultural Society held in Min- neapolis, a fine plate of seedling apples was exhibited by Robert H. Buttermore, of Lake City, Minn. We learn from Mr. B., that the tree producing them is about twenty-four years old and has been bearing fifteen or sixteen years and, he thinks, has not missed a single cropinthattime. Onyears when he has had but few Duchess or other kinds, this seedling has produced good crops of nice fruit. It has never shown any blight, and he considers it the hardiest tree on his place. It was not affected by the frosts of the last two years like his other hardy varieties. I examined a specimen of the apples about the 20th of February. Thesize was (6), or large medium; form roundish oblate;color green,overspread with thin brownish red with afew brighter red splashes on the sun side; stem short, medium elastic, set in a broad, medium deep cavity, greenish russeted at the bottom; calyx closed, in a broad, medium deep, irregularly wrinkled basin; flesh yellowish green, nearly fine; flavor pleasant acid; core small and closed; season, probably January to March. The buds and young wood do not show the slightest injury or discoloration from the last winter. THE OKABENA APPLE. I received a box of specimens of the above variety from President Underwood on March 12th that were in fine condition. He writes that they were picked and put into cold storage for a time, but for the last three months were kept in boxes inadry cellar. The Oka- bena is one of our most beautiful apples. Size, from medium to large; form smooth, oblate; color yellowish green, pinky and crim- son in stripes and splashes; core small; flesh yellowish white, fine; flavor pleasant, sub-acid. The tree is a strong symmetrical grower. Origin, Worthington, Minn., from seed procured of Peter M. Gideon, of Excelsior. NATIVE PLUM, BRITTLEWOOD NO. 1. We learn from the originator, Theo. Williams, Bensen, Neb., that the Brittlewood plum mentioned on page 380, magazine for October, 1895, is a pure P. Americana, and hence it ought to prove hardy over the whole Northwest. He has never propagated the variety for sale. He writes that he has some other seedlings and some hybrids that promise to be very valuable, and promised to furnish samples of the fruit in its season. 160 From American Gardening, issue of Feb. 22, 1896. KITCHEN GARDEN PLANTING TABLE. A guide to the proper times for sowing of various seeds in order to obtain a continuous succession of crops. MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY VEGETABLES aes IN THE Er | esiclites sj 3/2]: KITCHEN GARDEN.| 2} #/ 2 | ‘a aj2|as a/o!lS HIliklal< Artichoke, American..|....]-.-.|---- .) x EON COiae=<\|\<2'r< 4 B é PASDATALUS occ ceies sc ceca elesllisinee Beans, Bush. . 6|6/|6/]@ * | Pole and Lima.. IBGE Sh eee Borecole. Kale Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Cabbage, all sorts er ee OAUIMOWEL.<... 6066260 (ChE OS URE RR ORpearea ie (Ono , Sweet One @-LO08 €60- 080008 e wo Cucumber Egg Plants PPIs aeecloe casts cties os BOUIM UT coe! s cisistaessm cies Leek od . Se DOO: BO SO: ee Onion PRAUPETUIPDES. fc ciece’e.s einiale’ ore.'alalale Parsley LETC ARES See Be RES iP tok ase eaigeee OCre RVURLO ESA) cine se cision ee outs Pumpkin. OTE A ae ee ee OMG OAE Aca. s 2! wcacaes Salsif 12/12 WHOADSS-HOO: ROG HA 0 ae ces ewescees sees i|sees|soce POO N. B.—For last planting of Beans, Sweet Corn, Kohlrabi, Peas and Radishes or even Tomatoes, tak ‘ t varieties, just the same as are used for first planting. Seiputiate borings ot Salsify are intended to remain undisturbed over winter. Roots from these so¥ @--+@-++++@60: +-@ | May. we eeu | June. H 5) ofa] Pes nh] a] o Sole ls lh = S| &/2] 2 IS} o| 2 RIid|n|o @-+++-@r++ +++ @@l: :: ings will, the next year, attain a size double that usually seen. This table. printed on cardboard, ready for hanging, can be obtained from th Price, postpaid, Five cents. office of Publication. Pea Os a5 ae TO Bm | 5 5 |Explanation of Signs Used i B| & the Table. pb | §& o| 3 Z2/|A @ To be sown in open groun -|without transplanting. Plant -|have to be thinned out, an -|given proper distance. -|_ 1. Sow on seed bed in the gar -|den, and transplant thence t permanent place. -| 2. Make two sowings in opé ground during the month. 3. Make three sowings in ope: BSHal arn ground during the month. : 4, Start in greenhouse or hot bed, and plant out as soon @ the ground is in good shape and weather permits. ‘ 5. Sow in open ground as soo as it can be worked. : 6. To be grown only in hot bed or greenhouse. ; 7. Sow in cold frame, kee plants there over winter wit ‘la little protection; plant outt ‘|spring as*soon as the groun Tol can be worked. 8. To be sown in open grount and protected with litter ove winter. 9. Plant in frame. When colt weather sets in, cover wit -|Sash and straw mats. Plant will be ready for use in De cember and January. 10. Plant in cellar, barn 0 under benchesin greenhouse ‘| 11. Plant outdoors on pre -|pared beds. . -| 12. Sow every week in greer house or frame, to have a goo succession. 7 OC RR A ty ee ae Wed al WISCONSIN STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 161 WISCONSIN STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, AN- NUAL MEETING, FEBRUARY, 1896. E. H. S. DARTT, OWATONNA, DELEGATE. It afforded me great pleasure to attend the annual winter meeting of the Wisconsin State Horticultural Society as your representative, and to meet again the friends of long ago. The meeting was held in the senate chamber at the capitol and was well attended. Mr. A. J. Sweezey, of Rockford, Ill.,and Mr. M. E. Hinkley, of Marcus, Iowa, were admitted as delegates, and Mr. C. G. Patton, of Charles City, Iowa, attended as a visitor. The delegates present, together with Mr. Patton, were made honorary life members of the society, an honor which was highly appreciated. Valuable papers were read, but they were not too lengthy or too numerous to shut out full discussion, that great renovator of musty theories. . Provisions were made for issuing the annual report in monthly installments, to which will be added each month a few pages of general horticultural news. A resolution was adopted in favor of memorializing the State Ag- ricultural Society not to allow the sale of intoxicating liquors on the state fair grounds during the coming year. An experimental orchard has been established at Wausau, near the center of the state and about 600 feet above Lake Michigan; it is to be under the control of the Wisconsin State Horticultural Soci- ety. It contains ten acres of land, five acres of which will be used for general trial purposes, and the other five acres as a commercial orchard. A committee,on which were J. C. Plumb and Geo. J. Kel- logg, two of the oldest and best informed horticulturists of the state, recommended the following varieties: for the trial orchard, six of a kind, Tetofsky, Yellow Transparent, Duchess, Barloff, Glass Green, Hibernal, Antonovka, Longfield, Switzer, Wealthy, N. W. Greening, Windsor, Patton’s Greening, Wolf River, Newell, McMahon, Haas and Scott’s Winter; for the commercial orchard, ten to twenty trees of a kind at one planting, Duchess, McMahon, Hibernal, Newell, N. W. Greening, Scott’s Winter, Wealthy and Patton’s Greening. Stock will be contributed by nurserymen and others, and the trial orchard will soon be filled to overflowing with varieties boomed and un- boomed from their own and other states. Here will be a fair test and an impartial report, so that true merit will win, and people who take the trouble to inform themselves need not be humbuyged with unreliable varieties sold by unreliable men. I took great pleasure in visiting the state experiment station, where I found Prof. Goff with his hands more than full. Many stu- dents must be finished off, both practically and scientifically, re- quiring various experiments and a vast amount of labor. In the greenhouse, he is testing sub-irrigation. Water tight pans cover the bottom of the beds. On the bottoms of the pans,slats are placed, and on the slats pricks,and over the bricks several inches of soil. Water is run into the pans until it touches the bricks, and is then drawn up to the surface by capillary attraction. The advantages of _ this method are that plants receive a constant supply of moisture, # ce 162 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. and the ground is less likely to pack than when water is applied to the surface. He saved his strawberries from the late spring frosts which nearly ruined the fruit crop over the entire state by a timely covering of old hay, and he saved them from drouth by irrigation. His crop was bountiful and of fine quality, while on unirrigated land it was almost a total failure. The variety most used was Warfield fertil- ized with Wilson. Itis his opinion that in very dry seasons like the last it is useless to attempt to grow strawberries without irrigation. His orchard is young, and the trees made but feeble growth last season. The first orchard was of Eastern varieties placed on a southern slope, and soon died out. The second was of better varie- ties, was placed ona northern slope and did well, but the land was used for other purposes. The third and, I suppose, last is on a northern slope, or hillside, not too steep for cultivation, but it was thought that if it were kept well cultivated it would wash badly, and for this reason it is seeded down. A little digging is done about the trees, and the whole surface is mulched. It has never been my for- tune to see a young orchard doing well under such conditions, yet the professor may be able to prove what many believe, that a mod- erate growth is preferable to a rapid one. He has many varieties of apples, plums and pears, and as the trees come into bearing his re- ports must become very valuable. In blackberry culture, trouble is found in laying down old plants on account of the large size of the roots. Some were exhibited two or three inches in diameter. A man in Sheboygan county, on heavy clay soil, has raised fair crops without covering. The best varieties are the Ancient Briton and the Badger, which is supposed to bea seedling of the Ancient Briton. A paper on pear culture showed that at least one pear orchard in Racine county had paid well. Pears are said to be doing well along the lake shore as far inland as the lake influence extends, which is thought to be twenty-five miles. In some instances the pear is doing fairly well top-grafted on the apple and mountain ash, but the stock recommended in the paper is the imported Japan seedling. In visiting my old home in Green Lake county, I found a few. straggling, or, I might say, struggling, old trees, marking the spots where fine productive orchards stood twenty years ago. In my opinion, trees have mostly died from starvation. I think a produc- tive tree fifteen years old, on ordinary soil, should have at least one- fourth of a wagon load of stable manure applied as winter mulch each year. Although this treatment might not make trees very long lived, yet it would tend in that direction and would improve the fruit in quantity and quality. The farm orchard seems to be disappearing, and the commercial orchard is taking its place. This is right, for in things difficult specialists are most likely to succeed. A firm in Ripon, in which L. G. Kellogg, president of the Wiscon- sin Horticultural Society, is conspicuous, is starting a large fruit farm on high grounds near Green Lake. Sixty acres will be planted the coming spring, sixty acres the following spring and twenty acres each spring thereafter. They will plant apples, pears, plums and cherries. A man near Ripon, planted 3,000 Duchess two years ago, and, if other sections are doing as well,Wisconsin will soon be well towards the front in fruit production. When we can fully understand the language of the trees and kindly minister to all their wants, then apples, pears and plums will abound in Wisconsin and Minnesota. For kindness liberally be- stowed on men, animals and trees, always was and always will be a paying investment. | q Z\pril alendar. J. S. HARRIS. Be ready at the first opening of spring to do every kind of work promptly and in season. All trees and shrubs should be transplanted, if possible, before the trees put out or the buds are very much started, but not in wet soil or that which is partly frozen. Currants, gooseberries, raspberries and some of the ornamental shrubs start very early and should be planted as early as the season will permit. It is in order to refer to the calendar for March, and if any of the suggestions have been overlooked or not put in practice to at once attend to them. Two or three more drying, windy days might effect- ually kill a rabbit gnawed tree, that would recover if the wounds were waxed over or banked over with soil immediately. Orchard insects are largely bred in diseased limbs and dead trees and fruit of the lowest grade and poorest quality. Diseased limbs and dead or dying trees should at once be removed from the orchard,and any trees that bear fruit that is not worth gathering for use should, if hardy and healthy, be worked over, or top-grafted, to something good and valuable; if tender and diseased, they had better be re- moved and their places filled with something better. It is well to remember that good health is the presrvative of life, and that good nourishing food is the key to health. Do not fail to feed (manure) the orchard, that it may enjoy good health, be fruit- ful and live long on the land in which it is planted. If trees are received from the nursery this spring, they should be unpacked and carefully heeled in immediately; at no time should the roots be exposed to the wind and sun; and when taken to the field for planting they should be kept covered with blankets or damp burlap sacking. Let the holes be dug amply large to receive all the roots in their natural position. Before setting, examine each tree for borers and destroy any that are found, and,if badly infested, better discard it. Smooth the ends of the mutilated roots witha sharp knife, cutting them from the under side and outward,and cut the tops back enough to correspond with the loss of roots, and set as expeditiously as itcan be done well. The process of granulation and making new roots will take place more readily from a new cut brought into immediate contact with the soil than from an old dry wound. , Root-grafts and other nursery stock do much better for being put out early, but not before hard frosts are past. Cuttings of currants and gooseberries require to be put in early, but grapes may better be delayed until the last of the month. Grafting is now in order (See article on another page). New strawberry beds may be made as early as the gruund is ready, and most frequently the early setting does the best in vegetables. Raspberries, blackberries and grapes that were buried in the soil or covered with earth during the winter, should be examined once a week or oftener. If the buds are swelling, remove the soil and get the canes out before they start into growth. In the kitchen garden the hotbeds and cold frames should be care- fully attended to, giving water and air whenever needed, and aspar- agus, beets, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, lettuce, parsnip, peas, radish and spinach seed may all be safely sown in warm borders as early asthe ground can be got ready, but the tender varieties will not do out before about next month, but such as bear trans- planting should be sown in hotbeds or cold frames. Your orner. THE MINNESOTA HORTICULTURIST is very interesting and helpful to us and is a welcome visitor to our home. Lake City, March 11th, 1896. R. N. BUTTERMORE. “The last ‘Notes from the Farmers’ Institute’ had two errors, which I wish you would correct. $100 worth of Turners were sold from } of an acre, instead of 3; and it was our old friend, M. Cutler, and not Mr. Cutler. I thought many of the old members might like to hear of his whereabouts.” (See March number, 1896.) CLARENCE WEDGE. “In reading through the HOTRTICULTURIST for March, and especi- ally Mr. J. S. Harris’ article on grafting, we note the absence of refer- ence to raffia as a material for tying buds and grafts. "5 iy * It is certainly the handiest article we have ever had experience with for the purpose. Itis always ready for use, needs no preparation at any time before using and is easily kept. It is soft and pliable and is therefore of benefit in handling tender plants. We under- stand it to be taking the place of the materials we notice mentioned, and it is being adopted by most of the larger growers.” THOMAS MEEHAN & SONS. Germantown, Phila, March 6, 1896. In the flower garden, dig the soil only when it is warm and dry and avoid unnecessary tramping over it when saturated with water. Hardy perennial plants should be put out early,and those that have stood three years in one place will do better if the stools are taken up and separated, replacing one-third and giving the balance to your neighbors who have none. Hardy bulbs that were set in the falland covered through the winter should be examined occasionally and as soon as they show signs of active growth should be uncov- ered. Finally, in planting fruit and ornamental trees do not make the too common mistakes, viz.: selecting trees that are too large and planting them too thickly. J. S. HARRIS. Ireceived today from the Lake City Nursery Co., some Okabena apples that from appearance had not been in cold storage. They were fine specimens of fine quality and of marketable size. When we can raise such winter apples as these that will compare favor- ably with Eastern varieties, both in size and quality, every farmer ought to make an effort at least to raise enough for his own use and some to sell. There will always be a market for such apples. It is true we have had no extremely hard winters for a long time, yet from the ripening of the wood and the general appearance of the tree I hold it as one of our hardiest varieties. The Lake City Co., sent me six of of these trees four years ago for experimental purposes. They have proved very satisfactory in growth of wood, and from appearance will fruit this year. They have also sent me , : e a number of Thompson’s seedlings, which have made a vigorous growth; like the Okabena, they are free from blight, but have not fruited yet. Wm. SOMERVILLE. Viola, Minn., March 11, 1896. FILLMORE Co. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.—We had a good meeting of our society at Spring Valley, February 15th. The weather was cold and stormy, but the attendance was good. The secretary of our State Horticultural Society had kindly sent copies of the monthly “Minnesota Horticulturist” for distribution at the meeting, and the president urged all present to join the parent society so they might regularly receive the magazine. An address by C. F. Gardner, Osage, Iowa, on “ The Appleand Irrigation of Small Fruits;” a paper by J. Marshall on “ The Farmer’s Garden;” and an address by R. C. Livingston on “The Fruit Tree Business” were good and called forth considerable discussion. An addition of ten new members,on such a cold day, surely indicates that our infant society is not easily “winter-killed.’” A summer meeting will be held at Preston in strawberry time. R. PARKHILL, Secy. Chatfield, Feb. 26, 1896. The Massachusetts State Horticultural Society want to move soon, and propose to sell their hall and the land under it for $800,000. The financial committee expect to be offered this amount and build a new hall. * * J * e = * ” In September, 1860, I attended the seventh convention of the Am, Pom. Society, at Philadelphia, with Barry, Wilder, Downing, War- der, Elliott, Thomas, Meehan and a host of others. Of that company, how few remain! It has been my fortune and my boast that I have not failed to be present at a single convention since 1860. This is not so with another horticulturist in America. Thomas Meehan lives yet. He has four or five very active and intelligent sons, active in horticultural pursuits. I have five sons,three of whom are direct- ing the labor of thousands of workers in different landscaping operations. Jacos M. MANNING. Reading, Mass., March 17, 1896. A new Swindle on Fruit Trees in Southwestern Minnesota. As this was a mild winter, it was the winter for the tree agents to work their sham again on the farmers of southwestern Minnesota. A set of agents were here from Princeton, Ill., claiming they had the right kind of fruit trees for Minnesota. To prove this to the farmers, they get hold of a big sucker of a farmer, tell him that they will furnish the trees and shrubbery and will plant it all them- selves, and at the same time plant two rows of Russian mulberry trees around the outside fora windbreak. They agree to doall this and wait three years for these trees to prove they are what they claim. After the three years,if the fruit trees are in a fine and healthy condition, then the farmers will have to pay for the whole stock at the low price mentioned in the contract and seven percent. interest. The farmer bas to cultivate and take care of the trees ac- cording to their directions. No note is given. The first deal was 166 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. made with a German farmer by the name of August Speckman for the amount of $80. The second deal was made to an American farmer by the name of Fred Kromlet, six miles away from the first. The contract was made about the same and for the same amount. The two contracts took well among the farmers, and many were anxious to get an order for such fine trees. After all this they commenced canvassing. They sold to a num- ber of farmers in this vicinity from $10 to $20 each. Something should or must be done to keep out Southern fruit trees, as it is nothing but a steal from Minnesota. MARTIN PENNING. Sleepy Eye, Minn. I see by reading report of last month on page 87, that I picked over sixteen bushels of apples from one tree of Anisim. This is in- correct. I picked over eleven bushels from one tree that was not over six inches through at the ground. I should like to have this corrected, as eleven bushels is a pretty good gulp and sixteen would never go down. I would like to know how youtighten your trellis wire. Prof. Green in his book said to bore a hole in one end post and pass the wire through, but don’t tell how to make it tight. (Will some one answer this? Sec’y.) I would advise the orcherdest to be careful and cut off all the water suckers from the bodies and large limbs of their apple trees. I have had many trees injured by not tending to this. The blight generally strikes these soft sprouts the first thing and works down onto the body of the tree and makes a bad place on the tree, and if the tree is small will sometimes work all round it and kill it. SIDNEY CORP. Hammond, Minn., March 6, 1896. I send you a sample of the Okabena, grown on sandy land, picked in Sept., and put in a poor kind of a cold storage, where the temper- ature was uneven and moist from brine. In the middle of Dec. they were taken out and put in a cellar, where the window was kept open, exposing them to the air, which shriveled the skin some. Of the fifteen or twenty kinds treated in this way, including the Wealthy, Hibernal, Anisim, and other Russians, the Okabena kept best of all and isthe only one on hand now. I send you this, in part, as a lesson in keeping apples, as I think it is important to learn how it is best done. In conclusion, I think that a cool, dry cellar is the best place to put apples on the start, if those conditions could be obtained. Any light that you can give on this important subject will be thankfully received. J. M. UNDERWOOD. Lake City, Minn., March 11, 1896. The specimens referred to were somewhat shriveled and discol- ored, but still in a fair state of preservation. It would be of valueto know the experience of others in keeping apples or other fruit. How have you succeeded? SEC’Y. _ Secretary's ( Porner, WHAT IS YOUR FRUIT PROSPECT?—It would be interesting as well as of value to know, as the season opens, what the prospects are for a fruit crop this season. Please write briefly on a postal not later than April 20, and a summary of communications received will be published in the May number, TEN LHOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A FLOWER.—A New York florist, for for the sole right to the famous double carnation known as the “Murella,”has paidits discoverers $10,000, The flower has been raised - and owned entirely by a firm owning a large greenhouse near Reed’s Lake, Grand Rapids, Michigan. The “Murella” is one of the most beautiful carnations ever seen, being very large and of a deep red color. O RETIREMENT OF CLARENCE WEDGE.—It is learned with regret that Mr. Wedge has been obliged by the press of other duties to sever his connection with the Northwestern Agriculturist as editor of the horticultural department, a position he has filled for several years. The vigor and ability he has exhibited in this place have been noticed and appreciated by all the readers of that journal. Perhaps this change may result in his being heard oftener through the colums of our monthly and another’s loss be our gain. VOLUMES FOR DISTRIBUTION.—Below is a list of surplus volumes of reports in this office for gratuitous distribution to members of this society upon receipt of the postage stated. In this distribution, as is customary, preference will be given to the life members, and consequently no volumes will be sent to other members until April 15, after which date they will be sent to all alike. As there are in most cases a number of volumes of a kind, the chance of getting what is wanted is good. Postage will be returned, less two cents for return postage, in all cases where orders cannot be filled. Volumes may be sent by express, where preferred, Please make selections and notify at once. Address, A. W. LATHAM, Sec’y., 207 Kasota Block, Minneapolis, Minn. a ee > BRP bigs P ‘aay, Ff. a 168 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. LIST OF REPORTS FOR DISTRIBUTION. Postage required. , Cts. lowa state Horticultural!Soctety, WSShr o.oo cctalerelcle ss clelee) te enero Sa l7 * “ ce ob BOM ccs hoc anes aa 19 ss as ae u NSO Ds chs oad & telelbiee coke ates eae 17 “ as ut OE SO SN coves saya en siavone tenadsee Gh ee 16 Nebr sis u: Oh SOON Racine ce cce, Saree eee .09 Mo. ot ss ‘s 1 otc? EMA A TEMES SIN ERAIR A fall as Gh £ a BOS eae ae 2 Alea eee er .09 Park Commissioners, Minneapolis, 1890 .. oo... ccc 2c cere 02 Wiest Nave HoxrticulturaliSocietys 1890. cai. omnis ci cro nee cee 06 ws Gb if a BON, 2p, aerate cles kein doses e/a ee 05 New Jersey State Horticultural Society, 1892..................0. .05 Minnesota Forest Tree Planter’s Manual, 1890................... . 02 ‘6 . ss “ti i TSO 4 creas stein cle .02 Bee-Keepers’ Association, 1892.....................+. -O1 t State. Bair) Premium List. 188920. sae ees: blot eee 03 Ontario Swine and Sheep Breeders’ Association, 1893........... 05 & (h as ae ce 894 tere 04 Hy Poultry and Pet Stock Association, 1894............... 03 ie Dairymen’s) “Association, 1804.0 cy teccelei- ate « aicecrs teeleeiorae 06 Kansas StaterHorticulturall Society, 1891-355... -). 3. les eminent Bul lt) Wisc. i e ce TSO; Bove. che iors ketaete ele eereee .10 ‘“ 66 a a BOO MEA ore cuarevel cya us eee ee 12 Ohio oe tt Ae PESOS Oine eee tel cctoiees oe eee O04 6 i se om UBS9—90 esc casas sis oem en eeetene 07 6 « a as BORO A Ot ho SRWaNd Rietetarveteve alan -06 “ & - a BO 2 = OB ey ein) labeuntal See cree Peet O07 ‘ “ is as BOB HK O4a Wie ksh cislic clea sae eager 05 : a of ve ote) Oe a ERPS SEES NE Sie ee 12 Mas SuElOLtle Militia SOCLEUY, USOC. cafe eicts cyere ciel ciel ols Lelolel eleven oPaio ener 06 “6 ts WC TSO Was MEOM Saat et acea ed sel ebevetaraterieis kt aie eee O04 ‘“ Me uo TSO AGe sity s tele s (eae tay sin duce ae ove Lk ce ene ee .05 “ 6 a TROT Ry saucer a oueisveters by oNetuk tity rte er .09 2 Sata pee Woah ey bn lib b of 8012) IS Oe ene A canas Ae aoMAr aT OSES y oe 25 ae ub BO ea Nska rate ease dn oreraavanal a heneta oid -< ancale Gieteuate ane ne Tanee .20 a“ a MOSM ears pare tic aha tara Ne reas er Seatac eve its Roletere AXA. 204 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY place and keep out air and water, or tie and cover with grafting wax (c fig. 18). We have found this method the very best for plums, and with slight modifications it can be practiced to get branches on trees at any point where wanted. It is also adapted to the graft- ing of evergreens, but not quite as well as veneer grafting, which differs from it only in sharpening or wedging only one side of the scion to the center and cutting away a corresponding piece on the stock as long as the flattened part of the scion, making it square at the bottom; binding and waxing the wound the same as in side grafting,and shading with paper bags until the parts have united. I have endeavored to make the articles on grafting as plain and simple as possible, and believe that after a careful study of them and a few experiments almost any person may become an expert grafter. We are indebted to “Farm, Stock and Home” for the cuts used in illustrating the methods. The Abronia is a very pretty annual with long, trailing stems, bearing in great abundance clusters of verbena-like flowers of great fragrance. The colors are very delicate, and they remain in bloom along time. Arenaria isa waxy yellow and Umbellata a delicate lilac with white center. The seeds are enclosed in a husky covering, which must be removed before planting. FORESTRY AT THE SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE. PROF. S. B. GREEN, ST. ANTHONY PARK, The subject of forestry is regarded as one of the most important in the course of study in the School of Agriculture. Its object is to familiarize the students with the habits and value of our common native trees and those introduced trees that are of special economic importance. In considering trees, the points taught are their hardi- ness in the various sections of this state,the locations and soils for which they are especially adapted, their value for timber, for wind- breaks and for ornamental purposes, and the methods of distin- guishing and propagating them. Other phases of this subject that are studied are windbreaks and groves for the prairies and the best methods of forming them tinder the various conditions that exist in this state, the past and present conditions of our timber supplies and the best methods of perpetuating the logging industry in Min- nesota, including the best way of dealing with the forest fire ques- tion and the effect of forests on climate, including their effect on the water that falls on them. The students are required to study the trees themselves in the nursery, forest plantation and on the grounds of the Experiment Station, and make several excursions to nurseries and plantings in the vicinity of the school. The subject is also illustrated by charts and the stereopticon. The photograph herewith reproduced was taken of the class in forestry in the nursery. 905 » , v FORESTI ASS IN L ( GREEN'S PROF. Prof. S. Green's Class in Forestry at the Minnesota State Agricultural School. St. Anthony Park, Minn, 206 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. PROTECTION FROM FROST. SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENTS IN CALIFORNIA. George A. Fleming, of Visalia, profiting by a paper recently writ- ten by W. H. Hammon, forecast official of the United States Weather Bureau here, made an experiment during the recent cold snap and succeeded in protecting the fruit growing on his 400-acre farm from any damage by frost. His neighbors’ crops, which were unprotected, suffered quite seriously. Hammon’s method was somewhat of an improvement over the one recommended by Finkle, of San Bernardino. The latter advised the use of large vats of water with fires built around them to produce con- densation. Hammon suggested the use of small fires, sprayed from time to time. The large fires recommended by Finkle, he thought» would produce an up draft carrying the moisture too high to do any good. In turn Fleming has improved on Hammon’s idea. His method is described in a letter written to Hammon and received yesterday. The letter reads as follows: “Dear Sir:—Your valued favor of the 3d inst. relative to protection from frost received. Thanks for valuable information conveyed. Have made use of it to our great advantage three times during the latter part of last week. Damageis reported within a few miles of us where no effort at protection was made, but can discover no evi- dence of frost here at all. Almonds, early plums, apricots and peaches, all of which either in blossom or already formed, escaped the slightest injury. In endeavoring to carry out your idea of evaporating as much water as possible with the least amount of rising heat, we used sev- eral plans. We could not spray water on our fires, as,in order to make evaporation continuous, it required a man to attend: to each fire. We burned brush beforehand on our avenues and open spaces, and the beds of live coals formed were smudged with wet straw and manure several hours before sunrise and kept wet. This could not be done among the trees without danger of burning them. We therefore heaped wet straw on a wire network four feet square, stretched from four stakes driven into the yround, the straw being about one and a half feet from the ground. Small fires were built under them, and a man could attend to several, occasionally replen- ishing the fire and wetting the straw. But we finally hit on a still better scheme. We built similar wire frames on our low truck wagons, stretching them from four wagon stakes and heaping wet manure over them. Dirt was thrown on the wagon beds to protect them, and pots of burning tar were set under- neath the straw roof. A barrel of water on the wagon was used to keep the straw wet. These wagons were driven about and did the best work, as they could go wherever most needed. The smoke and va- por were carried to the rear as the wagon moved, and being at once out of the rising heat, fell close to the ground in a long white trail. At daylight our whole 400 acres of orchard was coverd with a white fog extending from the ground about twenty feet high. It looks now as if one could absolutely protect against any ordi- nary frost,andif so you will have earned our everlasting gratitude.” —San Francisco Weekly Chronicle, March 12th, 1896. The above selection was contributed by Chas. Y. Lacy, whom our old members will remenber as secretary of this society during the five years from 1880 to 1885. His present residence is at a postoffice in Moutana bearing his name. We hope to hear further of him.— Secy. RESULTS OF IRRIGATION. 207 RESULTS OF IRRIGATION IN SOUTH DAKOTA. A. F. HUNTER, REDFIELD, 8. D. I will confine myself to the results obtained on the Hunter-Salzer farm at Mellette,S. D. As most of you are aware, we conducted an experimental station there during the past season, 1895, with most satisfactory results; in fact, we were all surprised at the wonderful success of the experiment. We find that all kinds of grain, vege- tables, grasses and forage plants usually grown in Illinois, lowa, Wisconsin or Minnesota, can be grown most successfully here. With irrigation we are sure of as large a crop every year as they are in their best season, and I find in traveling through these states that they have their poor years as well as Dakota. The land used for the experiment has not been irrigated since the fall of 1894, and has re- tained plenty of moisture since, thus showing that it is possible to grow two good crops with one application of water. This is where we have a great advantage over countries where they have to irri- gate several times each season. Our black loam and clay subsoil holds the moisture a long time, as we have no sub-drainage, and our evaporating season is short. One piece of land irrigated in the fall of 1893 produced sixty bushels of oats in 1894 and thirty-four bushels of wheat in 1895; last fall it plowed up nice and moist, and I expect will grow a good crop of potatoes in 1896 without irrigating. The fact is, if we have any moisture in our subsoil, we have rain enough to grow acrop every year. The result of irrigation the past season was 34 bushels wheat peracre,7814 bushels oats, 210 bushels potatoes, 3 tons millet, corn only about 30 bushels as we were late in planting, and most of it got frosts early in the fall; unirrigated wheat 12 bushels, oats 20 bushels, corn 10 bushels, millet 4% ton, po- tatoes 60 bushels. The largest yield of wheat on the farm was 371g bushels to the acre in 1893, it being irrigated about the time it began to head. The smallest yield was 34 bushels in 1895, on land irrigated in the fall of 1894. Oats on this farm in 1894 averaged 60 bushels per acre from fallirrigation. In 1895 they were irrigated during the growing sea- son and averaged 78% bushels. I believe that the yield of both wheat and oats would have been larger if we had used more seed. This year we will seed 11, bushels of wheat and 254 bushels of oats. The best results were obtained from potatoes by irrigating them when in blossom. Water should be run between the rows and not allowed to get up on the vines. They should be cultivated as soon as possible after applying the water to prevent the land from bak- ing. As irrigation prolongs their growth, late varieties should be planted early to mature before the fall frosts. The same thing ap- plies to corn—it should not be irrigated late in the season,and early varieties should be used. I believe in fall irrigation for grain or after it is up high enoughto shade the ground. Potatoes, corn, and all hoe crops should be irrigated during the growing season and then cultivated. Deep plowing brings best results. Irrigation is no longer an experiment in South Dakota. Our farm of 800 acres will pay six per cent on a valuation of $0 per acre. It 208 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. more than paid it the past season. Ten dollars per acre will putour prairie lands undera most complete system of irrigation. There is more water in South Dakota today than there are farmers who know how to use it, and many will fail to spread the water over much land the first year. They must not be discouraged. My ad- vice is to build'a good reservoir first, then make your ditches as you need them, arrange your crops so that you always have land to use the water on. Keep the wells going nightand day. Every time you have a good head of water in the reservoir, spread it on the land— don’t pay any attention to rains. Do not irrigate the same piece of land twice until you have gone over your whole farm. After you have irrigated a field once, it is much easier to do so the second time, because you know how to handle the water, and the land does not require as much. Do not try to spread water unless you have a good supply in the reservoir to work with. Make a large opening in the ditch and rush the water over the field. This is the secret of successful irrigation on level land. CONSTRUCTING STORAGE PONDS FOR IRRIGATION. In connection with pumping plants, storage ponds are being mostly used and are made on the flat surface of the ground. Ifthe land is in sod, remove all the sod from the ground on which the em- bankments are to be constructed, otherwise a seam will always re- main through which water would escape from the reservoir. When the outlines of the embankment have been established and the sod removed, plow within the proposed limits; then with a scraper draw the earth from the inside of reservoir and with it form the walls. The walls should not be less than five feet high and very thick at the ground level. Carry them up so that the slope from the inside will be very gradual, for if the walls are nearly perpendicular wind waves will destroy them. The outside of the walls can be more per- pendicular, Having built the walls by using the earth from the in- side of the reservoir and with everything ready for puddling the earth to hold water, plow the entire bottom of the pond four or five inches deep, then with a harrow or other suitable implement pul- verize the earth finely. Everything is now ready for puddling. Turn in the water and begin to puddle at one edge. Work carefully until the earth has been reduced to mortar. Continue until the en- tire bottom has been completed as far up the embankment as can be worked to good advantage. It may very often happen that pud- dling is out of the question because of the porous condition of the soil, If it is sandy, haul into the basin several loads of any kind of clay and mix this thoroughly with the earth. Fresh manure or even sawdust may often be employed to just as good advantage. Frequently it is necessary to run muddy water into the basin and allow the sediment to find its way into the loose sand. Of course, the more clay there is carried into the muddy water, the more ef- fectual will be the puddling. This method proved successful in a MAY CALENDAR. 209 very leaky lake, excavated in an old creek bottom composed almost entirely of coarse,loose’sand. In constructing these surface storage basins, the dimensions are best when 50x100 ft. or 100x200 ft., ete., rather than square. A pond 50x100 ft. and containing five feet of wa- ter will irrigate 25 acres. The whole plant including a first-class wind engine should not cost over $250. It is a good rule to have the pond of such size that it will not be necessary to empty it oftener than once or twice a week. That would make the water supply at hand the main factor in determining the size of the pond. Figure it out in this way: One gallon contains 231 cubic inches. A space 23.1 inches high, covering 10 square inches, equals one gallon, and one square foot or 144 square inches equals 144 gallons. Now divide the number of gallons which can be pumped in three days’ steady wind by 14.4 and the result will be the number of square feet neces- sary for the bottom of a pond two feet deep; one-half that number will be sufficient for one four feet deep.—Orange Judd Farmer. vay alendar. J. S. HARRIS. At this season, as a rule, work develops much faster than it can be done. The first ten days of April gave indications of a late, back- ward spring, and digging and planting of trees could not be done. The next ten days gave us excessive heat for the time of year and much wet weather when the soil could not be worked to advantage and pushed vegetation rapidly, and, consequently, many varieties of trees cannot now be taken up and transported long distances and transplanted with safety. But fortunately many of our larger nurseries have facilities for keeping trees dormant till quite late in the season. Those who have yet to procure trees for planting should procure them as near by as possible and in no case trust to their transportation by freight. When trees are a long time in transportation they often become heated, and the buds will put out a feeble growth several inches long. The only remedy in such a case is severe cutting back and keeping them shaded from the hot sun until a healthy circulation gets started. In other cases trees arrive dried and shriveled, and if planted out without any previous preparation a good share will be lost, but with a little care they may be saved. Unpack suchas soon as received, open a trench and bury the whole, roots, top and all, and leave them several days or a week. When taken out, they will be found plump and about as good as new. Trees grown at home may be taken up and replanted until the foliage is considerably expanded, but the roots should not be long 210 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. out of the ground, and the work had better be done at evening, Great pains should be taken to have the soil fine and well formed about the roots,and mulching should be put over the surface at once, and if the trunks of the trees are wrapped with strips of bur- lap, cotton cloth, rags, straw or paper for a few days, it is still better and may prevent sunscald., In no case should pruning be done during this month, except shortening the tops of trees as transplanted to correspond with the roots, and cutting back budded stocks, if not already done, to within about three inches beyond the bud. Spraying with arsenites for the destruction of insects should be done as soon as the blossoms have fallen and the fruit is set. Jar- ring for plum curculio and catching the insects on sheets and de- stroying them is more effectual and safer than spraying. The work of putting out root grafts should be finished up at once, and cuttings of currants, grapes and many shrubs may still be set with safety, but they must be in well worked, rich soil,and the earth pressed very firmly around the base. Grape vines should be fastened to the stakes as soon as the buds have got to the size of large peas. Raspberries and blackberries should be up and in place for fruit- ing, and the cultivator run between the rows at once, and two or three times later before the summer mulch is applied. Early May is the best time for setting new strawberry beds. In cases where it cannot be done until later, it should not be given up until another year. By using care plants may be dug and set dur- ing the entire month. If plants are dug early and properly trimmed and heeled in or carefully set two inches apart in rows and the blos- soms kept pinched off, they may be taken out and set with safety until the first of July. Work is pressing in the kitchen garden, and the question is what to do first. New asparagus beds should be made as early as possi- ble. Old beds should be kept clean,and the shoots should be kept cut or broken off clean during the season of use,as soon as six or seven inches high. That for market should be put up in neat bunches about three inches in diameter and the lower ends cut square. Tie with two strings, one near the top and the other near the bottom. All hardy vegetable seeds may now be planted, but lima beans, squashes for winter, melons and such like had better be delayed un- til about the 10th of the month or later. Cultivating, hoeing and weeding are essentials to success both in fruit and vegetable gardening and should begin with the season. To get rid of perennial weeds, they must first be prevented ripen- ing their seed, and then the plant itself must be eradicated. Where it is possible, they should be pulled up; if small, keeping them cut off will eventually kill them. Your (orner. I notice your question on page 166 of the April Horticulturist re- ferring to tightening trellis wire, and will give you the mode that I have used for quite a long time. Starting at one end,I drive four staples (about one-half inch long) into the post, letting them stand out far enough to pass the wire twice aroundthe post. I commence by passing the wire through the staple next to the vines, pulling the wire tight as I can, and having come to the fourth staple, and the wire tight, drive that staple so that it holds the wire. The end of the wire is now bent back, an extra staple being putin to make cer- tainty sure, and I go to the various posts on the line and place the wire in its proper position and drive the staplesto hold the wire, leaving them far enough out that the wire passes through freely, and so on,till I come to the last post. There bore a hole about one- halfinch in diameter where you want the wire, and take an iron hook, say twelve or fourteen inches long and about three-eighths inches thick with a thread about one-half the length of the hook, on which goes a good large washer and nut: pass the hook through the hole, put the washer next the wood, and the nut just enough on to be sure it holds,which leaves most of the hook on the side next the grapes. Now pass the wire on the hook and have it as tight as a good, strong man can comfortably pull it, then take your monkey wrench and screw the nut up till the wire is as tight as you want it: In the fall of the year unscrew the nut till the wire is loose,or some- thing will have to give way on account of contraction. Try one trellis and let me know if it meets your approbation. JNO. PRICHETT. Alexandria, Minn. FRUIT PROSPECTS. My orchard is in fine shape fora large crop of apples—trees bud- ded full. J. A. HOWARD. Hammond, Wis., April 19, 96. Strawberry and other plants and trees wintered good. Plenty of moisture in the ground, and we ought to have a good crop of fruit, but it is really a month too early to tell anything about it. Windom, April 21, ’96. DEWAIN COOK. “I spent yesterday pruning in my orchard, and I never saw 80 many healthy buds at this time of the year. Barring frosts and in- sects, the crop ought to be immense.” A. J. PHILIPS. April 9. 212 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. While roaming over the orchards of the state last winter, I ob- served that the trees everywhere, both plum and apple, were full of fruit buds. If no untimely frost visits us—and weof the North are very exempt from such calamity—we may confidently expect another 92 crop. May Ibe permitted to urge with greatest emphasis that all who have trees that they value do something to prevent over- bearing and the resultant check to the vitality of the trees, as well as loss of the next season’s crop? CLARENCE WEDGE. Albert Lea, April 25, ’96. Apple trees are well filled with fruit buds and the bloom promises to be unusually abundant. Plums and cherries the same. No va- rieties have received injury from the winter. Grape vines that were cut back by the May frost last year did not produce as strong and vigorous fruiting canes as usual, and the prospect is for only about 80 per cent. of an average crop. Many strawberry plantations suf- fered severely from summer and autumn drouth and went into winter with feeble roots, but have wintered well and are improving rapidly, and indicate about three-fourths of a full crop. The fruit- ing canes of raspberries and blackberries did not make a heavy growth last year and only about two-thirds of a crop may be ex- pected. J. S. HARRIS. La Crescent, April 21, ’96. Apples and plums appear to be perfectly healthy,and prospects for a good crop were never better. Pears (protected) are in perfect condition. Plums, European and Japan,also laid down and covered, are in fine condition—the Japans are in better shape than some of the Russians (also protected),the ends of the limbs of the Russians being somewhat injured. Peaches have not come through so well as the plunis and pears. Some few strawberries uncovered have stood the winter. Raspberries, Philadelphia and the blackcaps, in good condition. Roses, though well covered, mostly killed. Mr. Wedge should charge the “lack of thrift and vigor” of the trees seen here more to the untavorable weather of the last two years than to the fault of the soil. JOHN R. CUMMINGS. Washburn, Minn., April 16, 1896. THE “ToM THUMB” OF THE TREES.—The midget of the whole tree family is the Greenland birch. It is a perfect tree in every sense of that term and lives its allotted number of years (from seventy-five to one hundred and thirty) just as other species of the great birch family do, although its height under the most favorable conditions seldom exceeds ten inches. Whole bluffs of the east and southeast coast of Greenland are covered with thickets of this diminutive species of woody plant, and in many places where the soil is uncom- monly poor and frozen from eight to ten months of the year,a “forest” of these trees will flourish for half a century without grow- ing to a height exceeding four inches.—Lumber Trade Journal. ecretary’s (“orner. om A CORRECTION.—On page 116, of the March No., the reporter makes Mr. Collman say that he used “thirteen teams three weeks” in mak- ing his reservoir. As it was really the work of three teams only and the reputation of the working ability of lowa horses is considerably at stake, we hasten to set it right. STATE FAIR PREMIUM LIST.—The premium list for the 1896 fair is now in press, and a copy will be sent to each member of the society. If any one fails to receive one, address Sec’y E.W. Randall, Hamline, Minn. A comparison with last year’s list will show that the prem- iums on fruit have been raised in the aggregate about 20 per cent. PORTRAIT OF PATRICK BARRY.— Through the courtesy of the Stetcher Litho. Co., of Rochester, N.Y.,we are enabled to present to you in this number a fine portrait of the late Patrick Barry. Mr, Barry has been dead now five years, having passed away June 23, 1890, but he occupies an enduring place in the annals of American horticulture. NOTICE OF SUMMER MEETING.—The June number will probably contain the notice of the summer meeting, and as the exact date will depend as usual on the time of ripening of the berry crop, it cannot be announced long beforehand. This will cause delay in the issu- ance of this number, and it may not be expected until towards the middle of the month. CAN WE PROTECT AGAINST FROST?—The selection in this number on this subject, contributed by Ex-Secretary Lacey, contains the account of experiments looking to this end, involving an entirely new principle in its special application, viz., that a cloud of steam being heavier than the surrounding air settles to the ground, unlike smoke, which rises andislost. This new plan should be on trial nearer home this season and reported on. STATE EXPERIMENT SUB-STATION.—The second one of the sub- stations provided for by the last legislature, to which reference is made by Prof. S. B. Green in his Central Station report,in this num- ber, has just been located about two miles from Grand Rapids, in Itasca county. This northern location will be of special interest to horticulture, as the attempts of private planters in that portion of the state so far show a remarkable adaptability to the culture of small fruits. 214 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. MASS.FRUIT-GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION.—The fruit growers of the old Bay State have organized an association under the above title, which at the age of one year numbers one hundred and fifteen, “all practical fruit growers, and another year we expect to double the number,’ as writes Prof. S.G. Maynard, of Amherst, the secretary. This society will doubtless supplement in an efficient way the work of the Mass. State Horticultural Society, which probably more than any other in this country is developing the esthetic side of horti- culture. RENEW YOUR SEED.—“Reported experiments, made on a large scale and with many kinds, show that all varieties of potatoes rapid- ly deteriorate in yield, size of tubers and vigor when planted contin- uously at the University farm.” So says Prof. S. B. Green in Bulle- tin No. 45, just issued by the Minnesota Experiment Station, St. Anthony Park. This number is devoted entirely to horticulture and talks about potatoes, tomatoes and variety tests of small fruits. These bulletins will be sent to any one on application, and every member of this society should have the opportunity to study them. STRAWBERRIES FROM TEXAS IN MARCH.—An experiment that our old friend, Amasa Stewart, now of Lamarque, Texas, tried of ship- ping strawberries to Minnesota in March last resulted so success- fully that a number of his old friends within easy reach had the pleasure of eating strawberry shortcake at that inclement season—it snowed all that day. There are, it seems, compensating advant- ages in living in that far away south state in that one can supply one’s friends with this delightful luxury ata time when it can be most highly appreciated. This experiment was so much of a success, we are in hopes it may be repeated. “THE WISCONSIN HORTICULTURIST.”—The initial number of this monthly magazine issued by our sister society is received. It is quite similar in name, size, form and advertising features to our own periodical, and is a very creditable beginning for what we be- lieve will prove to be an exceedingly useful undertaking. We notice, as an advantage, that all the articles as well as discussions are printed in coarse type, which would not, however, be practicable for us with the amount of matter that must be used. Sec’y A. J. Philips, whose address is West Salem, Wis., tenders to members of this so- ciety the same courtesy we offered them and will send their monthly to any of our members for 50 cts. per annum. Sample numbers will be furnished on application. We wish all possible good things to our Wisconsin brothers and sisters in this new enterprise. HISTORIC TREES FOR ARBOR DAY PLANTING.—On Arbor Day in Penn., April 10th, the governor of that state planted on the campus of the state university a tree which is a shoot from the original “Penn treaty elm.” This tree was a remarkable one aside from its historic intereSt,as it measured twenty-four feet around the base, one branch extending toward the Delaware 150 feet. It was blown down SECRETARY'S CORNER. 215 in 1810. A shoot from this tree, which had attained a size of seventy feet in height and thirty inches in diameter, was removed in 1892 a distance of 175 miles and is thriving. If “pedigree” trees grown from shoots or scions taken from trees of such historic interest could be planted on the grounds of our public schools on Arbor Day, the occasion would acquire new significance, and the presence of such a tree would exert a living and subtle influence in fostering a spirit of patriotism in our youth. The tree above referred to is now on the grounds of Gen. Paul A. Oliver, Wilkesbarre, Pa. N. J. HORT. SOCIETY REPORT, 1896.— The report of the January, 1896, meeting of this society is a neat paper-covered volume of 165 pages. While not as a whole of special value to the horticulturists of Minnesota on account of the different climatic and other condi- tions, one talk and discussion therein by J. E. Hale, of Conn., on “Peach Culture” will be found very helpful from the clear enuncia- tionof general truths it contains. Mr. Hale is probably the largest, at least the best known, peach grower in America. His success he rightly ascribes to thorough work and absolute honesty. His brand on the cover of a case ef fruit is an absolute guaranty that the top layer isa good one and the bottom layerand each between just as good as the top one. The one most important practical lesson connected with the marketing of the fruit received from this discus- sion is the importance of absolutely reliable work and of building up a reputation on this basis, not only because it is honest, but it is the only common sense way that pays in the long run. This course is just as practicable to the small grower as the large. Send your fruit to market in such a way that your name alone will sell it, and you will have no trouble in getting the highest price and have besides the infinitely greater satisfaction of teeling that you hold an equally high place in the esteem of those who know you. NuT CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES,—Our library has just re- ceived a valuable addition in the shape of an ellegantly printed 144 page quarto volume under the above title, issued by the division of pomology, U.S. Department of Agriculture. It covers thoroughly the subject of which it treats, and in a very practical and not too technical way contains complete instructions as to the cultivation of the various species of nuts which can be grownin ourcountry. The writer has put into clear language the composite information of a large number of workers in this field, using often their exact words. The volume is handsomely illustrated. The labor of preparing the material for this book was largely done, we are informed, under the management of the late pomologist of the department, Hon. H. E. Van Deman,a large part being done by himself personally, a!- though not issued till now for lack of funds. Were this the only thing accomplished during his administration, there would still be good reason for commending him as a valuable public servant. But Mr. Van Deman is well remembered for other sevices and especially here for his recognition of the interests of pomology in the North- west. 216 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. A HORTICULTURAL LAW Suit.—A law suit of much importance to horticulturists in Minnesota, and probably in the whole country, has lately been begun in New Ulm, Minn. It involves a question as to the identity of a seedling being propagated by C.W.H.Heideman, of New Ulm, with one owned and originated by H. Knudson, of Springfield, a neighboring town. Mr. Knudson claims that the seedling Mr. Heideman is propagating is in reality his (Knudson’s) seedling, scions from which he gave Mr. Heideman some years be- fore—which latter fact Mr.Heideman admits,but claims they did not ine The suit is for the purpose of securing a permanent injunction against Mr. Heideman to prevent his selling any trees or scions grown from this particular seedling. Mr. C. W.Sampson, of Eureka, is interested with Mr. Knudson in this suit, having become a part owner of stock to be grown from the original tree. A temporary injunction has been secured by the plaintiffs by pre- senting affidavits from Prof. S. B. Green and Mr. Clarence Wedge showing in substance the improbability that two plants differing so widely as in this case from the original species and originated by different persons working independently should be so apparently identical. The trial and decision of this case will be looked for with much interest. The result will depend very largely on expert testimony as to the identity of the trees and the improbability referred to in the above affidavits. The case also involves a very important ques- tion as to the rights of originators of new kinds of fruit. The plaintiff's attorneys state that there is no stutute, either of the United States or of the state of Minnesota, protecting the propaga- tor of a new variety of fruit,and while they are of the opinion that the common law can be invoked to protect such a person, it seems strange that such rights are not clearly defined and protected by statute. The discovery and propagation of new hardy varieties of fruit in Minnesota is certainly of as much importance as the inven- tion of some new machine, and our legislature should be called upon to pass a law upon the subject which will give protection in such matters, similar to the protection given by trade marks and patent laws. The seedling referred to above is the new hybrid sand cherry of Mr. Knudson, a very interesting and, probably, valuable cross be. tween the Miner plum and the sand cherry. It is fully described on page 132 of the April number of this year. A very pretty annual, and one not generally cultivated, is Nico- tiana Affinis. The flowers are clear white, tubular in shape and borne in great profusion. It blooms in the evening and is very fragrant, filling the atmosphere with its peculiar odor, which is similar to that of Lilium Longiflorum. The flowers remain fresh for several days after being cut if kept out of the sunshine. ‘yJo] OY} 3B ‘ATJOUT}SIPUT 19qze1 savadde ‘yuapuezulTsedns 94} ‘PINOs) “DO ‘A “AW “E-F98T JO TOFUTM ‘uoIjIsodx |] SUBITIOQ MON 94} 7B VGIGX| JNA Sposouaty, ey aie ee oe =f xF Ee THE MINNESOTA HORTICULTURIST. VOL. 24. JUNE, 18096. NO. 6. In N[emoriam. FREEMAN G. GOULD, EXCELSIOR, MINN. Died May 9, 1896, aged 62 years. Mr. Gould had been for some years a sufferer from a very trying disease, which terminated after a short period of intense painin a tranquil death at the dawn of day, May 9, 1896. No member of this organization was probably better known among its membership, and few have exerted a more wholesome influence on the horticulture of our state than the deceased. His name appearson the roll of this society as early as 1872—for some time previous he had been engaged in the nursery business at Excelsior, In the year 1889, his valuable services were recognized by making him an honorary life member. His name appears upon the roster of officers as a member of the executive committee during the years 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1887 and 1888; as vice-president in 1883, 1884, 1885 and 1886 and as treasurer in 1895 and 1896, the last of which offices he was occupying at the time of his death. His most impor- tant work for the society and perhaps for the state, aside from the large general influence a man of such strong character always ex- erts, the volume of which cannot be measured, was done in connec- tion with the New Orleans Exposition, held in the winter of 1884-5. Mr. Gould filled the position of superintendent of the horticultural exhibit from this state on that occasion, and the comparatively large numbers of awards made to Minnesota fruit there, when the oppor- tunities are considered, attest the fidelity of his service. His report in connection therewith is on page 317, report of this society for 1885, and will be found interesting reading for those who take pride in the achievements of our state. 218 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. An excellent portrait of Mr. Gould, taken at that time, when he was at his best physically, was published last year as a frontispiece to the September number and isto be found in the bound volume of our report for 1895 opposite page 301. Freeman G. Gould was a native of the state of Maine, town of Embden, where he was born on the 27th day of July, 1833. He passed the first twenty-two years of his life on a farm in that local- ity, coming to Minnesota in 1855. Inthe year 1858, he built himself a house in Mannanah, Meeker County, at that time the frontier of settlemen}f, and the same year married Mary S. Caswell, who as his widow survives him, and whoas an active worker in connection with our society is well known to all the older members. At the outbreak of hostilities by the Indians in 1862, Mr. Gould became at once engaged as a volunteer in fighting them. A little later he became a regularly enlisted soldier in Company D, Second Minnesota Cavalry, holding the position of sergeant. He continued with this organization till the regiment was mustered out in Decem- ber, 2d, 1865, its service being altogether in this state or on the plains west protecting the frontier from the Indians, In 1866, Mr. Gould established his house in Excelsior, where he re- resided thereafter continuously up to the time of his decease. He embarked at once in the nursery business in which he continued till a few years since he constructed the Excelsior Greenhouses, to the care of which he devoted his time largely the last few years of his life. Mr. Gould held many offices of trust in the village where he resided and had and deserved the confidence of all who knew him. In his death our society loses a staunch and true supporter. A man of strong character, pure principles and practice and of profound convictions, reinforced by excellent judgment and a native ability to impress his views upon others, his influence was large and far reaching. While his outward form is laid away, his influence and the memory of him remain a precious legacy most enduring in the hearts and lives of those he leaves behind. Loyal to his friends, always faithful and true and kind hearted to all, we may well recall and cherish his many manly and rugged virtues.—Sec’y. — A POEM. MRS. S. IRWIN, EXCELSIOR. : Read at the Annual Meeting of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society, December 5th, 1895. VINECROFT, May 17, 1895. It is hard to be a farmer when possessed of bookish taste And feel that either mind or farm is sure to run to waste; ‘My soul cries out for knowledge with a greed I dare not utter, Since ’tis the farm and not the books that brings the bread and butter. I know ‘tis oftimes hinted by the folks who do not know, That fruiters lie in hammocked shade and watch the berries grow, Then whistle for the hired help to load them in a van, Drive to the nearest market and sell them—if they can. To us who learned our lesson, such talk bespeaks ‘‘poor sense,” For the price of fruit, like ‘‘the price of peace,” is eternal vigilance, Since every drowsy, stupid bug, each insect in the air, Each crawling worm, each flying bird, expects an ample share. The breezes through the orchard come heavy lade with news, Which daily mails re-echo, but to read I must refuse; For in looking through the orchard, I descry beneath the leaves The densely peopled cities that the caterpillar weaves. The birds upon the branches,pouring forth a flood of song, Will soon be ravaging the grapes, “a hundred thousand strong;” Then we must reconnoiter, tired, hungry, cold or hot, And wage a fierce,vindicative war, with powder, caps and shot. And then, besides these battles, there’s a thousand things to do, Like making fence and burning brush and berries to renew, Garden to plant and trees to prune, raising each buried vine, Planting the posts and stretching wires and tying up with twine; Plowing and leveling the ground between the endless rows, Where up and down, the summer long, the cultivator goes; And when the vines begin to climb, then we begin to hustle— You'd not believe how fast they grow, they make big stories rustle. Over and over, up and down, forever pruning, tying, Some one must go with railroad speed or cycle record vying, Spraying with new insecticides, then lest the crop be lost We range old stumps about in heaps to “smudge” in case of frost. To hoe, to weed, to spade, to mulch are things that come of course, And then there is the housework and the care of cow and horse, The little ones to work for, love, school, sew for and to feed— But without these small incentives, life would be blank indeed. We find no rest on rainy days, awaiting adverse weather, Thousands of baskets, snugly stored must then be put together; Full eighteen hours of steady work, before at close of day Llay me down too tired to read, almost too tired to pray. Until, if safely guided on, through bugs, birds, fungus, frost, We pack and send to market, then reckon up the cost; And if above the wear and tear, encouragement we win, We work awhile at something else and then again begin. * « « . * * « « . Iam thinking of your topics as I go about my work, But if I sit me down to write I'm brought up with a jerk And find no time to ‘‘Fancy” since Duty” stern and strong, “Marches” me without ‘‘Music” in “Silence” right along. 220 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Though oft at work till “Midnight,” my pen lies idly by, ’Tis o’er the endless ‘“Must be done’s” the fleeting moments fly; And from ‘‘Merry May” till “ Easter’ I can with safety say, No busier women can be found in all America.” P.S.— In looking o’er my letter I see that you may find An undercurrent of complaint,—I meant nothing of the kind; Indeed, I would not now exchange my rural situation For any phase of city life, no matter what the station. Society we call the best—I know it well of yore— Contains a class of “borers” far worse than “currant bore;” You cannot clip them off with shears and burn as we do ours, You have to let them hang about and sap your mental powers. It has its swarms of useless “moths” worse than our ‘‘cabbage flies’’-- You cannot send them on their way with pepper in their eyes; It has a host of parasites, the worst you’ll ever find, You cannot dose with Paris Green or something of the kind. It has its Black Rot, Blight and Curl—its Mildew isin sight— We use fresh lime and vitriol to set these matters right; It has its hail storms, drought and frost, which prey upon the heart, These latter come to every life, they are of life a part. But in this busy, quiet place, whatever ills may come, Their blackening shadows do not spread far from my humble home; And so my forced seclusion from April to December, Affects or injures no one else except your country member. REPORT ON SMALL FRUITS. M. CUTLER, PRINCETON, MINN. Owiny to my short residence in this part of Minnesota, I have lit- tle to report on the subject assigned to me by your committee. Nearly all the old settlers of this county were lumbermen from Maine and paid little attention to the cultivation of the soil. Of those who have more recently settled here, the majority have given their attention to the cultivation of potatoes, onions and other vege- tables, with great success,as demonstrated by our wonderful ex- hibit at the recent state fair. But little attention has been given to the cultivation of small fruits yet, but as nearly all kinds are found growing in abundance in a wild state, I have no doubt the time will soon come when northeastern Minnesota will be as famous for big berries as it is now for big potatoes and onions. I have observed one thing here,and that is this, that few wild rasp- berries, gooseberries or high bush blackberries are found growing on the sandy land, but on clay land slashings where once grew the stately oak, maple, basswood, etc. Blueberries and dewberries are growing in abundance on the poor sandy land where flourish the jack pine and oak. Following nature’s indications, I selected mixed land and now have a fine half acre of strawberries and a few black- berry and raspberry bushes, and should the coming season be fav- orable I hope to give you a good report one year from now. We have a few beekeepers here. A Mr. Gerth, got 6,000 pounds of honey the past season, and has over 200 colonies. I should like to be with you, but had too many seven cent potatoes and too few ten cent berries to afford it. I hope and trust you may have a very pro- fitable meeting. a Wj Ai PROFITS OF COMMERCIAL GRAPE GROWING. 221 PROFITS OF COMMERCIAL GRAPE GROWING. “Every acre of good bearing vineyard,” said one of our largest and most successful Western New York growers, “you can put down as costing $300.” Let us see: In the wide range of the grape belt, the first cost of the land varies allthe way from $25 to, in rare cases,as high as $200 per acre. For our theoretical vineyard, we will put the land at $100 per acre. Ina full discussion in the horticultural society on the cost for roots, posts, wire and labor for a vineyard from planting to the second bearing year, the estimates were none higher than $80 nor lower than $60 per acre. Let us take the first named figure, and our bear- ing vineyard has cost us all told, $180 per acre. Now, we will let out the vineyard to halves, each party furnishing half the baskets, and will call the yield 800 baskets per acre, bringing 12c per 9-pound bas- ket. This then is the way our balance sheet will appear: One acre vineyard Dr. Cr. 400 baskets of grapes at 12c..............2.. Bice eceeeee $48.00 mere On COst, fico at 6 per CEN. .co csc cccces ceenecs $10.80 PMCS tea tr 201) CL EIN» 2. x oia'c wid csjeriered psisie ttle one: e ane 8.00 rt cities wakes coh piee wah alKe ween alee aan inds vcore 5.00 $23 .80 ERNIE, MCE DEOML DCT ACTE uci. ce ne nce e aces geen vs envs $24.20 If we put the yield at 1,000 baskets, which vineyards on $100 per acre land ought to bear, the net profit will be $10 more, or $34.20, If instead of leasing out the vineyard, the owners carry it on, the account will be about as follows: | One acre grapes Dr, Cr. PRTISICEEC OG, UAC eo siaieig niciela 4 tieieidis'are vis edible ve ee selec $96.00 REECE SULOL TRV CBLITICN Ts. 6 oie oo < 6 o% uc ndiccle nc'lodice cesaiceas $10.80 Cost of pruning, tying and cultivation............... 10.00 PERERA er eae Gicirkiahlacwe Gerke 5.00 RES STR ONE Eas aol caus Gidic.w oiaraial an) ols We. ninqiats fain’ are’saiseiein ok 16.00 Picking, packing and hauling to station 800 baskets ER ERESEES CRE nee Gil a sc asc as dig aot h n'a, d'n ehain: p'e: 6 ae a 20.00 ER a fc wala iia aa’ Gia Uaioe kieea's © ewioe Mam aele 2.50 $64.30 PMLAMCG, NEt Profit POT ACLE. 2c wvaccases ave severe $31.70 A yield of 1,000 baskets would add $15 to this, making the net pro- must add the expense of burying and a slight increased cost of baskets, which is more than offset however by the saving in cost of transportation and the increase of price for fresh home grown fruit. Grape growing can be made fairly remunerative on any location in our state that is reasonably frost proof, as fit $46.70 per acre.—Fruit. | To the above expense account the Minnesota vine growers the high lands south and east of our larger lakes. Sec’y. It has recently been demonstrated for the first time, and that by Cornell Experiment Station, that the production of apples is far - more exhaustive to the soil than wheat growing. 222 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY VENTILATION OF SMALL FRUITS WHILE IN TRANSIT. The question considered below, on which the two writers ap- parently disagree, is of very great importance to the small fruit grower. It is copied entire from the ‘‘Western Gardener.” Which is right, or are both so? Sec’y. In the Fruit Grower’s Journal of April 1st, we find the following article pertaining to ventilation of strawberries while in transit, to which we take some exceptions. The article reads as follows: “It is pretty well understood among growers that strawberries do not need ventilation while in transit. Ifa case of berries is left at home uncovered for one night and is examined, it will be found that the berries in the lower tier of boxes have retained their color better thanthose inthe uppertier. The latter will have turned dark, while those in the lower tier will have retained their bright- ness. The examination may be carried further, and if a box in the upper tier is emptied out, those in the bottom will be brighter than those on top. All of this goes to show that the more nearly air is excluded, the better the appearance the berries will present when opened in market.” After several years experience in fruit growing and shipping small fruits, we have made the following observations: That strawberries, or any other small fruits that were kept over night on the farm, should be given as much ventilation as possible to have them go through in first class condition. When we first engaged in the business we filled our crates full, and, if the weather was extremely warm or damp, on the following morning we would find that the berries in the lower boxes had begun to mold, while those in the upper boxes were free from any indications of such loss. This led us to look into the boxes and learn if we could not provide aremedy. We then only placed our crates with one layer of boxes instead of both, leaving them so that the air could circu- late freely, left them either in an open shed or in open air, covered with canvass to prevent rain or dew from falling on the fruit. After handling them in this way we had no complaints from our custom- ers, and always found our fruit in good shape when we made ship- ments. It is true that this takes extra time and work, but when one takes into consideration the fact that his future trade will be largely augmented by giving his customers their fruit in the very best condition, he can well afford to give the extra time necessary for this work. If the grower has cold storage to place his fruit in as soon as crated and can ship in refrigerator cars, this airing process is unnecessary, but we can assure our readers that berries handled thus will stand further shipment than where placed in crates and nailed up closely as soon as picked. Since we have proved to our own satisfaction that ventilation is a necessity before they have been shipped, we are of the opinion that ventilation while in transit would be desirable. PEACH GROWING IN MINNESOTA. 223 PEACH GROWING IN MINNESOTA. M. PEARCE, CHOWEN. From our own experience and that of others, we know that excel- lent peaches can be grown in Minnesota—we have done it with little labor. Itis the general opinionthat peach trees are tender and will not stand much cold. Such is not the case, at least in Minnesota with our dry atmosphere. Peter M. Gideon, of Excelsior, the veteran peach grower, informs me that there was scarsely a winter with the light covering he gave his peach trees but they were exposed to 35 or 40 degrees of cold below zero. Mr. Modlin,a very successful grower of peaches, said there was not a day in winter that the cats did not go under his peach trees. A sandy loam sloping to the south is the best for peach trees. Covering too early and too deep are two of the principal causes of failures. Remember this, make a note of it. Plant June budded trees. Our mode of handling peach trees is as follows: In planting them out, place a board ten inches wide and a foot long on each side of the roots and make them grow two ways. Aside, from the top or feeding roots they send down two or three tap roots. The last of October lay them down. Remove one board and dig down till you come to the tap roots; then press the tree down care- fully flatonto the ground. Fill the hole with moist and fine soil and press it down, making a mound a few inches high; also cover the body of the trees with earth. Place a weight on each tree to keep it down. Let them remain in this condition till the ground is frozen, and the weight can then be removed. Just before real winter sets in, along towards Christmas, cover eight or ten inches deep with long marsh hay. Uncover the trees the last of March or the first of April, and let the trees remain two or three weeks before they are straightened up. Weare growing early, medium and late kinds; they all ripened and were good. One variety which ripened the ninth of August was large and extra good; of this variety we intend, if life and health permit, to propagate extensively. By using careful thought on proper soil, peaches can be had from the ninth of August till the first of October fresh from the trees. The Michigan agricultural college will send a collection of flower seeds to the first ten school districts in each county that shall make application for them. This effort to create a love for flowers anda regard for the appearance of the school yard is commendable and will be an important factor in a child’s education. My favorite plan for planting an orchard is to plant trees close in the row, with rows five to ten rods apart, intending thus to cover every field in the farm. This gives ample feeding space for the roots and ample access for air and sunshine. By this method each field can be planted to small fruits or farm crops without difficulty of getting about the trees with plow and cultivator.—C. A. Green. ea 224 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. THE CROSBY PEACH. THE CROSBY PEACH.—ONE-QUARTER SIZE. This is described as “The great peach of the North. Has not failed to producea crop intwelve years. Hardiest of all peaches. A beautiful yellow freestone peach, with very small pit. Excellent flavor. Tree rather dwarf. It comes nearer being frost proof than any other.” Hon. J. H. Hale, before the Western New York Horticul- tural Society, January 24, 1894, stated that it had not failed to fruit in eleven years and that nearly every bud had come through the win- ter unimpaired. If you are going to plant peaches this may be worth trying.—Secy. EAT APPLES AND BE HEALTHY.—According to Dr. G. R. Searles, the apple is medicinal in a marked degree. Hesays: “The apple is such common fruit that very few people are familiar with its re- markable efficacious medicinal properties. Everybody ought to know that the very best thing they can do is to eat apples just be- fore retiring for the night. Persons uninitiated in the mysteries of the fruit are liableto throw up their hands in horror at the visions of dyspepsia which such a suggestion may summon up, but no harm can come to even a delicate system by eating ripe and juicy apples just before going to bed. The apple is an excellent brain food, because it has more phosphoric acid in easily digestable shape than any other vegetable known. It excites the action of the liver, promotes sound and healthy sleep and thoroughly disinfects the mouth. This is not all. The apple agglutinates the surplus acids of the stomach, helps the kidney secretions and prevents calculous growths, while it obviates indigestion and is one of the best preven- tives known of diseases of the throat. Everybody should be famil- iar with such knowledge. In addition, next to the orange and the lemon, it is the best antidote for the thirst and craving of a person addicted to the alcohol or the opium habit. ee ee - 7, GRAPES BY THE KNIFFIN SYSTEM. 295 GRAPES BY THE KNIFFIN SYSTEM. As most vine growers are aware, this system consists in training the vine upon and along the top wire of the trellis instead of along the bottom wire, permitting the fruit and growing canes to hang down instead of tying them upright, as by the old plan. This method is meeting with great favor.— Secretary. Assuming that most of you are growing grapes upon the four arm system, let me say that we have changed our system so that we use only the two upper arms, and grow all our grapes upon these arms. Why have we changed, and what has been the result? We observed that a much larger proportion of marketable grapes grew upon the upper arms, and as it was marketable grapes that we wanted we removed the lower arms. Now, in order to get the quan- tity necessary we leave upon this single cane which constitutes the arm upon each side of the main vine a greater number of buds, which distributes the new growth over more surface, preventing the overcrowding of the fruit upon the vine. We leave upon the two arms twelve to fourteen buds each. The summer pruning consists in removing after the fruit is set the clingers and seconds and afterward the laterals, and clipping off the fruit bearing shoots at the third or fourth leaf beyond the fruit, excepting one good shoot nearest the head of the vine which is left for the fruit bearing cane for the next year. We also remove the poor clusters and never leave more than three clusters, usually but two, and sometimes only one upona shoot. There will then re- main upon the vine from thirty-five to forty clusters, and I think it will pay to remove still more,not leaving over thirty clusters on the vine, for if we can grow thirty clusters to weigh twenty pounds, I believe they will sell for more money than forty clusters weighing twenty-five pounds and less expense in marketing. I am after quality in preference to quantity. What are the indica- tions of high quality and where do we find it? Like the peach, the rich bloom upon its surface is indicative of its quality, and you find this bloom most perfectly developed upon the largest and finest clusters upon the vine. By the method of pruning which I have in- dicated, al] clusters hang in their natural positions upon the vine in- dependent of each other, are more compact in their structure and better developed in their growth. There are other advantages that aid in perfecting the fruit. These are the free circulation of the air under the vines and fruit, the clean surface of the ground affording no lodgment for sporadic or fungous growth, also the ease with which the vines may be sprayed, the rapidity with which the fruit may be gathered and the ease and rapidity of the winter pruning. —Fruit. Apple trees should be sprayed froma platform elevated six or eight feet above the wagon. The object is to throw the spray down on, rather than up under the foliage. 226 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. FRUIT BLOSSOMS, REPORT FOR 1895. L. R. MOYER, MONTEVIDEO. At Montevideo we had an early spring, The mercury showed a temperature of 73° on April 3d, 74° on April 4th and 76° on April 5th. On April 20th, the thermometer showed 80°. The next morning the thermometer showed 1° below freezing point and the morning after 3° below. Buffalo berries were in full bloom on the 17th, and the amelanch- iers soon afterward. The buffalo berries proved to be all stami- nate. There being no pistillate trees to receive the fertilizing pollen, we are unable to say whether the frost injured them or not. The Juneberry blossoms were uninjured, so we conclude that they are frost proof. The next day after this severe freeze, the mercury had risen to 83° again,and plums and sand cherries began to bloom. On April 30th, the mercury was at 83° again, and some bloom began to show on the apple trees. The warm weather continued uninterruptedly until the morning of May 11th, when the mercury again touched 32°. The two following mornings, the thermometer showed 31°, and the frost was very severe. On May 20th the mercury fell to 30°, and the resulting frost swept away all the gardens and most of the fruit. Never before in the history of western Minnesota was the display of fruit blossoms more gorgeous and promising. Butthe flowers came too early,and the frost came too late. There was very little fruit. NEW CURRANTS AND OLD.—For nearly fifteen years the New York Experiment Station at Geneva has madea specialty of testing cur- rants and now has growing thirty-seven cultivated varieties and three wild kinds, exclusive of station seedlings. Bulletin 95 describes these and also discusses their comparative value as shown by the average yield of the varieties in full bearing during the past three years. Prince Albert, a red currant, was the most productive of all the kinds tested, having an average yield for three years of 9 pounds per bush, London Red, Victoria, Cherry and Fay following in the order named. For jam, Cherry is preferred, but for jelly, Fay and Prince Albert. White Dutch was the most productive white variety, averaging 6 pounds per bush, and Prince of Wales the best bearer of the black kinds, averaging 5144 pounds. Individual varieties in the different classes vary much in productiveness, but the most pro- ductive black currants do not equal in yield the most productive red or white kinds. Itis estimated that on account of their being less productive, one would need to realize 1% to 2 cents more per pound for the black as a class than for the red or white currants. The bulletin also describes the propagation and culture of the cur- rant. Bone meal and muriate of potash seems to make the best fertilizer for the currant bush, with a little nitrogen. EE a THE COMMISSION MERCHANTS. 9927 THE COMMISSION MERCHANTS. (Discussion at the Annual Meeting, December 7, 1895.) Mr. CORBETT: Ladies and gentlemen: Itwas not with the ideaof coming down here to make any talk, or to attempt anything in the way of speech making that I suggested to your president yesterday the idea of meeting with youthis morning. I thought it would be well for the fruit handling commission men of the city to meet with you in your session, rather in a friendly or social way to exchange, perhaps, a few personal ideas in regard to our mutual interest. Not anticipating that I would be called upon to make any remarks,what I shall say will be entirely on the spurof the moment. I feel this, that the commission men and fruit dealers of the city have the widest and fullest interest in the success of horticulture in the state, and hav- ing that interest at heart we certainly feel like expressing it and feel like coming before you and exchanging some ideas with you in regard to the matter. I have attended conventions two thousand miles away from here of the great fruit growers of the country, and I certainly thought and felt that here in Minnesota, in our own home, we could not manifest our appreciation better than by at least ask- ing to come down to see you. We were glad of the opportunity, we were pleased to come here, and I can say for myself that I was not only pleased, but I was surprised to see the exhibit you made, and I am glad that an opportunity has presented itself that we may see what is being done in regard to the fruit industry in Minne- sota. The display of apples and the display of other fruits is cer- tainly remarkable. It is remarkable to me, who has been in the business and am in the business, that in Minnesota we are doing as much as you people have developed here. I attended a fruit growers’ convention in Spokane, where three states were represented, and in addressing the convention I at- tempted to show the close intimacy existing between us and them, they as the coming fruit growers of the country and we as a large people here, non-fruit producers but large consumers. I am glad to say I have occasion to change my mind in regard to that matter. I can now say we have become fruit producers. There are some things that I would like to suggest to some of you gentlemen as shippers, and that is in the line of a little better pre- paration of your fruit. Your apples that I have seen here on our market have not been put upin the best way. They have not been put up in the best way to bring the best returns to you. They have not been satisfactory to us who handle them, because when we do not get good results it is just as unsatisfactory to us as it is to you. The Duchess has been marketed in large quantities during the past season. They came to us in sugar barrels, gunny sacks, cracker boxes, shoe boxes, poultry crates and in every other way except the right way, and the result was they did not bring the prices the Wis- consin fruit brought or that the Illinois fruit brought, and it seemed to you as if the commission man here was not doing his duty, . In regard to crab apples, it is my idea that a little greater concen- tration on the production of the crab would be best as far as grow- ing a nice apple, a standard apple from the middleman’s standpoint is concerned, and you could not grow too many. That is the apple 228 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. you ought to grow in this state for the market. Thus, last year and — this year the demand for crab apples was far in excess of the sup- ply. I know that we had orders for a thousand barrels or more that we could not supply. One other thought I wish to express in re- gard to marketing the crab apple; the crab apple will bear packing and careful handling. The barrels should be filled and packed so the apples will not roll about. Then, also, care should be taken in picking the fruit. Apples come to us which appear to have been clubbed off with a rail ora flail. They are not salable in that shape. So far as small fruits are concerned, I think it is beyond question that the small fruits of this state rank as high as any small fruits grown in the union. In regard to some other things, I was some- what interested when in visiting Chicago some time ago I saw some fine cucumbers offered for sale. I asked a friend of mine I was with where they came from. He said they came from Minneapolis. It was quite a surprise to me to think that Illinois should depend toa large extent upon the state of Minnesota for her supply of winter tomatoes and cucumbers. I think these other gentlemen here can say more to youthanIcan. It is a matter in which we are all in- terested and glad to co-operate with you. Pres. Underwood: We appreciate the interest you are taking in our work, and we should be glad to have you gentle- men, without any formality whatever, participate in our delib- erations on all points of interest. We would be glad to hear from Mr. Stacy, one of the leading commission men of Min- neapolis. Mr. Stacy: Ido not know that Ican add anything partic- ularly to what Mr. Corbett has said, and I will not take up any of your time. Pres. Underwood: We would like to hear from Mr. Palmer, of Porter Bros. Mr. Palmer: Mr. President, and gentlemen, speaking is a little out of my line, and I only can endorse the remarks made by Mr. Corbett. The great trouble with apples is that they are brought to our market inimproper shape. What we want prin- cipally is crab apples. The demand in North Dakota for crab apples is enormous, and they always look this way for their supply, and if we can give them nice, sound crab apples, in nice, clean packages we can always get a good price for them, and this is what I waxt to emphasize to you, to raise all the crab apples you can and send them to the market in good con- dition. Mr. Elliot: What variety of crabs do you consider the best shipper? Mr. Palmer: Hyslop. Mr. Elliot: What is the next best variety? ‘ ‘ J * 1h ee . n’ *. #, : ¥ ' ERCHANTS. THE COMMISSION M Mr. Palmer: The Transcendent, but as a rule it comes into the market too ripe for shipment. Of course, it is all right for the local market. Mr. Bunnell: How does the Hyslop compare in price with the other varieties? Mr. Palmer: It always brings more. Mr. Philips (Wisconsin): How is the Whitney No. 20? Mr. Corbett: Well, we are not familiar with the names of varieties. Mrs. Kennedy: I was taken quite severely to task yesterday by some of our good people for saying that some people were so ignorant, and now it appears that some of you fruit men are so ignorant that you take a rail to knock off your apples with. (Laughter). Mr. Corbett, Iam very much obliged to you for that information. Mr. Harris: Ordinarily the fruit men who send their fruit in that style do not belong to the State Horticultural Society. I live in Houston county. Ihave seen thousands of bushels of crabs lying under the trees breeding worms, because at La Crosse they could not get more than fifteen cents a bushel for them. One La Crosse merchant told me he had often bought them and sent them up here to this market and cleared one dollar a bushel on them. I believe what we have heard here will do us more good than what this meeting willcost us. This past year 1 sold my crab apples for twenty-five to fifty cents a bushel. For very fine fruit, I got fifty cents a bushel. I left orders at home to dispose of all they could at home, and I lost $150.00 by not sending them tothis market. I would like to ask the gentlemen here if it would pay to pack such tender varieties as the Transcendent in small packages? I see farmers who have perhaps one hundred bushels. The farmer loads his wagon box full of apples, and then he fills a lot of sacks with apples and puts them on top of the boxful, and then on top of all he piles his wife and children and the hired man, hitches his team to the wagon, and those apples are bumped up hilland down hill, and then they are sold to the local merchant and barreled up and sent to Minneapolis. I told one of those men it would pay him to buy bushel baskets. Mr. Corbett: Our firm alone had to cancel orders for over two hundred barrels of apples this fall. Mr. Stacy: It is best to pack them in barrels; that is the uniform package. Prof. Green: Does it pay to face the barrels, the fruit? 230 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Mr. Corbett: That question answers itself. A pretty lady is never the worse looking for being nicely dressed. A barrel of apples should be put up nicely. Mr. Philips (Wisconsin): Apples packed in new barrels bring the best prices, It pays to ship in new barrels. It is quite a considerable work to face out small crab apples. Mr. Corbett: It will add twenty-five cents a barrel to the price. It will pay to face your apples for the time spent in doing it. Dr. Frisselle: Ido not know, but would it not be well to put them up in smaller packages, say in half barrels? Mr. Corbett: The barrel is the standard we work from, and as far as price is concerned I do not think it makes any differ- ence whatever. Dr. Frisselle: It is somewhat difficult to press fruit of this sort. Does the color have anything to do with the price the apples bring? Mr. Palmer: Well, the red apple sells for much more than the lighter color, and sells better. A red apple will outsell any other color. Mr. Corbett: I do not know that there is so much difference. You get more uniformity with the red apple than with the yellow. There is but little difference to the trade. In North Dakota and Winnipeg the red crab is much more desirable. But in South Dakota there are thousands of people who want the yellow crab apple. Mr. Wedge: Do you think another crab as good a shipper as the Hyslop and colored red would sell as well? I will say the Hyslop is hard to raise. Mr. Corbett: I do not think it would make any difference what it was. Mr. Kellogg (Wisconsin): You would sell it for the Hyslop anyway. (Laughter). Mr. Corbett: Well, we always sell what the people want. Pres. Underwood: In shipping some delicate apples like the Whitney, that are liable to bruise, I was going to ask if it would not be desirable to ship them in small packages. Mr. Corbett: I do not think it would be from the peculiar situation of our market. It does not cut any figure with the trade. They do not want any special fruit simply because it is early or has some other good point about it. The people are willing to wait until later in the season when more is offered Tas eee SS ee oe ere - 7% THE COMMISSION MERCHANTS, 231 and the prices are lower, so I don’t think it would be any encouragement to offer it in that form. Pres. Underwood: Is this sixteen quart package (exhibiting a crate) the package you like to have strawberries come in? Mr. Corbett: Our wise legislature has been attempting to legislate in the interest of the consumer, but I think the twenty- four quart package gives us the most desirable crate to put strawberries in. It is a thing that must be apparent to you that it is just as easy to sell twenty-four quart cases as it is to sell sixteen quart cases, and it is all done in one transaction and is in every way more desirable. Pres. Underwood: Is this the kind of quart, as shown in this crate, (exhibiting a sample) that you want strawberries in? Mr. Corbett: I would rather have the full quart. Pres. Underwood: Would they bring more in that size? Mr. Corbett: I think they would. The consumer makes an objection because the box does not contain a full quart and is always willing to pay more for a full quart. Pres. Underwood: I think this is a very important question tous. The Southern fruit shipped in is in quarts which have been adopted by Illinois and Wisconsin. Our quarts are called the short quart. It is the same size over the surface, but not quite sodeep. If by using the full quart we can get so much more for our fruit, when we buy our supply of boxes next year we ought to get the full quarts. Mr. Corbett: The Florida fruit comes in that shape, but while fruit at that time is scarce, people are pleased with the large boxes and they buy it. Mr. Harrison (N. Dakota): So much has this short measure been practiced on us people of the North, that it is hard to tell whether we getafull barrel orafull quart. In regard to crabs, you can sell two barrels of crabs in North Dakota to one of any other kind. Mr. Brackett: Are the people prejudiced as to the color of raspberries? Mr. Palmer: The Cuthbert is the most desirable. The Turner is a good fruit; it is large, juicy and sells well. Pres. Underwood: How about black raspberries? Mr. Palmer: The Gregg is the best. The larger they are, the better they sell. Mr. Wedge: How do our better grade of wild plums stand in the market? Mr. Corbett: We have no experience as to the variety. 232 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Mr. Elliot: While we are all interested in horticulture, there is one thing that almost every horticulturist produces,and that is potatoes. We would like to know the best package to ship potatoes in. Mr. McLean: The most desirable package is sacks. They must be sacked somewhere, and it might as well be done where they are dug as anywhere else. Mr. Elliot: The reason I asked the question, in going out into the country I saw farmers putting them in sacks. Mr. Brackett: Is there a marked difference in the price of very early blackberries compared with those that come in later? Mr. Palmer: The earlier berries bring considerably more than those that come in later. A MODEL FORESTRY COMMISSION. By the official initiative of the Secretary of the Interior, the Hon- orable Hoke Smith, a national investigation has just been set on foot, which, by the sheer force of its authoritativeness, must compel legislative attention. By the constitution of the National Academy of Science, it becomes the duty of this body to undertake the inves- tigation of any scientific problem upon the request of the head ofa department of the government, and such a request for the study of the subject of forestry Secretary Smith has made of the presidentof the academy, Professor Wolcott Gibbs, who has respondedina spirit commensurate with the importance of the secretary’s wise and patriotic action. In his acceptance of the task President Gibbs says: It is needless to remind you that the matter you refer to the Acad- emy is important and difficult. No subject upon which the Acad- emy has been asked before by the government for advice compares with it in scope, and it is the opinion of thoughtful men that no other economic problem confronting the government of the United States equals in importance that offered by the present condition and future fate of the forests of western North America. The forests in the public domain extend through 18 degrees of longitude and 20 degrees of latitude; they vary in density, composi- tion and sylvicultural condition from the most prolific in the world, outside the tropics, to the most meager. In some parts of the coun- try they are valuable as sources oftimber supply which can be made permanent; in others, while producing no timber of importance, they are not less valuable for their influence upon the supply of water available for the inhabitants of regions dependent on irriga- tion for their means of subsistence. The character of the topogra- phy andthe climate of most of the region now embraced in the public domain increase the difficulty of the problem. Scanty and unequally distributed rainfall checks the growth of forests, while high mountain ranges make them essential to regulate the flow of mountain streams. You have done the Academy the honor of asking it to recommend a plan for the general treatment of the forest covered portions of the public domain. That its report may be valuable as a basis for future legislation, it must consider: — = —— Se A MODEL FORESTRY COMMISSION. 233 1. The question of the ultimate ownership of the forests now be- longing to the government; that is, what portions of the forest on the public domain shall be allowed to pass, either in part or en- tirely, from government control into private hands. How shall the government forests be administered so that the inhabitants of adjacent regions may draw their necessary forest supplies from them without affecting their permanency. 3. What provision is possible and necessary to secure for the gov- ernment a continuous, intelligent and honest management of the forests of the public domain, including those in the reservations already made or which may be made in the future. This admirable statement of the scope of the work is accompanied by the appointment of a commission of experts to undertake the in- vestigation, which in character and in range of scientific knowledge of the sort that qualifies for a given task, has seldom, if ever, been equalled in the record of governmental work. The members are: Professor Charles S. Sargent,of Harvard, chairman; Professor Wol- cott Gibbs, ex-officio; Alexander Agassiz; Professor W. H. Brewer,of Yale; General Henry L. Abbott, U.S. A. (retired); Arnold Hague, of the Geological Survey and Gifford Pinchot, practical forester. These gentlemen, serving without pay, will proceed to make a scientific and practical study of the public forests from every point of view and on the ground, and their report and their recommen- dations, whatever they may be in detail, cannot fail to carry such weight with the press and the public thatit will be as impossible to go back to the old policy of neglect as to re-enact literary piracy or the toleration of lotteries or any other outworn system of robbing the many for the benefit of the few. We regard the establishment of this commission as alandmark of national progress. While of extraordinary value to the whole country, it will prove, particularly, the salvation of the West from those who would sacrifice its entire future to the greed of the immediate moment.—The Century Magazine, May, 1895. PETUNIAS.—I once knew an old bachelor who lived in a house by himself on a Western prairie. A stray flower catalogue fell into his hands, and in it he found a colored picture of that brilliant carmine petunia, Countess of Elsmere, so much used for bedding. It struck his fancy, and he sent for three papers of the seed. Next he made a big, round flower bed, at least ten feet in diameter, and sowed the entire bed to the petunia seed. The ground was mellow, the soil was rich, and the little seedlings soon grew into long armed, thickly matted plants. When they bloomed, the purplish hue of the flowers could be seen a mile away, and when face to face with the bed it was seento be a solid circle of glowing, radiant, velvety bloom. As he complacently and slangily remarked: “His bed knocked the socks off from any other flowers on the prairie.” I give this as an example of whata stricking effect can be obtained at little cost or trouble by the use of this good old annual, of which it may truthfully be said that it is one of the half dozen best plants _ in existence for garden decoration.—Vicks. 234 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. PLUMS AND CHERRIES. L. J. GJEMSE, HADER. Last year I became one of the members of your society, and at the last annual meeting,held at Lake City, was appointed on the com- mittee on “Plumsand Cherries.” I have tried during the spring and summer to be on the lookout for facts relating to these two subjects, but have been only partially successful for three reasons, viz: first, my experience in horticulture; second, the unfavorable state of the weather during the spring; third, the scarcity of named varieties cultivated in my neighborhood. Iask, therefore, the society to deal leniently with me and my somewhat meager report. This spring (1895) was an early one and flowers began to appear on the plum trees during the last week in April,and they continued blos- soming through the first three weeks in May. May 4th a hailstorm passed over here, lasting about twenty minutes, and a whole lot of the flowers were knocked off, but not so many as to seriously injure the prospects of a fair crop. Between the 10th and the 14th, a spell of cold weather set in, and the ground froze, and ice formed on the water during the nights. Only a few flowers escaped injury, and the fruit from these was small and most of it injured by the curculio. On June 23d another hailstorm passed over parts of this county and destroyed what had been spared by the frost. There are three or four farmers not far from here that raised a fair crop of apples and a few plums. They were fortunate enough to escape the hail, and their orchards were protected on the north and west sides by thickets, which shielded them from the cold wind and saved them from injury by the frost. Out in the woods where the hail did not hurt, the choke-cherry, pin-cherry and black-cherry bore a lot of fruit. Even where the trees stood exposed, some fruit was found. This was, no doubt, owing to the fact that the cherry trees put forth their blossoms after the cold spell in May was over. Of named varieties found here, I have nothing to say,as none bore fruit. The foliage was not much injured,and fewer insects were found on the trees this year than last. If I should make any suggestions, which would be rather prepos- terous in one so inexperienced, I would say: 1. Protect your orchards well on the north and west sides by planting a substantial windbreak. 2, In the spring have straw and refuse piled up at different places in your orchard ready to be set on fire when you fear a cold night- The heat and smoke wafted between the trees may save your fruit crop and well repay the trouble taken. ee Pee ae. an eee REPORT ON FORESTRY. 235 REPORT ON FORESTRY. J. O. BARRETT, BROWN’S VALLEY. (Read at the Annual Meeting of the State Horticultural Society Dec. 4th, 1895.) I recall the fact that about ten years ago this society was strug- gling forthe position it deserved. The old veterans, who had fought the demons of doubt and indifference as to raising fruit in Minne- sota, stood their ground, brave asthe little band of Greeks fighting the Persian hosts at the Pass of Thermopylae. They pounded their way forward,gaining public confidence slowly but surely, and their victory is so historic, that the Minnesota State Horticultural Society is recognized as one of the most talented and efficient in the United States. As proof of this fact, we have but to survey the vast fruit areas all around us. And I recall another noteworthy event, that the horticultural society never ignored the claims of forestry. In the darkest hour of the Forestry Association—do you not remember it? —this society took it under its fostering care, keeping the spark of life in the sick baby. Atan annual meeting six years ago in this city, Wyman El- liot being president, the question, whether the association should cease to be by merging it into this society, was entrusted to a special committee, consisting of Chas. Luedloff, C. L. Swift and the writer of this, who, after canvassing the situation, reported that the-association was not ready to die but must live to see a brighter day. Soon after this, a few veterans of the association met in the Historical Rooms at St. Paul and further discussed the mattef and concluded to go ahead. Having elected a new board of officers, the association struck out, breasting the storm of human wrath, as did the horticultural society in the long ago. But few know what battles we have had to fight, but not a man among us flinched from duty. Youknowtheresult. Today our association is regarded by foresters as one of the most persistent and effectual in the Union of States. That the public pulse has been stirred to beat in favor of forestry is evidenced by the newly awakened interest in tree plant- ing on the open prairie, by a legislative reckoning with the timber thieves and by the organization under state authority of a forest fire warden system with earnest men to operate its machinery. The year of our Lord, 1895, inaugurated practical forestry on its essen- tial lines. The initial step taken sooner than we anticipated, the evolutional work is beforeus. Following the success of organizing a system of protection to forest property and life against fires, in the bill in which our association had a conspicuous hand, the legis- lature again appropriated means to support our arduous labors. Since the new departure of 1889, under the auspices of this society we have certainly sent to the people not less than 700,000 pamphlets and circulars, also plants and seeds by thousands upon thousands, and the call for them increases on our hands. We are now making vigorous efforts to establish a forestry library for our association; for books we have to depend upon donations, 236 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. which thus far are promising. Of course this is a hint for you to keep in mind, and our association will be grateful for any favors of the kind. The date of holding the annual meetings of this society being changed, it necessarily divorces the joint sessions heretofore so harmoniously obtaining. Speaking, as I know I do, for the associ- ation, this divorcement shall not separate our mutual work in a common cause; our hands shall hold closer your hands, if that can be, and our hearts beat together in oneness of fellowship. We of the association propose to attend your meetings,working with you, and can reasonably anticipate that you will reciprocate this courtesy by meeting with us, working together again for forestry in its inter- changeable relation with horticulture. The new departure of forestry involves greater responsibilities than the past. We must build upon what has been gained by earn- est endeavor and self-sacrifice. We discover now that what seemed losses and mistakes, were victories of mental experience to profit by. The better educative work is begun, the more practical follows. Our association has recently issued a modest little pamphlet, entitled “Forestry in our Schools.” It has been widely distributed throughout the state and is most cordially received. Its design is to help instructors in awakening and directing the youth in love and care for trees. Its educational methods are simply suggestive and hopefully pleading for the hearty co-operation of the schools. Of course such discipline is too diffusive and rudimental to meet the full necessities of the situation. ‘ Noting the rapid growthof our experiment station and its divis- ions in public favor and patronage, any one can foresee that it is destined to be to the state what a governmental forestry school is to Germany or France and far better adapted to our needs than a mon- archical system of forestry. Let us then understand the duty assigned us and consider the fact that we have but just begun it. The forestry movement in Minnesota has gestated enough to show that it has two ruddy arms to its stalwart body, raising trees and saving trees. They must not be allowed to antagonize each other, but we trust both will antago- nize the policy, growing in favor, that if fires are kept out of our forests they will develop all that is needful. Keeping out the fires is a great achievement, but to stop right there is about as credible as it would be for the horticulturist to plant an orchard and let it take care of itself, bound in wild grasses and devoured by rabbits and insects. The treatment necessary to lasting success with our planted trees is equally applicable to our native trees. There is no substantial hope for practical forestry unless we do keep out the fires, but we must also keep out browsing stock, cut only for forest improvement, thin out for hardy and profitable growth, exterminate preying rodents and insects, preserve continuity of shade for water economy, and thus perpetuate the lumber industry and the health- fulness and beauty of the state. GOOD STORAGE FOR THE ORCHARDIST. 237 GOOD STORAGE FOR THE ORCHARDIST. (Extract from a paper read by J. M. Purdy, before the Missouri Horticultural Society, at Neosho, in Dec., ‘5.) It is not necessary to go to any extravagant expense, and, besides itis not needed. Select a gravelly hillside. Excavate to the required size and depth, and then wall it up with stone picked off your fields. Then roof it over. A double roof is best, builtin the following man- ner: Lay a plate on the wall and put on rafters and sheathing as for a roof. Cover sheathing with building paper. Over this lay a second course of rafters with sheathing as before. Fillin between the two courses of sheathing with sawdust. Then put on the shin- gles. Before shingling a good ventilator should be put in, running up through the roof. Then with double doors to your cellar you are prepared to hold your apples. Care should be taken to see that the cellar is well drained and well ventilated. The main thing is to keep as near an even temperature as possible. In warm weather in the fall, after the apples are put in store, the ventilators should be opened at night and closed in the day time. All the work ona cellar like this can be done with the ordinary help on the farm. It does not require a skilled mechanic to excavate the cellar, to make the mortar or lay the wall. The roof and doors you can build as well. The work can be done at odd times during the summer, when you would not usually be otherwise engaged. A good and satisfactory storage for your fruit or vegetables can be put up even cheaper than the one I have described, and it would pay for itself almost the first season, Afterexcavating the cellarand building the wall as before, set up a row of posts along the center the long way of the cellar, high enough when a ridge pole is put on to support the upper ends of the rafters. Cover the rafters with rough boards as for roofing, and then cover with dirt, well packed down and thick enough to turn the water and keep out the frost. The timbers should be of good size, sufficient to sustain the weight of the roof. A fruit house entirely above the ground can be put up at not a very large cost, in which an even temperature can be maintained and which will keep out the frost, as follows: Prepare a good tight foundation of stone for the building. Use 2x4-inch studding’for the sides. The sides should be about eight feet high. Sheath on the outside of the studding with inch lumber and cover this with build- ing paper and then on the outside ofgthis with another course of studding, sheathing and building paper. Do this until the wall has three air spaces. The roof is constructed the same way to protect from heat as well as frost. The writer has recently constructed a cellar and fruit house over it,as follows: The floor between the cellar and fruit room above is laid with 2x8 joists, ceiled above and below with inch boards and the space between it filled with sawdust. The studding for the sides are 2x6, eight feet high Outside it is sheathed lengthwise with inch lumber, and on this alayerof building paper. Thencomes a course of inch pine siding and battened. On the inside a layer of building paper is tacked to the studding and then acourse of inch lumber- ‘en Se Oe 238 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY The 6-inch space between the two courses of sheathing is filled with sawdust well packed. Building paper is tacked to the under side of the rafters,and an inch pine ceiling is put on,and the 4-inch space between the roof boards and ceiling is filled in with sawdust. It is ventilated with windows at each end. The main points to be kept in view when planning a storage place for our apples are good drainage, good ventilation and security from heat and cold. Here in this climate we are very apt to have in the late fall and also during the winter months warm spells of weather and during these warm spells the ventilators should he opened at night after the atmosphere has become cool,and kept closed during the daytime. In this way nearly an even temperature can be main- tained, not so low, perhaps, as in a costly cold storage plant, but sufficiently low to meet the requirements ofthe average fruit grower. THE HOME MADE SPRAYING MACHINE shown in the accompanying cut is thus described in bulletin 113, Cornell University Agricul- tural Experiment Station. “The greatest sensation df the day, however, was occasioned by the appearance of the home-made sprayer of Potter and Ware. An ordinary barrel spray pump was fastened to a barrel having a cap- acity of about fifty gallons. The liquid was pumped into a gaspipe which was supported upon a light frame at the rear of the wheels. This pipe was fitted with four discharges to which nozzles could be attached. Four rows were sprayed at once, the work being fairly well accomplished as the horse walked accross the field. Mr. Ware drove and pumped at the same time, and the machine worked with- out a break. The plants were uniformly although rather lightly covered, and the machine was pronounced a decided success by the four or five hundred people who saw it in operation.” rae ee ta ieee) a Pee Se ll. 4 Peer, Sey ~ STRAWBERRY LEAF BLIGHT 289 STRAWBERRY LEAF BLIGHT. This is a fungous disease that affects the strawberry leaves and causes the brown spots or patches on them. It is also called straw- berry rust by some. The disease does not generally appear until about fruiting time, when it appears as small, reddish spots, which increase rapidly in size, the center being of a lighter color. These spots often run together, forming large blotches; the affected leaves wither, turn brown and die. Some varieties are more affected by it than others,and thisshould be taken into consideration when select- ing varieties for planting, as the disease seriously affects the vitality of the plant and diminishes the crop the next year. STRAWBERRY LEAF-BLIGH'. Spraying with Bordeaux mixture is successfully practiced in pre- venting this disease. The first spraying can be given early in the spring after the new leaves start and just before the blossoms open; the second soon after the fruit is picked, followed by two or three applications about two or three weeks apart.—Ark. Exp. Station. In the accompanying cut is shown a device for the single horse plow, show- ing the side block which enables the horse to keep the furrow, throwing the plow into the land. With a light, single plow, a steady horse and careful driver all the dirt can be turned over between the trees, without barking. 240 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. SMALL FRUITS. JOHN EKLOF, COKATO. In this section of the country,the fruit growers are few and far be- tween. Apple growing has been almost abandoned, as the blight- ing kinds were largely planted and are now killed out, excepting those having a very favorable location. The farmers have now turned their attention more towards the growing of small fruits. The past season was not a very favorable one. Owing to the late spring frosts, where the strawberries were uncovered early, they bore but half a crop. The Crescent heads the list for productive- ness, hardiness and healthiness. The Warfield is also a good bearer; for pollenizers the Wilson and Jessie are mainly planted. The Jessie isa rather weak grower and is not a good propagator, but it is fairly productive, the berries be- ing large and of good quality. I have on trial the Robinson, Captain Jack, Bederwood, Lovett, Haverland and Woolverton. All I know about them yet is that they seem to be vigorous growers, as they set a lot of plants, although the drought prevailed all summer. Of raspberries I have found but one variety of the red that has gained my confidence, and that is the Philadelphia. For hardiness and productiveness it is unexcelled here. Last winter was a severe one for raspberries that were unprotected. My Philadelphias killed back about a foot, the Turners to within eighteen inches from the ground and, consequently, did not bear half a crop. The Cuthberts were a total failure; they have never been profitable here; to be pay- ing they should bring double the price that raspberries are sold for. In neglected plantations of raspberries of several varieties, the only ones surviving, I have found to be the Philadelphia. They will stand more adverse treatment than any other variety and still bear. Itisaslow propagating variety, and the fruit is not of the highest quality, though for home consumption and a near market it equals any. The blackcap varieties are not grown to any extenthere. Mr. Fay- ette Lee, of this place, grows the Nemaha, which he says does better on his soil than the red varieties. The patch is a fine one to look at. My experience with blackberries is nota long one. I have three- quarters of an acre of Ancient Briton, Snyder and Stone’s Hardy. The location is a very sheltered one. Last winter they were left uncovered, and still they were not injured as much as the raspber- ries. Of the three varieties the Briton has done best so far; it has been equally hardy with the Snyderanda more certain cropper. The Snyders have produced little fruit; the berries dry up when about half grown, and there are few berries perfect when ripe. I wish some light would be given on this subject, what the cause is and how it can be prevented, If I have the true Stone’s Hardy, it does not dif- fer much from the Briton. The only difference I find is in the shape of the bush, Stone’s Hardy being more spreading. I agree with those claiming that blackberries do better in partial shade. On the south side of my plantation is a row of cottonwoods, SMALL FRUITS. 241 and the row of blackberries next to it bears larger and better devel- oped fruit. Currants and goosberries need scarcely be mentioned, as every body can raise them with equal success. Of the later introduced varieties of currants, the Fay’s Prolific does well in some years; the berries are twice the size of Cherry cur- rants, and it is fairly productive. It is, however, not a reliable bearer. The Houghton and Smith’s Improved gooseberries are enormous yielders, but they are usually affected with mildew. The frost of May 18th injured the currant and gooseberry crop to quite an extent in some sections, the berries being about half grown atthe time. They look as if they had been singed by fire. S1x ANNUALS FOR THE SUMMER GARDEN.—“The annuals undoubt- edly produce a stronger effect of color in the garden than their longer lived relatives, the perennials and their biennials,” writes F. Schuyler Mathews: “What they do is done quickly, and with astonishingly prolific results. Itisalso asignificant fact that these results are brought about in the most favorable season of the year for flowers— midsummer. “When I choose six annuals—poppies, marigolds, nasturtiums, phlox Drummondii, sweet peas and asters, it must not be inferred that these are exceptionally beautiful; the choice really takes into account their prolific bearing qualities. Nearly all of the annuals are charmingly beautiful; but these six are not only so, their beauty is of akind which seems inexhaustible. With proper treatment they keep on blooming and blooming until the attacks of frost have ac- tually caused their death. Besides all this, the color tones of these half dozen families of flowers are so extraordinary and pronounced that the garden cannot be complete withoutthem. Nasturtiums are exponents of all the variety possible in toned yellow and red; pop- pies present to us all the light and airy delicacy of color which is conceivable, in addition to red and scarlet in powerful hues; mari- golds hold exclusively to yellow and its golden tones; phlox Drum- mondii reveals infinity in tint and hue and stops only at yellow and blue; sweet peas are crimson and pink and blue-purple to absolute perfection of tone, and asters are strong in purple-blues, purple and red tones in which the presence of yellow is absent—entirely and wholly so.’—Ladies Home Journal. It is well known that winds play aan important role in the distri- bution of seeds. Prof. Bailey records that in two square feet of a three-weeks-old and three-inch-deep snowdrift upon an ice pond ten yards from any weeds, he found nineteen weed seeds, and in another drift similarly situated thirty-two seeds, representing nine kinds of weeds. While the wind was blowing twenty miles per hour, a peck of mixed seeds was poured upon the snow crust, and ten minutes after one hundred and ninety-one wheat grains, fifty-three flax seeds, forty three buckwheat and ninety-one ragweed seeds were found in a trench thirty rods from where they had been poured upon the crust. 249 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. APPLES. R. H. BUTTERMORE, LAKE CITY. In this district I am glad to report that this season apple trees have done well, better a good deal than we expected last year. The late frosts visited us again last spring, which I feared would do the apple trees a great deal of damage. On the nights of the 11th, 12th and 13th of May, 1895, there were very severe frosts—just. when the apple trees were in bloom and looked grand,and I feared another short crop and more ill results to the apple trees, but to my astonish- ment they proved not to be so badly hurt after all and had quite a crop of apples. The late spring of 1894, and the intense prolonged drought stunted the trees so badly, that I was anxious to see how they would come out this summer,and to my pleasure they started from the frostbitten buds of the previous year and grew right along and are in splendid condition for next year’s crop. The most of my apple trees and what I have seen in my travels are doing well,but the Early Strawberry and the Minnesota blighted more than usual. A great many of our apples this last spring were wormy and deformed. I sprayed my trees three times, commencing after the blossoms fell off. The insecticides which I used were Paris green mixed with hellebsre and once with salt. The results were not as I wished, but as to the destruction of a great many parasites and injurious insects I have no doubts. I had some beautiful specimens of apples last season, had beauti- ful Whitneys and other kinds as delicious as pears. When we take the light, healthful, invigorating atmosphere which is infused into our Minnesota fruit into consideration, I think we can say we beat the world in healthful fruit. To show how the American fruit is appreciated in other countries, I will give you an article from a cor- respondent in Glasgow, Scotland, to the Farmers’ Review, Chicago, Illinois. He writes as follows: ‘Fruit here is rarely eaten by the common people except when some brave youth has risked being jailed, and under the cover of night stolen a pillow-slip full. The orchards are watched like a jeweler’s store in America, and the pains and penalties for picking even a fallen apple are excessively severe: Our apples are generally good and retail at from 7 to 15 cents per pound. Those from the United States are always most in demand and bring the highest prices. Notwithstanding the great imports from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and other places, fruit is ex- ceedingly scarce, and the common people never eat it except on special occasions” Ihave a seedling apple tree which I prize very highly. It looks some like the Duchess, but the apple is firmer and a longer keeper. The tree never blights and is as hardy as anoak. It is about twenty years old, and has been bearing fruit twelve or fourteen years. Let it freeze or snow, it always has a crop of fine apples. I give it plenty of food by covering the ground a rod in width with coarse manure. Last year I had about six bushels from it, this year about seven bushels. I have now a good many seedling apple trees fit to transplant. Last year strawberries with us were a poor crop. Raspberries were fairly good, also plums and grapes. COMBATING DROUTH. 243 COMBATING DROUTH. PROF. W. W. PENDERGAST, HUTCHINSON. Ladies and Gentlemen: I know the hour is getting late, so I will take only a few minutes of your time intalking about a subject that was of greatinterest to me lastsummer while I was traveling through the western part of this country, especially along that semi-arid re- gion in Washington, along the banks of the Columbia river and extending back fifteen, twenty or more miles from that stream. I never was so much surprised, so completely taken back in my life as I was to see what could be done with a region of country that I had been looking upon for more than a thousand miles as being absolutely valueless. It looks likea veritable desert. I went up the Columbia about twenty-eight miles, striking off tothe right, up through the canon in the mountains in the Great Bend country, the Great Bend of the Columbia river, and at every step of the way I said to myself,it is an absolute Sahara. After about eleven miles of travel through that drear and desert country.I came to Mr. Taylor’s little orchard of ten acres, and I felt a great deal like the traveler in the caravan going to Timbuctoo when he strikes an oasis. There in the midst of that great waste of what was apparently sand, there was the most beautiful orchard, the most promising I had ever seen or imagined to exist. I got out and went up through that orchard and saw those trees, every one hardy, strong, hale and promising, and almost every one of them thoroughly loaded down with fruit. You have no idea, no conception of the vast amount of apples, peaches, plums, apricots, mulberries and other fruit raised on those trees, and still that country is known the world over asa desert. The soil consists of volcanic ashes. It has come from those ever- lasting mountains, continually crumbling down, and as I looked up the side of them I found little pieces of shale that had been broken off by the frost and weresliding down. At one place I founda rock that » weighed several hundred tons. This desert is covered with sage brush, greasewood and yarrow. Those are the three things, and the ouly three plants that grow naturally. This Mr. Taylor had founda little mountain brook with a stream as big as my arm. [ saw he had brought it down the canon in the simplest form, two eight inch boards nailed together in the form of a trough. It was running down two rows of those trees; one-half ran down one row and the other half ran down the other row, and he had it so arranged that when the water had reached the end of his orchard it had all soaked inthe ground. He told me that the next day he would run the water to the next row of trees, and the next day to another row and so On until all his trees have been watered; and when he got around to all the trees he then began over again. Since then I have heard from there that the lower limbs were all resting on the ground, the weight of the fruit had bent them down. On my visit there he had some propped up and tied to keep them from breaking. A little ways beyond that I found another man who had an orchard which had no irrigation whatever; he had very fine fruit, about half as many apples as Mr. Taylor had, but not so large. But they also told me that those men who raised fruit without irrigation would asprs 244 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. raise better fruit than Mr. Taylor could with his irrigation, but they had to pick off about one-half the fruit before it was ripe, and then the remaining half would not grow as large as that of Mr. Taylor’s orchard which he had irrigated. It interested to me find out how it wasthey could raise such fruitin such an unusually dry season as that was. I found upon in- quiry that the secret of it was keeping a dust blanket about five inches deep on the top, and just assoon as there wasa little rain— sometimes it does rain there in the spring or summer—just as soon as the rain is over they cultivate. Thetop soil must be keptloose and dry just like ashes for four or five inches from the top, and be- low that the roots reach down into a soil that contains water from the underlying strata of clay, about twenty, twenty-five or thirty feet below, and that moisture keeps working up during the summer, How does that water get there? It comes from melting snow. They get very little rain in the summer time, because it can never rain unless the air that contains that rain is cold; it must be cold before that moisture can be condensed so it can come down, In the summer timethatisa warmcountry. Thethermometer stood 108° in the shade the day was up there. Inthe summer time the wind that comes over the mountains grows warmer and warmer instead of colder, so there is very little if any precipitation during the summer time; but in winter it is cold there, sometimes it gets nearly as cold as it does in Minnesota. The cold winds come in contact with the warmer atmosphere, and so there is a large fall of snow. The snow is sometimes nearly three or four feet deep, and the melting of this large snow fall causes this vast reservoir of water upon which they draw in summer; but unless they keep this dust blanket on the surface in the summer they cannot raise anything. I want to say here that in those orchards they had under irrigation the growth of the limbs was something astonishing, Thepeople were very careful to see that nothing whatever grew in those orchards except the trees. I asked if they raised any grain or planted any vegetables in their orchards. They said they would not havea single thing that would draw the moisture out of the ground. That is something we have to learn here. They will not allow a single plant to grow in those orchards. Everything is just as clean as this floor. They will not allow anything to grow but the trees. Each tree gets all the water they can give it, and its roots run down deep where the water is coming up slowly by capillary attraction. I asked the depth to which they had to go to get their water for a well, and they told me twenty, twenty-five to thirty feet, and then they strike this clay, and on the top of this clay they strike an abundance of water. It looked to me as though it would be impossible fora great many years to come to irrigate that country asa whole. They have got to go up the Columbia River about a hundred miles or so,and the banks are so very high that it is impossible to get the water from the river without ditching. The river is perhaps 150 feet below the bank, so you see that irrigation would be very difficult. The one thing which struck me as the most important was that nothing must be planted in the orchard that will take any moisture out of the ground that See as eh wes), qh ee COMBATING DROUTH. 245 belongs to the trees. They are as careful of their water as we are of the apple of oureye. They raise peas there for Northrup, Braslan &Co. They can get them inthe ground very early. The pea is very hardy,and they can put them in the ground when it is very moist, and they come to maturity before the ground is dry, and at the time they are ripening there is no moisture on the surface, and the peas are the finest and best raised anywhere in the world. They are not troubled with mildew. That is why Northrup, Braslan & Co. send out there for their seed peas. The principal point is then that we must be careful in this country, where drouth is our great enemy, drouth in August and September and the latter part of the season, we must be careful not to allow anything to grow with our trees that will steal the moisture that the trees demand. This is the great lesson I learned in the region along the valley of the Columbia river- (Applause). Pres. Underwood: I think this is a very valuable lesson to us who have orchards. I want to say that the largest and best or- chard we have in the state of Minnesota is just perishing for lack of that kind of cultivation Prof. Pendergast has told us about. It stands there with a mound of earth around each tree, all grown up to sod, in a condition in which drouth would be the most damaging, and | believe if that orchard is not taken care of it is a question of a short time only when there will be no orchard there at’all. It seems to me if the owner of that orchard could hear Prof. Pendergast talk as he has tallced to us today,he would not allow any time to elapse before he would put that orchard in such a condition as has just been spoken of here. Use TILE DRAINS.—Thorough draining with tile will often cost as much as the present worth of the land, but when the work is once properly done, it is done forever. The station fields which have been tile drained have increased their annual yield fully fifty per cent as a result of the work, and such drains will be found a profit- able investmenton all soils which remain wet until late in the spring on account of their compact subsoil or which are rendered heavy and “sour” by continued seepage from surrounding hills.—Missis- Sippi Experiment Station. How A Goop ROAD SAVES MONEY.—An officer of the New Jersey Agricultural Society used to draw manure with four horses from Philadelphia to his farm, seventeen miles away. A new road was built half way; two horses drew the same load to the end of it: then he had to send a man and team down to bring it the rest of the way. Finally the road was completed the whole way. One man and team do more work now than two men and two four-horse teams did before. He saved $120 on hauling his manure the first year. The road didn’t cost him $20. Other farmers, instead of 30 baskets of potatoes which used to be a load, now carry 90. 246 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. FIGHTING THE CUT-WORM. BY BPROEVOLO LUGGER: (Extract from Minnesota Experiment Station Bulletin No. 43.) The term cut-worm applies to caterpillars which have the injur- ious habit of cutting off or cutting into the food plants so as to wilt or killthem. Usually this takes place in the early spring and only very seldom later in the season. This peculiar habit, so well known to farmers, gardeners and florists, is evidently caused by the fact that such caterpillars prefer wilted to more succulent food. This preference for wilted food seems to be a very general rule among all insects, since but very few enjoy very succulent foliage, but become sick if forced to consume it. Preferring more mature leaves or foli- age not filled with sap, they select this more suitable food later in The cut-worm and its parents the owlet moths. the season, and as at that time there is an abundance of it the cater- pillars are not forced to prepare it for themselves by cutting off the plants. Early in the spring, matters are different; all the plants are just unfolding their new foliage or forcing their first delicate leaves full of sap towards the light. The warm and genial air of spring, which starts all vegetation for a new cycle of life, also awakens such young caterpillars as hibernate, After the long fast, enforced by cold and absence of food, their natural voracity is still greater than usual, and they are not slow to attack their food-plants, which are, however, not yet’in a suitable condition, being still too watery. The only way for the caterpillar to overcome this state of o A - + ‘ vale ae a we | =i _*% eal : ; “a a? 3 i s 7 “) co ed 1h, ie ; ‘i CUT- WORM. 247 cia tad ige fecal i iid 2 7. e ial oe --BIGHTING THE affairs is either to continue starving and wait for better times or to solve the question of food supply by cutting off the succulent plants and wilting them. This done, the food is ina palatable condition forthem. For this reason we have cut-worms only in the spring and not late in the season. This peculiar habit of cut-worms of preparing their food is a habit we can make use of to lessen their injuries and to kill them: Knowing that such insects prefer wilted foliage, we can supply this and be certain that they will accept such a kind invitation by eating the food. If we poison the wilted food we furnish our enemies, the cut-worms will be killed in large numbers. The proper way to carry out this plan isto tie together small bundles of such plants as grass, clover or any surplus of young cabbage plants we may have to spare. These bundles, which should be about three inches in diameter, after being dipped in water containing a large amount of Paris green or London purple, are now laid among the rows of plants that we wish to protect, and our traps or baits are ready for action. The bundles should be laid about six feet apart and only in such parts of the fields or gardens as will be first reached by the cut-worms. Close attention will show that not all parts of the garden or fields are equally infested with cut-worms, but that they invade certain places from one or more well defined directions. As cut-worms hibernate, they usually select such suitable places as offer superior shelter and good drainage, consequently, the more elevated parts of the ground or soil well overgrown with grass. The former gives good drainage, the latter good shelter. Such places can be easily detectedin any garden, and by laying ourtraps in their vicinity most of the cut-worms will find them and be killed before reaching other parts of the field. Whoever applies such remedies must not expect that he will find large numbers of dead cut-worms on the surface of the ground or under the bait, as such is not the case. The caterpillars, having eaten of the prepared bait, soon feel the effects of the poison and will be kept running about by the resulting pains. In a number of cases, where crops of onions were badly infested and where this remedy was applied, a close search was made for dead cut-worms. It was found that under the baits a number of cut-worms were dead or in a dying condition, but more were found as far as ten feet from the baits. These dying cut- worms were not found on the surface of the ground, but they had burrowed into it in the usual way and were dying in such situa- tions. Another and a very effective baitis also an excellent one tapuse against cut-worms. It isa bait made of rye flour or rye and wheat bran mixed well with one of the arsenical poisons. The mixture should contain enough Paris green or London purple to become distinctly colored by these substances. Ifa tablespoonful of such bait is dropped near the plants to be protected, the worms will not be slow to find and to eat it. Such baits are especially valuable in case the plants to be protected are grown upon land which but shortly before was a meadow, pasture or timothy field, as fields in which the sod has not been disturbed for some years form the 248 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. homes and very headquarters of cut-worms. In such a case, the baits should be prepared and laid before the young plants appear above the surface of the ground. There is another habit of the cut-worms, which we can make use in combating them. They, like some more highly organized be- ings, do not like to work more than is absolutely necessary, As it is important for them to hide under the soil or elsewhere during the day so as to escape their enemies, they are forced towards morn- ing, after each nocturnal feast, to burrow again or search for shelter. This they do, as a general rule, close to the plant that they infest. If we furnish thema handy shelter, they will very often utilize it. By placing on the ground near the plants to be protected such objects as pieces of boards, shingles or even flat stones, we induce many cut-worms to utilize them as shelters, and here they remain all day. Large numbers can thus be discovered and cap- tured during the day and should be killed. Though there are a number of climbing cut-worms which infest orchards, we have not many in Minnesota that injure fruit trees: If trees should suffer, however, it is not difficult to prevent the worms from reaching the foliage. All that is needed is to make a thick ring of “Raupenleim” around the trunk; this sticky material will prevent any insect from crawling over it, and as it possesses et the same time a strong and repelling odor itis a very useful mater- ial for many purposes. The great majority of our native species do not climb and are very much opposed to undertaking such extra labor. Indeed, it is doubtful if some of our cut-worms could climb trees if they wanted to. At all events they can not climb upon any- thing that is smooth, and their inability to do so gives us another method to out-general this enemy. The remedy based upon this habit can not, however, be applied upon a large scale, as it requires considerable labor, but whenever only a few hundred or thousand plants need protection it can be used with great success. By re- moving the tops and bottoms of tin cans, that can be found in such abundance almost anywhere, and by removing the soider, we have an excellent material to protect our plants against cut-worms. The best method would be to have strips of such tin about three inches wide and long enough to be bent into a circle at least an inch and one-half in diameter, These strips are to be bent so as to forma sort of spiral collar, which can be slipped around the plants very readily without endangering their leaves. This protective collar should be pressed into the ground at least an inch deep, so that the plant is as thoroughly protected against the cut-worms from below, provided, however, that the culprit be not inclosed within this circle. Such tin collars can be made during the time when there is little work on hand, and once made, if takeu care of, they will last for many seasons. They are readily applied and as readily removed when the danger is over,when they should be stored away for future use. Of course, other substances could be substituted for such tin collars, such as stiff paper, but such substitutes never last as well as those made of tin, and a heavy rain is apt to ruin them, nor are they so readily applied as the more elastic collars of metal. APPLES. 249 There is still another way to protect our plants against cut-worms, and a very simple and effective one at that. Cut-worms, like all other caterpillars, chew their food, and by coating the plants to be protected with either Paris green or London purple, we can readily poison the caterpillars that attack such plants. This method would be a very simple one if all gardeners and farmers possessed good spraying machines which would spray uniformly all the exposed parts of the plants, of course including the stem, but such is not the case. Besides, in many cases the stems of young plants are cut off below the surface of the ground where arsenical poisons can not be applied. One thing is certain, that farmers, gardeners and flor- ists can prevent any great loss by cut-worms if they apply one or more of the above remedies in a thorough manner. APPLES. J. P. ANDREWS, FARIBAULT. The apple crop in the vicinity of Faribault the past season (1895) was one of only partial success. Orchard and nursery trees came through the past winter (1894-5) in good condition. The unusually early spring weather, however, forced the blossoms prematurely, and they were severely cut by the late freeze, which occurred May eighteenth to twentieth. Orchards on elevated loca- tions and on northern or northeastern exposure escaped with less damage to crop than those located on lower ground or southern slope, unless such had extra protection. The apple crop has now been damaged two consecutive years; in fact, a year ago it was an entire failure from this same cause, the late spring frosts. One of the remedies to be applied is mulching after the ground is well frozen in winter,—and when, as at the pres- ent time, snow comes before freezing weather, it would need to be cleaned off from under the trees to permit the ground to freeze suf- ficiently before the mulch is applied. Shading the bodies would also be in order. Elevated location is one of the best preventatives. Some orchards in our neighborhood bore very little, others hada fair crop; on the whole,we should think there was perhaps one-third to one-half of an average crop of fruit. There has been very little almost no blight, yet we have had an unusual amount of moisture, _ but not so extremely hot as in seasons of much blight. Both orchard and nursery trees have made an excellent growth. The market price was good for all home grown fruit, which when compared with the exceptionally low price of grain and other farm crops, makes the orchard stand, as usual, the most profitable investment on the farm. We planted our orchard in 1878 on an elevated location and a slightly northern slope with a windbreak on the south and east. The trees stand fourteen feet apart each way and leaning well to the southwest. The varieties are mostly Duchess, Wealthy, Orange, Whitney, Early Strawberry, Virginia, Maiden’s Blush, and a less number of several other varieties of hybrids anda row or two for _ trial of Haas, Tetofsky, Peach, Walbridge, Ben Davis, Price’s Sweet, Fameuse, Perry Russet, Pewaukee, &c. Most of these trial trees 250 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. have gone, with the exception of Haas and Tetofsky, but the main orchard has proved profitable and is now in a thrifty condition with the exception of the Wealthy. This variety has borne enough to pay its cost many times, but fully one-half of them are now dead, and the rest have the appearance of not being long-lived trees. The Orange have blighted some, but none of the others have been seriously troubled with blight. We have mulched the Duchess and Wealthy about every second year, in winter, the others not so often, and have pruned very little. The orchard is in grass and pastured with hogs. The trees stand too close to drive between the rows conveniently. We hope to plant another orchard in the spring and shall plant about fourteen feet apart,in rows running north and south,and have the rows about thirty feet apart east and west. Our Peerless apple trees, one and two years old, made the best growth of anything in the nursery. The Peerless on low, rich ground makes rather late growth, especially while the trees are young, but on higher locations and as they get older they ripen earlier. We have some Peerless top-workedon Whitney, Virginia, Dartt’s Hybrid and Wealthy, making generally a good union with these varieties. Those grafted into the Wealthy bore some fine apples this year for the first time, in fact, so good that boys who had the run of the place got all the finest specimens before they knew it was a “patent” apple. DISCUSSION. Pres. Underwood: This is the only report we have from the committee on apples. Now, we have plenty of others here who are competent to report in regard to apples this last season, and we would like to hear from Mr. Somerville. Mr. Somerville: Well, with us our apple crop was a fair crop. In my own orchard, I had a very good crop of apples. We had a hailstorm there on the 4th of August that knocked a great many off, and the balance were so badly battered that they did not keep well this winter, so the greatest objection I have is as to the quantity; the quality was all right if it had not been for the hailstorm. In looking over our exhibit today in the other room, | am quite surprised to see the advancement that has been made in fruit raising in Minnesota. I exhibited the first fruit that was ever exhibited in the state at the first state fair held in Rochester. I had the Duchess, and I exhibi- ted that atthe first fair. At the next one I had the Duchess and the Transcendent exhibited, and I took all the premiums that were offered, because there was no one to compete with me. (Laughter). The third year Mr. A. W. Sias had a few Duchess and a few Transcendent crabs, and he was a competitor. Those Duchess were set out in 1860 from which the apples. APPLES. 251 - were taken which I exhibited at the first state fair, and I have _ apples on exhibition out in the other room that were taken from the identical tree, and that tree was set in 1860. It has , stood remarkably well and has never missed a crop of fruit. My crop of small fruit this year was not as large as I have had; | Idid not get my small fruit covered up, and hence it was in- jured by the cold weather last winter, but yet, withal, I had a fair crop, and my apples were a good crop. I do not know that I can say much more about this subject. Ihave setoutanew orchard. It was setoutfour years ago,and Lhave specimens of pretty nearly all varieties of apples in that orchard. I set out that orchard so it would be one of those commercial orchards where we do not want too many varieties- I set out the majority of those varieties that we know will give us fruit. I set the trees 164 feet apart each way. Then I went to work on my experimental trees and set rows of them between, and only a few varieties of each. The varieties I set for com- mercial purposes were the Glass Green and the Duchess. The former I think is a little better; it is not quite so tart; I think the fruit is a little better than the Duchess. I have the Wealthy and the McMahon White, Budd’s Seedling No. 1, and I have also the Okabena, and I have Patten’s Greening. I have those set out in my regular orchard. I have other varieties set out between,so that I occupy the whole ground. In experimental trees,I have eighty odd varieties of Russians, and I have every seedling that is before the public; when they get too big it is an easy matter to get them out, but I want them for the pur- _ pose of seeing what the fruit will be. They have fruit enough _ to pay for all the labor, and they will not interfere with each other for a number of years. By having them inasmall space, we care for them better. This year the great majority of them fruited. I have a great many valuable varieties there, and I know it, but in the course of a year or two I will know better. They have all made a fine growth. I am very thankful to the Lake City folks for sending up the Okabena and the Thomp- son Seedlings. The hailstorm injured all the Thompson Seedlings so badly that I have none to show now. I think ina few years I will have something that is very valuable. I have not got the Peerless. Mr. Sampson: Why don’t you have the Peerless? Mr. Somerville: Well, in the first place, there was such a corner on it that I could not stand the conditions, that if I put it out I must not sell or give away anything, and I thought if I ‘ ee Se ve ena ‘ A ‘ 252 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. had anything of my own I wanted it separately, or I did not want it at all. . Pres. Underwood: What amount of fruit did you get off that Malinda tree that was so heavily loaded? Mr. Somerville: I havea Malinda tree about twenty years old; it is top-worked on the Transcendent crab. Two years ago I picked four sugar barrels full of apples off that tree. Last year ithad an ordinary crop, perhaps abarrel. This year, 1 am satisfied, there were thirty bushels on it. Ido not think I ever saw a tree so heavily loaded as that was. It was so thickly loaded with fruit that it broke off limbs six inches in diameter. Mr. Kimball: How long is it since that Malinda tree was top-worked? Mr. Somerville: About twenty years ago. Mr. Kimball: When did it come jnto bearing? Mr. Somerville: It had been top-worked three years when it came into bearing, and it has borne every season since. Ihave Malinda apples on exhibition that were top-worked three years ago. When youraise them from little trees they are some time coming into bearing, but top-worked they come into fruit very soon. Mr. Brackett: Would not the Transcendents affect those other young trees that are planted there by blighting? Mr. Somerville: Icannot say. Wherever they have blighted, I have dug them up. I have tested about three hundred varieties of Russians, and those three hundred I have sim- mered down to eighty varieties, and those eighty varieties are the ones I have been experimenting with, and two or three varieties do not blight in the least. Pres. Underwood: How many apples did you grow this ear? : Mr. Somerville: About 1,500 bushels. Pres. Underwood: What did you average in price per bushel? Mr. Somerville: I sold them to shippers for 60 cents a bushel. We sold our Transcendents for 60 cents and our Duchess for 60 cents. We did not have many Wealthy. Mr. Andrews: How did your Longfields do? Mr. Somerville: They bore very finely, and I also sold some of those, but we use a great many in our family, and I have got a good many in the cellar yet. Pres. Underwood: How did the other orchards in your vicinity do? Mr. Somerville: The other orchards in our vicinity did about as usual; they had a fair crop. I think Mr. Keel’s orchard was well loaded, and pretty nearly every farmer has more or less trees on the farm, and they all had an average crop. a ee ie JN As a Tn f+. J Ve 4 ny une (Yalendar. — J. S. HARRIS. ORCHARD AND NURSERY.—With newly planted trees, it will pay to give a little time every few days to examining their condition. If they are loose or leaning to one side and toward the north, a minute spent in pressing the soil about them with the foot will often save them from sunscald and prevent them from becoming unsightly objects. A mulching,if not already given, should be provided to enable them to withstand the heat and drouth that is almost sureto set in a little later; almost any substance that will cover the soil from the sun will do. It is a great satisfaction to know the names and location of the different varieties in the orchard. The labels from the nursery are soon lost, or the name becomes obliterated, anda record of the name and position of every tree should be made ina pocket memorandum book. Grafts set this spring should be lookedto. Cut away all shoots that come upon the stock below the graft,that they may not rob it of nourishment, and if the graft is spindling up too tallit may be pinched backinto shape. See that they have plenty of room and are not interfered with by surrounding branches. June is the best month for light pruning and getting trees into proper shape; and all pruning should be attended to while the branches are so small that it can be done with a penknife. Coverall cuts with varnish, paint or melted grafting wax. Whenever young trees are bearing freely, it will pay to thin the fruit. Overbearing exhausts the vitality of the tree, and liberal thinning increases the size and improves the quality of the fruit. The root grafts set this spring should be cultivated often and kept clean from weeds, and the one year and older trees will need prun- ing and putting into shape; and, if it is not delayed too long, it can be mostly done by rubbing off the sprouts not wanted as fast as they start. INSECTS.--This is the season when insects are getting in their work. Most of the kinds can be kept in check by spraying the trees with Paris green or London purple. For the plum curculio and apple gouger, jarring the trees and catching the insects on sheets spread under is safer than poison. Great numbers of the codling moth can be trapped under hay, paper or cloth bands, which should be examined once a week and the insects found under them de- stroyed. About this time the eggs of the borer are deposited on the trunks oftrees. Oneof the best preventatives is washing the trunks and larger branches with soft soap thinned to the consistency of whitewash. The addition of a small quantity of carbolic acid will prove beneficial if care is taken to keep it off the foliage. Rubbing the bark of the tree vigorously once a week during the month with acorn cob crushes the eggs and young larve before they burrow under the bark. Placing a heap of tobacco stems around the butt of “oe "so bos 73 C (iseeae : , a 254 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. the tree acts as a preventative. Where any nests of the tent cater- pillar are seen, they should be pulled off and tramped upon,or they may be killed by rubbing the nests out with a swab saturated with kerosene or soft soap. STRAWBERRIES.—In the bearing beds, keep the soil well mulched between the rows. The picking and packing for market requires great care and good judgment. All over-ripe berries should be ex- cluded—one such will often spoil a whole box. To bring the best prices the berries in each box should be of uniform size and ripeness and in full, clean, new packages. Every blossom and berry should be kept off from plants set this spring, and frequent cultivation given to encourage a strong, healthy growth,and where the matted row system is practiced the formation of plants from the earliest runners should be encouraged by peg- ging them down or placing a lump of earth over them. RASPBERRIES.—The green shoots that are growing now are the ones that bear next year’s fruit, the fruiting ones this season dying after the berries have ripened. When the growing shoots of black- caps reach two to three feet, the points should be pinched out; but the red varieties are better without cutting back before the end of the season. All canes and suckers not needed for fruiting next year should be treated as weeds and promptly removed. Give thorough tillage with horses and hoe until the fruit is well formed, then apply liberal mulching to keep the fruit clean and ground moist. Fresh mown clover is the best material for the pur- pose. BLACKBERRIES.—Blackberries require much the same treatment as black raspberries,but the young canes may be allowed to growa little longer before pinching. GRAPES.—Grape vines set this spring should grow only one shoot, leaving the lowest if itis a strong one and pulling off all others. The young shoots of bearing vines should be tied up before they fall over or are broken by winds. Pinching off the bearing canes once as soon as three good leaves have formed beyond the last clus- ter is beneficial, and the laterals that form afterward may be pinched off once beyond one good leaf. Water shoots and surplus canes should be pulled off, but further summer pruning is damaging to the health of the vine. CURRANTS AND GOOSEBERRIES.—These will need looking after, and shoots that are not wanted that start on the plants should be pulled off. Watch for worms and apply white hellebore as soon as any are discovered. A tablespoonful of the powder toa pailful of water applied with a syringe or sprayer is the most common remedy. THE KITCHEN GARDEN.—This is the time when a little work with rake and hoe count most. Weeds must be kept down and the sur- face soil fine and loose to get the best results. The cutting of asparagus should be discontinued towards the last of the month and a liberal dressing of manure applied to the beds. Keep the weeds and grass out. Beans, beets, carrots, cucumbers, sweet corn, etc., may be planted for the main crop, and the earlier plantings should be thinned and kept clean from weeds. Cabbage and cauliflower need frequent hoeing. Set plants for late use toward the end of the month, Your (Zorner. “T have received one of the monthly issues of your society organ and think this a very sensible and profitable thing. It brings the news of a horticultural nature to those who need it in a plain man- ner and also when they need it.” Parksley, Va., April 20, ’96. H. E. VAN DEMAN, (Late Pomologist U.S. Dep’t Agriculture.) “My apple trees are looking fine, have had no blight nor lost a tree for several years. Hope to have some apples some time—I meana plenty. I havea hundred trees and many varieties.” Morris, Minn., April 28, ’96. D. S. WHEATON. (The location of Morris on the open prairie, 150 miles or so north- west of Minneapolis is not a favorable one for apple growing, and Mr. Wheaton’s success shows much intelligent care. SECY.) INJURY TO GRAPE-VINES AT MINNETONKA.—Many of the persons living around Lake Minnetonka are anxious about the condition of their vineyards. The vines are starting poorly, and in some vine- yards many vines of the tender sorts, such as Duchess, Lady and Moore’s Early, are not showing any growth atall. I spenta part of last Monday (May 18th) in that vicinity and made acareful examina- tion of the vines. The wood generally appears fresh, but without exception all varieties that were examined showed considerable in- jury to surface roots—in many places this was serious, It is not uncommon to have the surface roots of grapes killed, and where vines are set deep in the ground no serious harm comes from this source, since the deep roots are not often injured. This year, how- ever, even the deep roots are generally discolored. The young vines have suffered most. In addition tothe winter injury, the leaf hop- pers are injuring the foliage. These injuries have been so bad that one party has dug up a large number of his Moore’s Early vines, and other growers have felt they must do likewise. Where the vines are starting at all, it seems to me rather prema- ture to dig them until after midsummer, since the recuperative power of a well established grape is often surprising, and I think many vines which now look very weak will have recovered by that time. But cultivation should be commenced at once and the ground kept well stirred and the vines favored in every practical way. St. Anthony Park. May 22. PROF. S. B. GREEN. 256 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. FRUIT PROSPECTS. The prospects for all kinds of fruit except strawberries are extra good. Farmington, May 30, 1896. D. F. AKIN. I find that our apple cropis not going to be very large this season, and there are not many currants. Strawberries,raspberries and black- berries are budding well, although there was a considerable failure in strawberries, owing to their going into the winter too dry and there not being any snow to cover them. Lake City, May 23, 1896. J. M. UNDERWOOD. “Those who have strawberries expect a fair return; currants will not yield over one-third a crop; raspberries of all kinds, also black- berries, promise an enormous yield. I think the apple crop, like my own, will be very light, while grapes look very much better than the early spring gave promise, and where the vines were not actually winter-killed will bear well.” Excelsior, June 1, 1896. MRS. SOPHRONIA IRWIN. “The prospect fora good fruit crop in this locality was never bet- ter with the exception of currants; they area very lightcrop. Grapes will not be quite up to the average. Apples are well loaded. Berries of all kinds promise an abundantcrop. The “Loudon” raspberries came through the winter in splendid condition and are loaded with fruit, without any protection whatever.” Eureka, Minn., June 1, 1896. C. W. SAMPSON. At presentin this locality the prospects are good for an apple crop. The plum crop will be light; the cold nights and light frosts in blossoming timeinjuredthem. Strawberries blossomed well, but a great many are blighted from some cause. It is too soon to pre- dict about raspberries, as they are beginning to bloom. The pros- pects for a grape crop fair. Lake City, Minn., June 2, 1896. R. H. BUTTERMORE. “Last year’s planting of strawberries, from total failure to one- fourth crop; old beds average about one-half a crop. Raspberries— reds, one-half crop, blackcaps, a very large crop. Currants, few- Cherries,few. Goosberries, none. Blackberries,bearing well. Plums, much fruit blighted, but enough remains fora good crop. Grapes promise a large crop. Apples uncertain; spur blight has thinned down the Duchess, Tetofsky and McMahon badly in the valleys, and other varieties are beginning to drop; present indications are for about three-fourths of a full crop; said to be better on the ridges. The failure in strawberries is similar to but worse than in 1893.” La Crescent, June 1, 1896. J. S. HARRIS. The prospect for apples is fair, though many trees that bloomed bountifully set little fruit, and this is especially true of cultivated plums. Of one hundred or more trees girdled last season to hasten fruitfulness, three or four died, probably from effects of blight, and nearly all the others are carrying fruit. I am girdling rather exten- sively this season—commenced the 20th of May and will continue up to July lst and to very limited extent later on. In this way I can ee te i ie . soon find out the kind of fruit seedlings will bear and hope to geta paying crop from overgrown nursery trees standing closely together that are only four to six years old. E. H. S. DARTT. Owatonna, May 29, 1896. “Will give you a short report on fruit prospects in south- western Minnesota. Plums are a failure. There will be some Desota and Wolf; the best is the Surprise—about half a crop; Stoddard, Forest Garden and others,not any; a few North Star. The blossoms did not last over two days on account of warm and high south winds. Apples seem to bein a better condition. Currants and gooseberries very poor. Strawberries,mostly winter-killed. Caterpil- lars are numerous on wild plums. I had to fight them a good deal this spring. My trees are clean of them at present. Will send you report later.” MARTIN PENNING. Sleepy Eye, May 15, 1896. THE PEERLESS.—“We have had the variety on trial at our place a number of years and took first premium on the fruit at the late ap- ple show in Minneapolis, but out of about 100 varieties on trial we consider it among the least hardy of the lot and are firmly of the opinion that the first genuine Minnesota winter we have will ser- iously cripple the tree. It never seems to know when to stop grow- ing in the fall, harden up and get ready for winter. Those who have it growing on their places will have noted its habit of holding its leaves well into winter, which is recognized among well posted hor- ticulturists as an evidence of lack of hardiness. The fruit is very pretty in color, but not nearly so rich and taking in the market as the Wealthy and, unlike the latter,is frequently ridged and irregu- larin form. As to its being a true all-winter keeper, it belongs to that class that, like the Wealthy, may with care be kept several months in favorable seasons, but is not fora moment to be com- pared with the Northern Spy, Ben Davis, Malinda or other thorough going keepers. Mr. Brand urges the health and productiveness of the original tree, while the behavior of the parent tree is absolutely no certain indication as to how the trees grafted from it will behave. The original Peerless tree is seriously injured and is now held to- gether by achaininthe branches. Mr. Miller, the originator, says it is a seedling of the Utters Red instead of the Duchess, and all the talk about its being the product of a cross between the Duchess and Tallman Sweet had its beginning in a fertile imagination and lacks the slightest foundation on actual observation.” CLARENCE WEDGE, in F. S. & H. AMMONIA IN RAIN WATER.—Nitrogen being a costly plant food and one which the farmer usually has to buy each year, the amount of it contained in rain water in the form of ammonia and nitrate is of interest. Though the amount, which is equivalent to three and a half or four pounds of ammonia to the acre per year, is apparently small, yet it is half as much as is usually applied in fertilizers, —Mississippi Experiment Station. ecretary’s (Yorner. NATIONAL NURSERYMEN’S ASSOCIATION.—This organization will hold its annual session in Chicago, June 10 and 11. Cou. J. H. STEVENS has been quite ill the past week, but is now much improved, and we hope to see him out again in a short time. Cut WorMs.—Read carefully the very practical article on this garden pest taken as an extract from a late bulletin of the Minne- sota Experiment Station. It is full of valuable information for the horticulturist. Cost OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS.—Congress has appropriated $750,000 for the various Agricultural Experiment Stations. It is money well invested and gives promise of certain improvement in varieties and methods. SUMMER MEETING OF WISCONSIN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.—Secy. Philips writes that their summer meeting is to be held at Wau- paca, Wis., Tuesday and Wednesday, June 16 and 17, and intimates that Prof. Goff and himself may attend our meeting. They would be vigorously welcomed. SPRAY YOUR GRAPE-VINES.—On another page in this number, I have given from my own experience, brief directions for spraying, to guard against the downy mildew which is so destructive especi- ally in wet seasons, as this gives promise of being. It is indispen- sable for the commercial grower. SHADE TREE PLANTING.—City Park Engineer F. H. Nutter is au- thority for the statement that 1200 shade trees, all white elm, which at forty feet apart would extend on both sides of nearly five miles of street, have been planted by the Park Commission in the streets of Minneapolis. In time this will be a real “city of elms.” [OWA FRUIT PROSPECTS.—‘Western Garden” (Des Moines, Iowa,) reports an unprecedented planting of nursery stock in that state this spring and that fruit trees have wintered well and promise one of the largest crops ever grown there. Small fruits however, are only in fair condition, with grapes perhaps one-third a crop. REPORTS FOR DISTRIBUTION.—There is still quite an assortment of reports of other societies and U.S. and state experiment bulletins at this office for gratuitous distribution to the members of this society. A package will be made up and sent by express to any who request it without expense except the express charges. SUMMER MEETING OF THE MISSOURI SOCIETY.—The annual sum- mer gathering of this Horticultural Society convenes Tuesday evening, June 2d and holds three sessions on the day following and one Thursday morning. They meet at Jefferson City, the state capitol, for the first time in seventeen years. SECRETARY'S CORNER. DEATH OF D. D. MERRILL.—Mr. Merrill was an old settler of St Paul and well known as the head of a large book and stationery house there. His death occured May 21st, after a short illness. Mr. Merrill has been an interested member of this society for a number of years, his name appearing on the roll first in 1885, though as far as known to the writer he did not attend the meetings of the society. No IOWA REPORTS FREE.—Iowa State Horticultural Society has adopted the policy of sending its annual report only to members, or those who send the amount of the annual fee $1.00, though re- ports of previous years are sent prepaid at fifty cents each, or when four or more are taken at twenty-five cents each by express at the expense of the purchaser. They advertise “No reports for free dis- tribution.” This plan has much to commend it. . DECEASE OF ANDREW S. FULLER.—This celebrated horticultural ; writer passed peacefully away at his home in Ridgewood, N. Y., on the morning of Monday, May 4th, last, at the age of 67 years. _ Probably no writer on the subjectof fruit culture is so well known in this country as he, as his books, “Small Fruit Culturist,” “Grape ; Culturist” and others of equal merit are universally owned and consulted by fruit growers. Mr. Fuller was no theorist but ac- quired his knowledge in the greenhouse, nursery and garden be- fore occuping the editorial chair. His work will certainly “live after him.” , | ANOTHER METHOD OF BUDDING.—A new method of budding trees and cutting during the winter, when the sap is dormant, has been reported upon by the Texas station. A slice of bark was cut down the stock and left attached at the lowerend. Partof the top of the loose slip was cut off and the bud fitted over the cut place and bound firmly on with a piece of raffia. The stocks were kept in sphagnum moss till spring, when all but one of the 50 young peach trees used in the experiment were found to be heavily “knit” and | made strong shoots in the growing season. THE FRUIT GROWERS ORGANIZE. Ata meeting of prominent fruit growers from all parts of the country held in Chicago, May 21, it was decided to form an organization to be called the American Fruit Growers’ Union. A plan of association was drawn up, which includes the various state unions, each of which will send repre- sentatives to the national body. The officers elected for the first yearare: John D. Cunningham, president; Willis Brown, secretary. The object is to combine the fruit growers of the whole country into an organization in which they may co-operate in shipping and selling, to their mutual advantage and profit. THE CANADIA HORTICULTURIST (GRIMSBY, ONTARIO.)—The May No. of this monthly contains an account of a competitive trial of eleven different makes of spraying pumps with a statement of their comparative merits. This is followed by a general paper by the editor on the subject of spraying. Much attention is evidently paid to this subject in Canada, and its importance well understood This magazine is issued by the Ontario Fruit Growers’ Associa- Taste 260 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. tion apart from and in addition to the annual report of the society. It is an especially practical journal as well as handsomely gotten up, and would be found a valuable supplement to our own monthly, MINNESOTA STATE FAIR, 1896.—The premium list of the approach- ing state fair is now out,and copies will be sent to all upon appli- cation to Secretary EK. W. Randall, Hamline, Minn, On account of its being held at the time of the National Encamp- ment of the Grand Army of the Republic, which meets in St. Paul that week, and the consequent very low railroad fares, an extraord- inary attendance is anticipated, and the managment are putting forth unusual efforts to improve, if possible, on the excellent fair of a yearago. The Horticultural Society should and, we are sure, will do all that can be done to contribute its share to this end. MONTANA’S HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES.—Besides the State Horti- ticultural Society, Montana also boasts a Fruit Growers’ Association» which was enthusiastically launched at Missoula, February 20th last. The state society held its meeting at Stevensville, February 13 and 14, the week before. What the peculiar circumstances are that make it advantageous for so young a state to support two horticul- tural societies are not known. The reports of the two meetings are published in full in Vol. I, No. 12, of the “Montana Fruit Grower,” and are records of two very interesting meetings. They seem to be the official reports. The fruit industry is evidently arousing much enthusiasm in that state. REVISED KITCHEN GARDEN PLANTING TABLE —R. S. Mackintosh has taken the Planting Table published in the April No. of the “Horticulturist,” as copied from the “American Gardening,’ and by curtailing it somewhat and making a few changes made it Specially applicable to this state. As originally published it was prepared for general use in the Northern States. As revised it appears in the May Ist issue of “The Northwestern Agriculturist,” Minneapolis. A card board copy ready for framing can be had of the publisher for 5 cts., and it is worth much more. Mr.Mackintosh is well fitted by experience as a practical vegetable gardener in our state to revise this table,and we are very glad he has taken the trouble to do so. ORGANIZATION OF THE MONTANA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. —This society is incorporated asa regular stock company, witha capital stock of 2,500 shares of $10 each, and the stockholders have the entire control and management of all the affairs of the society. If agreeable, by vote of the society others than stockholders may become annual members of the society by paying an annual fee of $1 or life members by paying $10, but such members have no voice whatever in the management of the affairs of the society, except in fixing the time and place of the annual meetings. Such members, however, may attend the meetings, take part in the discussions, &c. This is certainly a novel plan, but as it has been in operation only since May, 1895, its practical working is yet to be tested. —— SECRETARY’S CORNER. 261 THE SAN JOSE SCALE.—This destructive insect pest is gradually gaining a foothold in the East and will, doubtless, soon be added to the already long list of enemies for the horticulturist to combat: Says the last report of the Connecticut Experiment Station: “The Atlantic states, however, were supposed to be uninfested until the summer of 1893, when it appeared upon orchard trees in Charlottesville, Va. It was soon discovered that the scale existed at De Funiak Spring, Florida; Bartle, Indiana; Neavitt and Chester- town, Maryland; Lewisburg and Atglen, Pennsylvania and in several localities in New York and New Jersey. It has recently been foundiu Delaware and on Long Island. The introduction of the San Jose scale into the Eastern states has been traced to the importation of Japanese plum trees into New Jersey trom Cali- fornia. STATE PAPERS PUBLISHING OUR FRUIT LIST:—The list of papers following, comprises those which sent to this office marked copies, published in February last, containing the fruit list of the society and reference to it. The state papers have very generally shown an earnest desire to co-operate with this society in its educative work. This list must not be presumed to include all which published the list, but only those from whom copies were received: Commonwealth, Duluth; Record, Pine Island; Review, Mankato; Republican, Tracy; Sentinel, Lake City; News, Chatfield; Star-Far- mer, Renville; Pioneer, Currie: Journal, Mankato; Sherburne Co. Times, Clear Lake; Post, New Ulm; Herald, Little Falls; Washing- ton Co. Journal, Stillwater; Journal, Owatonna; Democrat, Wabasha; Democrat, Faribault; Mascot, Minneota; Rural Center, Walnut Grove; Union, St. Charles; News, Plainview; Pilot, Jackson; Ren- ville Union, Bird Island; Sentinel, Dawson; World, Staples; Buffalo Gazette, Delano; Dodge Co. Record, Dodge Center; Republican, Aitkin; Gazette, Hastings; Ugebladt, Fergus Falls; Ledger, Man- kato; Union, Anoka; Star, Stewartville; Review, Grand Rapids; Progress, Minneapolis; Herald, Sleepy Eye; Pilot, Jackson; Gazette, Slayton; Arbitrator, Lakeville. SPRAYING GRAPE-VINES FOR DOWNY MILDEW.—The Delaware and Rogers’ Hybrid grapes especially need to be sprayed to insure ex- emption from this form of mildew. The first application should be made when the young shoots have grown a few inches and repeated thereafter during the months of June and July, at intervals of about two weeks ora little less. In my own experience, the ammoniacal copper carbgnate solution has proved effective. This is prepared by dissolving copper carbonatein full strength ammonia(26°Baume)and adding water in the proportion of eight gallons to one ounce of copper carbonate. In dissolving the carbonate, be careful to add no more ammonia than just what is required to dissolve it, pouring it in slowly and stirring thoroughly. A surplus of ammonia will burn the foliage. Apply the preparation with some apparatus that will throw it on the vines in a very fine spray, and to get itin well on the underside of the leaves, walk along close to the row, holding the TF ee ,* ; «Si be 4 262 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. nozzle pointing forwards and toward the vines and working it up and down to cover the whole face of the trellis. After a heavy shower, it would be advisable to spray at once, as much of the solution will have been washed off. Remember, this is not a remedy but a preventative; ifthe spores have obtained a foot hold, it will not kill them, but if they find the preparation when they alight they willdie. So the growing leaves as they come out must be well coated, especially on the underside. It is well to spray all varieties of grapes, but other standard kinds do not require it as much as those named. SECY. FRUIT CROSSES AT THE IOWA EXPERIMENT STATION.—The bulle- tin, No.32,just issued by the station contains a brief record by Profs. J. L. Budd and N. EK. Hansen, of the progress being made in the ex- periment of crossing fruits and flowers, largely begun in 1892. It includes the Russian rosa rugosa, gooseberries, strawberries, grapes plums, pears and apples. Of the rosa rugosa, which are crossed with pollen from the best garden roses, engravings are shown of two very double seedlings resulting from across with the General Jacquiminot. Many have not yet flowered. The gooseberries used in the experiment are wild plants from the Turtle Mt. region of Manitoba, fertilized with the Champion only last spring. The resulting seedlings are, therefore, only one yearold. The purpose of the cross is hardier plants and freedom from mildew. The experiments with strawberries are being made with crosses of the cultivated varieties with natives from Manitoba, combining bril- liant color and remarkable fragrance. In grapes the crosses are between cultivated varieties pollenized in some cases with the wild grape of Iowa. The hybridizing of plums has been carried on at that station some eight years, and eleven promising crosses are described, in most of which (all but three) the Desota is one of the parents; the Rolling- stone and Wolf are named three times, Maquedota twice, the Speer three times and Japan plums as the male parent three times. As to pears the crosses are of Mongolian Snow pear with the Kur- skaya and Crassone Bergamot. The resulting trees are still too young to fruit, but many of them are promising. Eighteen varieties of hybrid apples are described, in which Rus- sian parentage figures largely. Only one has yet fruited, a cross of the Silken Leaf (female) and Osceola (male), which the report says “confirms the belief expressed in 1891, viz.: that hardiness follows largely the mother variety, and that the fruit most frequently is modified by the male parent.” The results of these experiments will be looked for here with great interest, as they will be of nearly equal value to the people of this state. They at least point out the way. == ; NOTICE. _ Summer N{eetins, c>~1896 49 OF THE Minnesota State Horticultural Society. The annual midsummer meeting of the Minnesota State Horticul- tural Society will be held at the Experiment Station, St. Anthony Park, Minn., Friday, June 19th, 1896. A special invitation has been extended to the Commercial Clubs of the Twin Cities to be present on this occasion and has been accepted bythem. A delega- tion, at least, will attend from each of these clubs, and it is hoped that a large number of their members, with the ladies, may join our society in this meeting. The order of exercises will in general follow the usual course of the previous meetings which have been held at the station. This place is one of so much interest that the forenoon may well be de- voted to an examination of the grounds and the infinite number and variety of experiments which are being carried on in horticulture, as well as in all other branches of agriculture, stock raising, etc. A number of valuable improvements have been made there since our last meeting in the way of erection of buildings and the laying out and general improvement of the grounds. Members and visitors are earnestly requested to be in attendance at an early hour in the forenoon, so that the interest taken in the tour of the grounds may not be cut short for lack of time. The fruits, flowers and vegetables which form the exhibit on this occasion will be passed upon prior to the dinner hour. Lunch will be served at one o’clock and will consist of a basket picnic, to which, as usual,all who attend and desire to are invited to contribute, Following the dinner hour will be the announcement of awards and a session of the society,which will be devoted largely to the con- sideration of forestry topics. Mr. D. R. McGinnis, secretary of the St. Paul Commercial Club, will present the subject of forest protec. tion and submit resolutions in reference thereto. He will be followed by other officers and members of that club,who are much interested in this subject. Minneapolis will be represented by Hon. S. M. Owen, president of the State Forestry Association, and members of the Minneapolis Commercial Club. Capt. J. N. Cross, of Minneapolis, will submit to the meeting the further development of his for making thes tate trustee of plan used pine lands for the benefit of 264 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. educational institutions. Others who are deeply interested in this subject will follow, and a general and full discussion will be had. This is a very important subject, and it is to be hoped that its con- sideration at this time may lead to some practical results. Secretary J. O. Barrett, of the State Forestry Association, and other officers and members of that body will be on hand to take part in the con- sideration of these topics, which are especially pertinent to the present work of that society. Prof. S. B, Green will take this opportunity to speak of what the station is doing for forestry. The attendance at this meeting is by no means confined to mem- bers or invited guests, but the public and all interested in horticul- ture or the subjects to be considered are earnestly invited to attend— and by all means bring the ladies with the purpose of spending the day and having a good time. As this session is intended to be held at the height of the straw- berry season, the same liberal premiums are offered as were given last year,and it is hoped will draw out a very full exhibit. HOW TO REACH THE GROUNDS. Visitors from Minneapolis should take the Interurban electric car line and get off at Cromwell avenue; those from St. Paul should take the Hamline car and get off at Raymond avenue. Carriages will be at these points to carry visitors to the grounds at 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 a. m.and at 1:30 p. m. As far as convenient, those attending are advised to drive over in their own conveyances. Take Como avenue from Minneapolis, and through Como Park from St. Paul. There are ample accommodations on the grounds for stabling and caring for as many teams as may come. For further information address J. M. UNDERWOOD, President, Lake City. A. W. LATHAM, Secretary, 207 Kasota block, Minneapolis. PREMIUM LIST. All exhibits must be entered with the secretary and in place by 12 M.,to be en- titled to compete for premiums. Exhibitors competing must be members of this society and the growers or makers of the articles exhibited. The fruits, flowers and vegetables exhibited must have been grown in Minnesota and must be correctly labelled. No premiums will be awarded on unworthy exhibits. Ist prem. 2d prem. 3d prem. Collection of cut roses, GUE COOL STOW Messe ccceisasncaen $4.00 $3. 00 $2.00 ‘ greenhouse ! HAD RICO SOON EE 3.00 2.00 1.00 Bouquet OL STCCMMOMUSE LLOWEESS cniicicteniels coi cence! aloes arm nm 3.00 2. 00 1.00 ef pein: TO WETS eiinaidembk ee car menr ected ais 2.00 1.00 50 Floral design.. Eiaiatatereiats arate Gree alae cite ats ieierad Weis leiage ess heielere 5.00 3.00 STRAWBERRIES. Each variety exhibited, one quart.......1lst prem., $1.00; 2d prem., .75; 3d prem., .50 VEGETABLES. Asparagus, three bunches.........++ss++eeee eee: Ist premium, $1. 4 2d premium, $ .50 RL Se SURI io is we die diiiniate Sisavle thes Malavie trea geutneh oun bh 1.00 = .50 NOTRE CTETIICRA) Umer crit cckerneichiaiie pide tua ne eins ete anaes $3 1.00 4 -50 pee ACARI LCRatee eras ca eee Widely spesiedie tia sie ienl sles laniccare - 1.00 i .50 New potatoes, '% SI ren caid ca cieiaiels on cele eo cine cieiess mv 1.00 be .5O Onions, % peck. ‘ Soaartens Y 1.00 m “50 Pieplant, Six.. . eis % ee Radishes, six. . es * a Turnips, six....... Looking toward the Center of the Hall. ay xhibit at the Minnesota State Fair, September, 159 vi) E General View of the Fruit and Flower THE MINNESOTA HORTICULTURIST. VOL. 24. JULY, 1896. NO. 7. A. W. LATHAM, SECY. The annual midsummer meeting of the Minnesota State Horticul- tural Society was held as planned at the State Experiment Station, at St. Anthony Park, June 19. The weather was all that could be de- sired, if our friends could have had the making of it: the skies were bright, and a north breeze tempered the heat of the sun, so that the tour of the grounds, as wellas the gathering in the drill hall, where the meeting was held, was in these respects highly favored. The number in attendance was very much of a surprise in that it exceeded so far any previous similar gathering. Over two hundred sat down at the tables to lunch, and until that stage of the proceed- ings there was no thought that so many were present, as a large number spent the forenoon in looking over the very interesting ex- periment fields,some on foot and others in the bus, which made several trips around the grounds. Heretofore the gatherings there have been held in the grove, but fortunately, on account of the numbers, the drill hall had been sel- ected for that purpose, and it proved none too large. The St. Paul and Minneapolis Commercial Clubs, as well as the members and other friends of the society, helped to swell the nunibers. The order of exercises for the meeting in the interests of forestry, which occupied the afternoon, was carried out substantially as had been planned, and proved to be an exceedingly earnest occasion. The speeches were short and entirely practical, showing the fidelity of our society to the most important cause of forest development and protection, which at this time occupies, in so large a degree, public attention in Minnesota. Important resolutions were adopted, and this society, with the forestry and other kindred associations, will undoubtedly take suitable steps to put into working form the purposes and plans presented at this meeting. Tapes 266 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. A great interest was manifested in the proposition of Capt. Cross to make the state trustee of the cut-over pine lands for the benefit of educational institutions, and though the details of this plan are not yet fully worked out we are assured that they will be in good season and will be presented to the legislature "in a proper manner at the coming session. A full stenographic report of the meeting follows, so that further reference to it need not be made at this point. The exhibit of strawberries emphasized the rather unfavorable condition of the strawberry crop in our state this year, due to the dry weather of the year before and the absence of snow as a usual winter protection. Some twenty varieties, however, were shown and were of a good average quality. 2,00 Floral design......... Nagel, Minneapolis DOr Abe caan vues oh ae PY) Perr ee oe es 5.00 Bouquet greenhouse tlowers....E. Nagel, = 7 nel “ophy ef Nil rap nada stat dtmaee 2.00 Collection out-door roses. Jewell Nursery Co, Lake City..First. Sahelaee 1 aU Collection greenhouse roses. First. south side; also handsome bearing cherry trees. Lake Superior is an important factor in the situation there not to be overlooked. The small fruits of this section are famous for their productive- ness and size. Mr. Bovee, at Carleton, a point twenty miles south- we:t of Duluth, on the St. Paul and Duluth railroad, has, I understand, fifteen acres of strawberries. The growing of straw- berries and raspberries for late shipment to the Twin City markets is, I am satisfied, an industry that will eventually be de- veloped on a large scale. PARKSLEY, VA. THE MINNESOTA HORTICULTURIST. VOL. 24. AUGUST, 1896, NO. 8. “PSinspantiv. H. E. VAN DEMAN, PARKSLEY, VA. (See frontispiece,) The subject of this sketch was born on a farm near Frankfort, Ross County, Ohio, Nov. 3, 1845. His early education was received in the public schools of that place, and later he attended an academy at South Salem. Atthe age of seventeen, he enlisted as a soldier in the War of the Rebellion, serving as a private in Company A, in the ist Ohio Heavy Artillery, his term of service running from June 5, 1863, to the close of the war in 1865. After his discharge he resumed his studies, but soon decided to follow fruit growing as a life work, and gave up his plans of attending college and found work witha practical fruit grower, in order to get the training he needed under a competent preceptor. For afew months he worked on the famous fruit farm of J. Knox, near Pittsburg, Pa., and afterwards, during the years 67 and ’68, under the personal supervision of the noted pomologist, the late Dr. John A. Warder, at North Bend, Ohio. By working with the other laborersin the orchards, vineyards and berry fields, and by pursuing his studies of botany and scientific litera- ture at night and as occasion offered, something like the same end was reached as is now attained by those who take an agricul- tural course. He spent the next two years helping a brother clear away a forest and planted a small fruit farm in the wilderness of northern Michigan. Later he went to Kansas and bought an eighty acre | farm, which was afterwards increased to 240 acres, near Geneva, Allen county. A portion of this he planted to fruits of all suitable varieties. After seven years of pioneer life on the Kansas prairies, he re- ceived a call to fill the chair of botany and practical horticulture in the Kansas Agricultural College. He occupied this position during the years 1878 and 1879 and then gave it up to renew active work on his farm. Mr.Van Deman made it a practice to attend the various local, state, national and international meetings and fruit shows, either as member, exhibitor or awarding judge, as occasion required. In 1885 he conceived the idea ofthe instituting a division of pomology in the United States Department of Agriculture, and after its creation in 1886 was called to be its chief. This required his removal from the farm to a residence in Washington, b. C. He planned and organized the pomological division up to Secretary Morton's ad- ministration of the Agricultural Department, which closed his con- nection therewith. At present Mr. VanDeman is conducting a fruit farm at Parksley, Va. He is still in the prime of life, and with his qualifications and experience has yet his best years and his best work before him. sae FT. 2 314 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Vice-Presidents’ fQeports. ANNUAL MEETING, DEC. 3, 1895. FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. E. H. S. DARTT, VICE-PRESIDENT, OWATONNA. Mr. President and Members: The climatic conditions of the last year (1895) have not been favor- able to the production of fruitin this district. The winter of moder- ate severity was followed by late spring frosts, which seemed to injure fruit of all kinds, so that it is not likely that over one-fourth of an average crop was harvested. Our long succession of mild winters has promoted or permitted the growth of many varieties not adapted to this climate and has paved the way for the selling of a great many trees and plants of this class, which must ultimately bring disaster and consequent discouragement to the purchasers. I think it was Barnum that said in substance: “The people love to be humbugged,” and that Barnum wasright seems to be proven by their eagerness to bite at what seems to us to be the naked hook and buy boomed sorts, budded trees and model orchards of the shysters who go up and down in our land seeking whom they may defraud, I see no remedy for this deplorable state of things except for the people to adhere strictly to the rule, never to buy from strangers and give no orders to nurserymen or nursery companies unless they have a well established and unsullied reputation. The protection of the orchard against trespassers is a matter that appears to be worthy of your consideration and is of much im- portance to those having orchards in close proximity to cities and villages. The idea prevails to some extent that melons and apples are and ought to be free plunder for boys. I have heard a man of high standing say that a boy who would not steal apples would not amount to much, and this same class of men frequently tell, with a seeming pride and in the presence of boys, of their wonderful ex- ploits in robbing orchards in their younger days, nearly always giving as an excuse that the owner of the orchard was a stingy old fellow. Thus the boys get the impression that it isno crime to steal apples, provided they find a stingy old fellow to steal from, and where orchards are very scarce they cannot afford to be very parti- cular on this point. Our friend Brand has had experience in this line. He took special pains to be liberal with the boys of a poor old widow; a little later these same boys stole the rare specimens that he was most anxious to keep. Liberality will not save anapplecrop. If only boys would steal, damages might be comparatively light, but they are joined by ee en ‘4 7 if " VICE-PRESIDENTS’ REPORTS. 315 men, women and children with aprons, pails, baskets and sacks. Will women steal? Was not the first crime of apple stealing charged up to Eve? Her excuse should have been that Adam was stupid and did not provide for his own household, and she was obliged to help herself. But Eve was a good woman and would not give Adam away, so she slandered the snake. Women of today who steal apples can often chargethe crime back on their lazy,shiftless husbands who neglect to plant orchards. I offer the following suggestions: Impress upon all that it is dis- graceful to steal, whether they rob an orchard, a henroost ora bank. Enforce the laws we now have and ask the legislature to increase the penalties. Surround the orchard witha high, tight, barbwire fence and, if necessary, place a man inside with a shotgun. Fruit trees have gone into winter under seemingly favorable con- ditions, and we may reasonably hope that a bounteous harvest will follow. SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. S. D. RICHARDSON, VICE-PRESIDENT, WINNEBAGO CITY. Fruit of all kinds was the nearest a failure that it has been for years. In town and in a fewisolated cases on the high prairie or on the south side of a lake, there were a few apples and plums that es- caped the frost. Some of the poorest and most worthless of the wild plums survived. Red raspberry canes all winter-killed. The Shaeffer came through all right without covering, but the blossoms were ruined by the frost. Some of the black-caps bore heavily, but the birds were hungry and gathered the most of them. Strawber- ries were poorer than last year; the frost and hot, dry weather were too much for them—we did not have as much rain here this summer as there was further east and north. Grapes were killed but set the second time and ripened a fair crop of fair quality. Currants and gooseberries were thinned by the freeze, but on good ground and where they had good care were a fair crop. FRUIT SUCCEEDING BEST IN THIS DISTRICT. The hardiest apples for planting in Minnesota are the Duchess and Hibernal. The apples and crabs that have paid the best in dollars and cents in this section for the past ten years are the Wealthy, Duchess, Tetofsky, Minnesota, Early Strawberry and Meader’s Winter. The Tetofsky does better on ground that is dry on the surface but where water can be obtained in ordinary years by digging twenty or thirty feet. The Longfield promises well and so do many others— some seedlings, some old varieties and some Russians, that if they do as well in the next ten years as they have in the past will be worthy of general cultivation. Many of them are controlled by per- sons who will keep the public fully posted as to their merits, and they do not need to be endorsed by this society in order to be gene- rally introduced. The tree agent will take care that they are not forgotten, a 316 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY The Repka Malenka seems to the best tested and the best keeper of the many candidates forthe coming winter apple. It keeps as well apparently as the Soulard crab, the Roman Stem, Talmon Sweet, Allen’s Choice, Plumb’s Cider, Haas, Snow, Malinda, etc.; it survived the winter of 1884-85 in many instances and is doing well, but I could not recommend it for general planting. The best crabs and hybrids for general cultivation are the Virginia, Martha, Early Strawberry, Minnesota, Whitney and Briar Sweet. Plums.—Desota, Forest Garden, Wolf and Miner. The Weaver is very fine insome places, while in others it is ruined by the curculio. The Miner does well on its own roots. The Rollingstone promises well, so also do many others which will become prominent before long. Thetree agent is not dead yet. Grapes.—Concord, Worden, Delaware, Moore’s Early, Janesville and Agawam. Raspberries.—Red—Turner, Marlboro, Shaffer's Colossal; Black— Souhegan and Gregg. Blackberries.—Ancient Briton and Snyder. Currants.—Stewart’s, Long Bunch Holland, Victoria, Red Dutch and White Grape. Gooseberries.—Houghton and Downing. Strawberries.—Crescent, Warfield, Haverland, Bederwood, Lov- ett’s Early, Capt. Jack and Glendale. Parker Karle and Michael’s Early seem to be a success on moist clay soil. ; FIFTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. JOHN H. STEVENS, VICE-PRESIDENT, MINNEAPOLIS. This district is composed of only one county, that of Hennepin; hence, the territory is very small when compared with any of the other congressional districts of the state; yet it is the parent of Minnesota horticulture. The reason of this is because ofits early occupation by the whites. Itis nearly fifty years since I have, off and on, beena resident within its boundaries, anda halfacentury has caused a great change in the condition of everything that pertains to the products of the soil. At that early period apples had been successfully grown for a brief period by that noble pioneer mis_ sionary, Gideon H, Pond, on the mission grounds at Oak Grove, in what is now Hennepin county. The territory embraced in this dis- trict has given out to the world many choice varieties of fruit. Itis the home of the Wealthy and numerous other seedling apples, the handiwork of the grand old pomologist, Peter M.Gideon. Here, too, our ever respected pioneer cotemporary, Amasa Stewart, long since a resident of Texas, introduced Stewart’s Seedling currant, and Stewart’s Seedling apple, and here, too, our former good co- laborer, Geo. S. Woolsey, originated two varieties of strawberries, fit delicacies to be set before the most particular epicure. Mr. Woolsey emigrated to California; I doubt not he wishes he was back here to introduce more new varieties of fruit. Wyman Elliot and M. Pearce, who are with us today, have contributed to the list of new varieties of luxuries in the fruit line; so have others that I have not time to speak of, but still the good work is going on. | s VICE-PRESIDENTS’ REPORTS. 817 The season of 1895 has hardly produced an average crop of fruit _in this district. The early part was favorable, but subsequently the want of humidity, last and this year, damaged our strawberry, raspberry and blackberry products at least 50 per cent. While currants and gooseberries were not a failure, the crop was small. The yield of grapes was more satisfactory, but hardly as large as indicated earlier in the season. The harvest of plums, both tame and wild, was the best in years—thus showing that the yield of that fruit is not, as many have said, “a thing of the past.” And apples, a fair yield, in favorable localities a large one. The more dis- couragementin the propagation of the apple, the more perseverance is observed by those engaged in its cultivation. No one for a moment doubts but what in the near future several varieties can be grown with profit—for that matter they are now. No cherries of moment are in cultivation; neither is there a probability that there will be for some time to come, though we may expect good results from some of the Russian varieties toa greater or less extent. Large quantities of fruit of every variety have been shipped into this district the past season from the four corners of the Union: which has been sold at moderate prices. The introduction of so much fruit from other states has a depressing effect on our home products. Forinstance: strawberries were sold in our market dur- ing the months of April and May and the early part of June, from ten to fifteen cents per quart. Of course, the quality was not so good as those of Minnesota growth, but the tendency was the same: it reduced the price of the Minnesota berry; it brought us in competi- tion with thcse outside of the state. A greatand growing industry in this neighborhood is the “market garden;” the price of the product from this industry the past year has, I regret to say, ruled low. Minneapolis is now a city of near 200,000; of the county, 218,000; hence, large quantities of vegetables as well as fruit are necessary for the people. The yield of the garden, as to every variety of vegetables grown, was fully up to the average. Allin all, the horticulturists of this district are far from being discouraged; on the other hand, their prospects are bright. SIXTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. J. O BARRETT, VICE-PRESIDENT, BROWN’S VALLEY. The district I represent is probably the most difficult in the state forraising fruit plants. It comprises the northwestern division of the state, mostly prairie and treeless and, therefore, exposed to our des- tructive winds. The facts gleaned from various environments show that the late frosts of last May, extending over a large portion ofour entire country, greatly injured the fruit plants. I know of no better antidote for such fatality than the liberal use of the smudge, chok- ing “jack frost” with smoke. Owing to early and late frosts, plum raising with us is precarious. Where such trees are on high ground, protected against winds, we eR 4 o 4 318 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. do measurably succeed despite the atmospheric chill, more espe- cially with the indigenous and the hardier sorts of cultivated plums, such as the Desota and Forest Garden. Raising apples and crabs does not indicate any special encourage- ment, though success here and there obtains on a limited scale- The general testimony, based in experience, is that the trees must be planted on high and properly drained ground, protected by forest trees quite distant from the orchard, just enough to stay the winds and yet allow free circulation of air. The reports to me are generally adverse. One of my correspondents, Mr. E. H. Bailey, Wilkins county—all prairie and mostly treeless—says: “Ifthereisa good apple tree really adapted to this locality, I should like to know it.” Anotherintelligent gentleman, of Grant county—partly wooded but largely treeless—says: ‘A large number of crabs were planted fifteen or twenty years ago and fora time bore excellent crops, but they have now nearly all died out. No success has ever been at- tained with larger apples. We have now a few Duchess that look thriftier than any we had, but they have not yet stood the test of the winter.” Reports from the Red River Valley are about on the same key, but some experiments are hopeful enough to demonstrate by example that apples—crabs mainly—can be raised there quite extensively, when the trees coming in healthy condition and judiciously se- lected are rightly managed. A lover of forest trees and fruit plants, Mr. O. J. Hagen, of Hendrum, Norman county,says: “Very little at- tention is paid to fruit raising in all this region.” Experimenting largely with choice sorts recommended, he mentions the Duchess, Charlamoff, Anis, Virginia, Early Strawberry, Martha, Tonka and Lieby as promising trees, and is waiting to see how the Wealthy, Whitney, Red Siberian and some others will turn out. He main- tains that the large percentage of alkali in the soil of the valley isa greater hindrance to success than the climate and that the choice of land for any fruit plant should be very select. Rev. O. A. Th. Solem, of Halstad, Norman county, is an ardent lover of forest trees and fruit plants and has had large experience and observations on these lines in his part of the Red River Valley. He reports the old Houghton gooseberry asa good bearer, but too small for a tame variety; and the Turner raspberry as very hardy with him, but puckers badly and dries its berries on the cones; but the Souhegan is the best black-cap raspberry, and the most promis- ing currantsin that northern belt are the Victoria, Prince Albert, White and Red Dutch and Black Naples; that owing to the May frost and “heavy snow earthstorms,” crops of small fruits were meager and nostrawberries. He also reports that his apples and crab trees, the Lieby, Charlamoff, Arctic and Tonka, especially, are prom- ising stock with him. So eager are our people to have cherries that young folks rum- mage all the lake and river shores for our common choke cherries. The sand cherry adapts itself to all our varieties of soil and, as it deserves, is growing in public favor as a good berry, but not the best we ought to raise. MR EMP Pave! Tete yh VICE-PRESIDENTS’ REPORTS. 319 A summary of the fruit raising in the sixth district dating in re- ports to me, is that apples and crabs are yet on trial, that among small fruits the currants and sand cherry leads, gooseberries next, raspberries next, blackberries next. The most delicious of them all, the strawberry, has to take the rear forreliability. The ill successin raising this berry is, as a rule, from neglectto attend to its needs. In the estimation of the average farmer, strawberries are too small fry to stoop to; will do for women, etc. Yes, and women show better sense, and are more patient with the precious little plants that do indeed respond to tenderer hands. Everywhere with us the ques- tion is asked, “Why do they not yield more?’ Even when put in rich soil, creditably cultivated, winter mulched, the crops are mea- ger compared with those in the southern part of the state. As they generally blossom profusely, the inference is that they are not well pollenized. The winds are sometimes helpful but are more fre- quently hindrances, for they blow the pollen from the beds. Nor does the protection of trees bring the fruit we are entitled to. To a great extent I attribute our failures in profitable fruit raising to a lack of bees and other honey-eating insects. We make poor headway raising the clovers, because we have not the bees to fertilize them, and we have a superabundance of field mice that destroy the combs and nests of the bees, and we have not old maids enough to raise cats enough to destroy the field mice, and we have so many fool farmers who struggle to farm it on the prairie without forests to break the winds, bees stay away from us because we build no tree homes for them to live in and get honey from. And so we plod along with “wheat on the brain” and wild buffalo grass seed in the hair, pocketless, because beeless, and beeless because treeless and cloverless, and fruitless because faithless in diversified agriculture. Success in fruit raising lies in restoring the interlinks in the life chain of being, broken by deforestation and burning over the coun- try we are trying to domesticate. Darwin well says: “So profound is our ignorance, and so high our presumption, that all marvel when we hear of the extinction of an organic being; and as we do not see the cause, we invoke cataclysms to desolate the world or in- vent laws on the duration of the forms of life!” SEVENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. MRS. JENNIE STAGER, VICE-PRESIDENT, SAUK RAPIDS. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen:—The past season has been the worst for small fruits we have had for years, owing to the hard and successive frosts just when the fruits were blossoming. Straw- berry plants were frozen out, raspberries killed down to the ground and almost all other fruit hurtin a measure, Still I do not think the damage would have been so great were it not for the drought of the summer before, which must have weakened the plants. How- ever, a failure now and then does not discourage us, as I find more small fruit has been planted in our district this year than ever before. = — ae ‘ 320 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Currants and gooseberries were quite plentiful and very large, as the frost thinned them to advantage. Grapes also did quite well, but up here we keep them partly covered uutil danger from late frosts is over. Several people here have raised some fine large apples this summer (1895). So far I cannot recommend any partic- ular apple for this section, as it needs more time to judge. Of named plums, Desota and Weaver have proved hardy and good here, and if apples prove a failure we can always sell enough plums to buy the former fruit. Wild plums are plentiful here, some quite fine, but this year even they were a failure. Every one should plant a few grape vines. Brighton and Worden, with Concord for fertilizer, will generally give a good crop, and if the Concord does not always ripen, why they need only be half ripe to make delicious jelly and preserves. Then one ortwo hundred strawberry plants, Crescent, Bederwood and Warfield, will provide many a luscious dish for the family—and a hundred Cuthberts and the samenumber of Gregg raspberries. Of course, I need not mention currants and gooseberries, as most every garden hasthem. They will help the wife and mother out nicely with her bill of fare. I suppose you all know that Sauk Rapids is having a boom, and we expect before long to rival Minne- apolis, not only as a city but as a fruit center, and we may then hope to entertain the members of the society, if not before; and our great ambition will be to give you, if possible, as pleasant a time as we had last year at Lake City. Mrs. Stager: I want to speak about some seedling apples. Some years ago Peter Gideon sent me several hundred apple trees and some other seedling trees. I gave them to one of my neighbors, who planted them, and last year he fruited some twenty trees. They were very nice apples, and I sent a box to Professor Green. One of the seedling plums was the largest ITever saw. Isaw some large ones at the fair, but they did not come up to mine. This year they were larger than ever. I sent some of them to Professor Green, but they were spoiled | when they got there; I suppose it was because they were so long in reaching him. a a ils ee ee Ee i ee eh a ie: al FORESTRY PLAN AND COMMENTS. 321 CAPT.J.N.CROSS’ FORESTRY PLAN AND COMMENTS BY PROF. B.E. FERNOW. Some time since a copy of the subjoined circular was sent to Prof. B. E. Fernow, Chief of the Division of Forestry, Depart- ment of Agriculture—as also to a large number of other persons—for examination and comment. The response of Prof. Fernow to this circular and a personal communication, is of sufficient interest to be worthy of publication, and it is given below in full, preceded by the circular letter as necessary to a full understanding of it. This letter was in the possession of Capt. Cross at our late summer meeting, but on account of lack time it was not presented. SECRETARY. (CIRCULAR. ) TO FRIENDS OF FORESTRY. Atthe late annual meeting of the Minnesota State Forestry Associa- tion,the following proposition was submitted to it for consideration, with the result that a committee was appointed to carefully consider the plan proposed and report ite conclusions to the executive com- mittee of the association as early as practicable. The proposition being novel, important and with far-reaching possibilities, the committee is conscious of the weighty responsibility devolving upon it,and therefore earnestly requests expressions of opinion from the active friends of forestry in the state upon the matter. It is hoped by the committee, therefore, that the proposition will be carefully considered by each one who receives a copy of this, and that his opinion, with reasons for it, will be forwarded to the secretary of the association at his earliest convenience. The forestry problem in Minnesota is pressing for solution, and no further time should be lost in adopting measures calculated to preserve and restore large forest areas in the woodland and prairie portions of the state. Address all communications to J. O. BARRETT, Secretary, Brown’s Valley, Minnesota; S. M. OWEN, President, Minneapolis. PLAN FOR THE STATE TO ACQUIRE A FORESTRY AREA. The following is a synopsis of the plan proposed by Judson N. Cross, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, to the State Forestry Association of Minnesota at its annual meeting held at Minneapolis, January 15th, 1896, for the state to acquire quickly and without expense the beginnings of a forestry area. First:—That the legislature constitute state, county and town forestry boards; for economy the town boards of supervisors to con- stitute the town forestry boards, the county commissioners to con- stitute the county forestry boards, and the state forestry board to consist of nine members, as follows, to-wit: 1st:—The state land commissioner to be chairman, and represent- ing the state lands and the forest fire warden department. eee Avene 322 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 2d:—The person occupying the chair of horticulture (at present including arboriculture) in the agricultural department of the state university,and representing the Minnesota State Horticultural Society. 3rd:—The person having in charge the Minnesota section of the climate and crop service of the United States weather bureau. One member chosen by each of the following boards or associa- tions from theirown members: 4th, state forestry association; 5th, farmer’s institute; 6th, board of regents of the university; 7th, state lumberman’s association; 8th, board of public health; 9th, fish and game commissioners. All to serve without pay, except actual expenses. An executive committee of three to be selected by the state board. SECOND:—That owners of cut-over pine lands or other lands’ especially rough, rocky and sandy lands, which will probably not be utilized for many years for agricultural lands, when recom- mended by the town and county forestry boards, (the authority and work of each board to be designated by the legislature) may deed the same to the state (reserving minerals, oils, coals and mineral paints with the right to hunt for, dig, mine and carry away the same) for forestry purposes; and when so deeded the same shall be exempt from taxes because dedicated to public purposes. Such. lands may be so deeded subject to taxes, tax forfeiture and tax sales THIRD:—The state forestry board shall take charge of all such lands, to be designated as the “Reserved Forest Area,’ and care for the same as the legislature may direct. Appeals may be taken from the decisions of the town and county boards of forestry, either by the person offering to deed the land or an inhabitant and property owner of the county, to the state forestry board, whose decision shall be final. FOURTH:—The future incomes derived from such lands from whatever source shall be divided into thirds and distributed as fol- lows, to-wit: (a) Thestate shall have one-third of such income to reimburse it andthe towns and counties where situated for care and protec- tion of the land and loss of taxes, 4 to go to the state, 14 to the town and 14 to the county. (b) The person so deeding the land and his heirs (to be made inalienable if he so elect) or assigns to have one-third of such in- come for the first seventy-five or one hundred years, after that time to go to the educational institution which he may designate to have the other third of such income. (c) The other third of the income to go to such educational insti- tution or system in the state, private, public or denominational, as the donor may designate in the deed of conveyance or in a separate instrument executed as deeds are required to be executed and recorded as deeds are recorded in the county where the lands lie, or by will. In case the donor fails to so designate such institution or system, or if forany reason such institution or system fails to exist, then the same to go, one-fourth to the state university and three-fourths to the public schools of the state. a ee BARS ae SA) b ialh aad o@ ae = « FORESTRY PLAN AND COMMENT. 823 FIrtTH:—The state shall have full power to lease for revenue or for protection from fire or trespassers low meadow tracts, or for pasture where it would not interfere with the growth of the forest trees, and to sell dead and down timber, which, as the adjoining lands are settled, will inthe near future aggregate a large income; and generally the state must have fuil power of control, even the power of alienation of certain tracts when recommended by the state board of forestry, as where the growth of towns, the building of railroads, water powers, etc., may necessitate alienation; the pro- ceeds of sale to be distributed as are the proceeds of the product of the forest area. COMMENTS OF PROF. B. E. FERNOW. “In answer to your specific question, I will state that I know of no legislation in existence which covers precisely such a case as you have in hand. The nearest approach to itis a clause in the law cre- ating the New Hampshire Forest Commission in 1893, which em- powers that commission to receive donations in lands or money towards the establishment of a state park or forest reserve, but, as far as I know, no particular method or condition is prescribed nor has anything resulted from it.” Extract from New Hampshire Forestry Law, (Session of 1893), p. 142. “Sec. 4. Whenever any person or persons shall supply the necessary funds therefor, so that no cost or expense shall accrue to the state, the forestry com- mission is hereby authorized to buy any tract of land and devote the same to the purpose of a public park. If they cannot agree with the owners thereof as to the price, they may condemn the same under the powers of eminent domain, and the value shall be determined as in the case of lands taken for highways, with the same rights of appeal and jury trial. On the payment of the value as finally determined, the land so taken shall be vested in the state and forever held for the purposes ofa public park. The persons furnishing the money to buy such land shall be at liberty to lay out such roads and paths on the land and otherwise im_ prove the same under the direction of the forestry commission, and thetract shall at all times be open to the use of the public.” ‘ (Evidently the above law was devised solely to assist some parties to acquire, by aid of the state’s eminent domain, a hunting park. It has not the ring of an earnest effort to establish a state forest re- serve. There is no incentive held out for donations to the state of non-agricultural lands as a beginning for systematic forestry, as is proposed by the foregoing plan for Minnesota. If private owners are to be appealed to,in order to save the state the expense of acquiring a forestry reserve, some such incentive must be held out as is proposed by Mr. Cross.) “T confess that in the absence of more intimate knowledge of the existing organization of your state institutions, my ideas on your plan can be only crude and of a general character. I may, however, suggest the following: “1, Create a board of trustees to receive the lands and to act as a board of control after the lands have been turned over to the admin- istrative body to be mentioned later on. You may remember that in the state of Massachusetts there exists since 1891 such a board of trustees, whose function it is to receive donations not only for the state but also for any cities, villages or municipalities, and hold them until they can be turned over to the properly constituted state or city commission. 324 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. “This board, I consider, should be composed in part or entirely of persons holding positions ex-officio. A good composition might be the governor, the auditor, the president of the regents of the uni- versity, the judges of the forested districts in which the donated lands would be located, the justices of the supreme court or of any one and, perhaps, three prominent citizens interested in this matter, “2. Create independently of this board of trustees an administra- tive board, in part also to be constituted of members ex-officio, in part of other appointments. For instance, the surveyor-general, the fire commissioner, an appointee of the state forestry association and two appointees of the governor might be a proper composition. This board would have to formulate the plans for the administra- tion and supervise this administration, with a paid executive officer, or state forestry staff, who is not appointed by the board; but Iam in doubt as to how his appointment could best be secured. The plans for administration should be submitted to the board of trus- tees for sanction in general, and also the report of the administra- tive board. In this way I expect to secure a much more general in- terest in the proceedings and have a wholesome check and control of the administration. “3. I should think that it would be undesirable and inconvenient to separate the administration of the donated lands from that of the state lands: not knowing how the present administration of such lands is constituted, I am unable to suggest how, with the least friction, a change might be made. I would not burden the fire commissioner with the executive duty in administering the lands” except as a member of the board; otherwise, keep him separate, looking after his business. “4, The co-operation with state troops in case of emergency is, I imagine, provided for by general law, protection of public property being especially one of the functions; but it might be well to pro- vide for a more definite and easy use of this agency. I would ad- vise that in your proposed bill the manner of administration be decided upon only in general terms, showing the general object aimed at, but that the technical details be left as much as possible to be formulated by the board. “These suggestions are thrust out for what they may be worth to you in opening possibilities. There are, of course, many other ways of organizing such amatter in order to be successful; a leaning onto the existing organization may suggest entirely different proce- dure. The main thing to be considered is that a mutual check be secured by the manner of combining and organizing the various boards. If you secureat least the board of trustees to receive and hold the lands for the state, the further elaboration might perhaps come in time, just as the municipal park system of Boston was, in part, an outgrowth of the possibilities provided by the board of trustees. “T consider the division of responsibilities between a board of trus- tees and an administrative board most desirable but would add that finally, one well paid man who has no other business to attend to, a general secretary, possibly acting for both boards, will accom- aa FORESTRY PLAN AND COMMENTS. 325 plish more results than if all is left to be done by an unpaid board. “The failure of government administration is due generally to two causes which would wreck any private enterprise, absence of proper control and reliance upon unpaid, cheap and unskilled em- ployes. Seek to avoid these two errors in this new state enterprise, and you will be reasonably successful. “As for the division of the gross income,it appears to me somewhat unfair, since it seems to be supposed thatthe cost of management and loss of taxes will be covered by one-third of the income. This I have good reasons to doubt. It would be fairer if the division were made of the net income after cost of management is deducted, and then to be only in two parts, namely, to the original owner and to the state or, better, the town or county. There is one argument which undoubtedly will arise against the proposed forest reserva- tions, and not without some force by adjoining settlers, and which should be met at the outset by taking off its edge. If large contigu- ous bodies are reserved, not only extension of settlement is stopped, which possibly the character of the reserved lands would forbid anyhow, but the existing settlements become more isolated and the burden of maintaining schoolhouses, churches and roads becomes naturally greater; and although finally the forest reservations if placed under proper management become sources of advantage in affording employment in wintertime, etc., the disadvantages men- tioned will for a time at least be greater. Hence, it is but fair to compensate the towns or counties by turning over to them a part of the proceeds of the forest management. In this way the forest res- ervations may become not only indirectly but directly desirable to these settlers in reducing the burden of taxation and make them favorably inclined to their establishment. “IT suppose the proposition to have a designated educational insti- tution benefited by participation in the proceeds was to give addi- tional incentive to would-be donors. I believe, however, that the in- centive would be just as great, the conditions less cumbersome, the justice greater and the very desirable interest of the town or coun- ty authorities, in fact, of all the citizens, increased in the success of the administration of these lands, if the latter have the disposal ofthis fund. Toretain the educational idea, it might be ordered that the fund so acquired be only used for educational purposes. “Otherwise I am in full accord with the general spirit of the propo- sition and would only add regarding the management of the lands after they have come into the control of the state, that contidence of would-be donors in the probability of a wise administration will be their greatest incentive, and such an administration can only be had by applying business principles and technical knowledge. Hence, besides the secretary with legal training, who would trans- act the routine business of the boards in effecting the transfer of lands to them and their administration, a technical manager of the lands, a lumberman with more than ordinary knowledge and skill, must be employed to apply forestry principles and secure the pecu- niary and other results expected from this forest management, He, too, will have to be a well paid man. To carry on a business on 326 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. business principles requires a business man, and a competent busi- ness manager will not be easily induced to accept a state position which does not bring him an equivalent income to what he can earn in private business. “The plan of having the state control large forest areas, managed less with a view to largest money returns but to continuity and permanently favorable conditions, is the only promising one, as every European state has finally found out. It is reasonable that the private ownercan only be expected to look after the greatest immediate money returns on his investment, while the state, the community alone, being long lived and permanent, can wait for profits, can manage with other views than the pocket, can consider the beneficial influences upon climate, waterflow and general cultural conditions, which a forest area exerts.” (Comments and suggestions on this subject are requested from any who are interested. SEC’y.) A DELAWARE VINEYARD. C. W. SAMPSON, EUREKA. In order to have a successful Delaware vineyard, you must, in the first place, have the right kind of soil and the right kind of location. I consider the location the most important in the raising of the Dela- ware grape. In this state you should locate your vineyard on or near a lake or other body of water. The reason for this is that the water in the lake will remain warm while the atmosphere is cold enough to freeze, and by locating the vineyard on the south or east of the lake the cold north wind will blow this warm vapor over your vineyard and protect it from the frost, both in late spring and early fall. The severe frosts we had this last spring did not injure my vines in the least. I consider the best soil for the Delaware grape in this state tobea sandy loam, with a heavy clay sub-soil containing a considerable amount of lime. In preparing the ground for a vineyard, I would plow very deep and pulverize well. Then I would mark off the ground and plant the vines 8x8 feet, always running the rows cross- wise of the hill to prevent washing. In setting the vines, I use a spade to make the holes, which are about one foot deep, one end slanting. I prefer good, strong one year vines, and I place them in a slanting position in the hole, so that the vine will easily lay to the ground. I train them in that way, and we have no difficulty in lay- ing them down and covering with dirt in the fall. The first year I set a pole about six feet high, which I allow the vine to run up. I allow only one bud to grow. In the fall I cut back to three buds and cover well with dirt, and if the ground has been kept clean from. weeds I put a small forkful of straw or hay over the roots to keep them from killing the first winter. This I consider very important. The second year I pnt in my posts and at least one wire, which I train the vines along, allowing only one vine to grow. In the fall I have from two to three teet of vine, and each year lengthen out the nl A DELAWARE VINEYARD. 327 vine according as the vine has ripened its wood. The third year we should have a good strong vine eight feet long and capable of pro- ducing eight orten pounds of grapes. I use three wires for a trellis, and tie the vine to the bottom wire,training the new shoots upright, about four inches apart. When the shoots have grown six inches above the top wire, I pinch the end off and keep doing so until Au- gust first, when I let them grow. I also pull out any laterals that may grow out as farup asthe grapes grow. This is to prevent too much wood and to keep the clusters from being tangled. When the vines have reached maturity, I allow them to bear from ten to fifteen pounds of grapes, for whichI find aready marketin our Twin Cities at five cents per pound. A good Delaware vineyard will clear a net profit of about $100 per acre. I find all the work connected with a vineyard very easy and pleas- ant, and think I would prefer raising grapes to small fruit. I con- sider spraying with the Bordeaux mixture very important to prevent mildew and keep the vines in a healthy condition. To destroy the leaf-hopper, I use fine airslaked lime, and I sprinkle it among the vines when the dew is on early in the morning. I find this the best remedy, and I have tried a good many. DISCUSSION. Mr. A. H. Brackett: What success did you have with the air-slaked lime in driving away the leaf-hoppers? Mr. Sampson: I had the best success with it; it certainly drives them away. The dust seems to choke them and drive them away. Pres. Underwood: Are there any other remarks to be made on this subject of grapes? Mr. Wyman Elliot: Which is of the most value as between the Concord and Delaware in this climate so far as profit is concerned? | Mr. Sampson: In my experience, I found the Delaware the more profitable. The Delaware is not shipped to our market to any extent, while the Concord is shipped here by the car- _ load from New York and Illinois and sells very cheap. A few years ago we could get very good prices, but now we can get very little more than Eastern grapes are sold for. Mr. C. Wedge: What do you get for Delawares? Mr. Sampson: They average us about five cents per pound. Mr. G. J. Kellogg: You get the price pretty low. Mr. Sampson: Yes, I put it pretty low. Secy. Latham: There is another reason why the Delaware is more profitable; it is not so much trouble to take care of them in the summer. They have a tendency of clinging to each other, and with a very little tieing they cling to each OPE Liat ame fl? nls On Teese 328 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. other, while the Concords have to be tied every time. In prun- ing the vines there is almost the same difference. The Delaware can be pruned to spurs, and it is almost certain that the buds are fruit buds, while if the Concord were similarly pruned you would not get much fruit. Mr. C. L. Smith: You do not have to haul so many grapes to market. Mr. E. J. Cutts: It is considered a fact among dealers that Minnesota Delawares are superior to anything raised in the United States. Mr. Jacques: I had a friend from New York visiting me, and as we always have grapes in the house, he had an oppor- tunity to eat some, and he made the remark that he had never seen any grapes before. : Secy. Latham: I can say that at the World’s Fair the judges on grapes stated they had never seen such Concords and Dela- wares as came from Minnesota, and they stated the Minnesota grapes were ahead of anything in the United States. Mr. Cutts: Has any one had much experience with the re- newal system? A vine when it becomes old is very hard to lay down. Mr. Sampson: I findit is a very good plan, where you can, to get a shoot right from the root. The second year you will find it will bear nearly as much as the old vine. Mr. Cutts: The trouble seems to be that the old vines will not put out any shoots. Mr. Smith: Girdle the old vines. Secy. Latham: I have never had much trouble. Almost always you can get acane pretty well back near the ground, near enough for all practical purposes. Renewing is very necessary if you have many vacant places on the old vine, and in renewing you can go back and cover all the vacant places. If [had a vine in bad shape and no shoots coming out from near the ground, I think I should try girdling it. Mr. Smith: Just put a wire around it, that will answer the purpose. Mr. Cutts: Mr. Sampson spoke about De‘awares being planted eight feet apart each way. A good many recommend — to plant them six feet each way. . Secy. Latham: There is a great deal of room wasted ina vineyard. My oldest vineyard is planted in rows six feet apart and the vines eight feet apart in the row. I never had STRAWBERRIES. 329 any vineyard bear any more, and it continues to bear. The ex hibit of Mr. Loudon, in the other room, is taken from that vine- yard. The vines do not seem to be too near. The only dif- ficulty is thereis not earth enough tocover them. My latest ex- perience is in planting them seven feet apart each way. A vine seven feet long is also easier to handle. STRAWBERRIES. H. BOVEE, CARLTON, MINN. I can remember when there was no such thing as growing berries for market, but it has become a very profitable business in this country. The first I remember was of people growing a few in their gardens of the Early Scarlet berry, about like the wild berry, small and soft. Then came Harvey’s Seedling, a good berry, then the grand old Wilson, which is the finest berry today that we have, then the Crescent, the most productive we have now, and we have differ- ent kinds by the thousand. I think the Warfield is the best market berry we have; they are of a good size, of firm, dark, rich color (crimson) and look wellinthe box. I shipped some to Livingston, Mont., and they wrote me that they received them in good condition. We have twenty acres in bearing and are testing many varieties on which I will report later. Weare using the Warfield and think it has come to stay; Wilson we use to fertilize the Warfield. This is the best location for the berry business I have ever seen. The soil isa clay loam, half clay and half sand, a natural berry soil. Ourshipping facilities cannot be excelled—two roads,St. Paul & Duluth and Northern Pacific. Our berries are on the market from one to two hours after picking, selling from seventeen to twenty cents a quart by the case. The reason of that is this: when our berries are ripe there are no berries for sale anywhere, so we have full control of the market. Dealers retail them at twenty-five cents a quart. It costs five cents a quartto grow, pick and market strawberries. They can be grown as cheaply as potatoes and as many bushels to the acre. Potatoes sell for fifty cents a bushel and berries for over five dollars per bushel. I think the prospect for berry cul- ture here is big. We have St. Paul, Duluth and Minneapolis for markets. This may surprise you, but I sent berries to Yerxa’s in St. Paul, and they gave me fifteen cents per quart and wanted all we could send them. They had been selling berries from five to ten cents during the berry season, for my daughter told me she had bought strawberries of them for five cents per quart during the berry season. Itis astonishing that farmers do not have berries in plenty. If they will set out one-quarter acre of Crescent plants and keep them well hoed the first season, I will warrant them plenty of berries for three seasons; I say Crescents because they will stand more neglect than any other berry and will grow a good crop under any and all conditions. 330 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. I will give you a rule to find the number of plants you want for any given piece of land. There are 43,560 square feet in one acre; now multiply the distance between the row, by the distance between the plants in the row and use that as a divisor for the 43,560 and you will have the number of plants for one acre—or any piece of land the same way by taking the number of square feet in the piece: I have great troublein getting plants from nurserymen in good condition—the plants come packed in wet moss, which heats and spoils them. I have had them come so hot, I could not hold my handinthem, I will give you a plan of my own for sending plants. Take a common market basket, put one inch of soil in the bottom; put in the plants, roots in the soil, and set the basket in a tub with two inches of water for five minutes and then take out. The soil keepsthem cool and moist and gives them nourishment, and you can carry them all over the world if you set them in two inches of water oncea week. I carried two baskets to Centralia, Wash., and stopped two weeks in Missoula, and when I got to my destination I set the plants out and did not lose one plant. This was in the fallin Nov- ember. I will give youa good rule for setting plants: Take a piece of sawblade and make a scoop about as big as your hand, then fasten a wooden handletoit. Run the blade of the scoop on one side about three inches from the plant, then on the other, then you can take up the plant without disturbing the root much; make a hole in the soil where you wish to set your plant, put it in with the soil firmly around it, being careful to not cover the crown, and you cannot tell that it has ever been moved or its growth prevented for a moment. In packing and marketing berries, have your boxes full quarts and clean; do not put small berries on the bottom and large oneson top. Keep them out of the sun. Fill the boxes rounding full. I never have found a quart cup that would hold the berries in a box filled in that way. In that way you show the people you are doing an honest business. THE CROZY CANNA.—I received a small growing plant of it two summers ago. It was too early to set it in the open ground, so I potted it, and when the season was sufficiently advanced it was bedded out and grew—how it did grow!—and bloomed all summer. Just before cold weather came on, I took it up very carefully, gave it a paint keg for a home, with rich soil to live in, and after a short interval it bloomed again, continuing to do so all winter. In the spring, I took it from the keg, cut it all to pieces, gave away several and kept two large clumps myself. Owing to the dry weather it did not do so well as before, though it was not entirely without bloom at any time during the summer, In the fall, I put one of the clumps in the cellar, where it lay all winter, apparently a lump of dry earth. About the first of May, I divided it again, this time in three parts, two of which I gave away, and the third piece I placed in the center of a circular geranium bed, where it now promises to do great things; the other I potted in the autumn and have enjoyed the beauty of its rich bloom in the house when other flowers were not very plentiful. Western Gardener. OUR PROGRAM. 331 OUR PROGRAM. (Discussion at last Annual Meeting.) Ouestion Box:—“What kind of a program do our members like best?” Mr. J.S. Harris: One that will make us work to finish it up. Pres. Underwood: The making of the program is always left to the executive committee. The thought in this question is to allow the members an opportunity to express themselves as to whether they like a good many papers read, or less papers and more dis- cussions. The executive committee would be glad to have an expression from members on this question. The members need not be at all afraid to express themselves for fear of hurting the feelings of the executive committee. I am sure they would be glad to receive any suggestions. Mr. Collman, (Iowa): In our country the president usually ar- ranges the program for the next meeting, and while I held that position I had that to do, and I found it quite atask. I realized that most of our members were no longer young, that they were on the down hill side of life, and that we needed young blood in our society; sol wrote to our agricultural college and asked them if they had some bright young ladies and young men there. I told them I wanted some of the best young ladies and young men to take part in our meeting. They replied, “They all will be willing to help you if you just ask them.” So I asked several of the young ladies, and some gave us a paper and some a declamation and some one thing and some another, and I have heard many say it was the best meeting we everhad. The reason I thought it would be nice to have the young people take part, we are having better schools now, and our young people are better posted than we are, and you will find it so in your state. I do not want to criticize at all, and if I were to offer any it would be because you have no young people on your program. Mr Harris: Itis my opinion that I wrote the secretary to that effect before this meeting, that it would be one of the best drawing cards we could get up to have a whole session, afternoon and even- ing, occupied entirely by young people from sixteen to twenty-four years old—to have some essays, papers, etc., read by people of those ages. I think we had better try this summer to see if we cannot work it up. Pres. Underwood: When the present program was submitted to meI suggested to our secretary and to Professor Green that the school of horticulture and agriculture furnish at least one part of the program, but for some reason it was thought best not to make an arrangement of that kind. However, [ think it would have been interesting to have done so. Mr. Kellogg, (Wisconsin): Ido not agree with friend Harris on one point. Hisideais to have the young people take part all at one session. I would want to have them interspersed all through the session. I think there are enough students to enliven all the sessions, and I certainly believe in the young ladies. Mr. Harris: Yes, we know that. (Laughter). ade MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.’ ORCHIDS IN A MINNESOTA GREENHOUSE. R. S. MACKINTOSH, ST. ANTHONY PARK. The accompanying picture was taken last March in Mr, R. J. Mendenhall’s greenhouse on the day that Professor Green’s class in greenhouse work, from the agricultural school, visited it. It illus- trates very well the beautiful orchids (Cattelya) which were in bloom at that time. The other houses were equally as beautiful as this one. A large sale of violets was in progress the day that we were there. This visit was an object lesson to the students as to the ex- tent of the flower business in this section. On a previous trip they inspected Mr. Fred Busch’s extensive vegetable forcing greenhouse in Richfield, where they saw large quantities of nice vegetables growing during the winter. Both Mr. Mendenhall and Mr. Busch are always ready to show the boys through their greenhouses and to answer any questions that are asked them. These excursions are of great benefit to the class in illustrating the practical working of the various subjects upon which they are engaged in the class room. PLUMS A SOURCE OF PROFIT. DEWAIN COOK, WINDOM. We are satisfied that there is no place in Minnesota where the European, or whatiscommonly called the tame plum, can be profitably grown, and, even if they could be grown here, we have no use for them, as we have a better fruit in our best selected natives. Jn that section of country which lies between Lake Michigan and the Missouri river, the finest varieties are found growing wild most everywhere, and I believe that all the hardy natives now prominently before the public originated in this same territory—-and we of Minnesota are living in the cen- ter of the best native plum region upon earth. Three-of the best eating plums known, the Rollingstone, Mankato and Ocheeda, originated within our borders. With the common wild plum so plentiful, probably not in one town in twenty in our state could a bushel of any of our standard varieties be ob- tained in their season. Ihave been unable to even supply the local demand at $2.00 per bushel. That price or more could no doubt be obtained anywhere in our state. What an opening! No winter killing, no blight and a ready market at good prices! But we have the plum gouger and the curculio with us always, and for profit we should plant mostly of the thick skinned varieties, like the Wolf and the Mankato, as they seem to be stung less and recover more rapidly than the thin skinned varieties, like the Cheney and the Rockford. The Desota on account of its early and sure fruiting and good quality should, of course, be one of the varieties most largely grown. The Rollingstone is one of the best sellers whenever its qualities become known. The Hawkeye and Stoddard should no doubt be included in the list of plums to plant for profit. For home use, it is,of course, profitable to plant even as few as one or two trees, but as the market is practically unlimited, the greater the number of trees cared for the greater the profit. i 333 ORCHIDS IN A MINNESOTA GREENHOUSE. (~ o7™~ ee. Nae ee ORCHIDS IN BLOOM IN THE MENDENHALL GREENHOUSES. cei Miia te et ee 334 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. THE LAWN. Nothing contributes more to the beauty of a place than a well kept lawn, and every person who aims to make home attractive should give this matter considerable attention. A perfect lawn, such as one may see on Euclid Avenue, in Cleveland, is ob- tained at heavy expense, but, fortunately for us, a very good sub- stitute is within the reach of nearly every one. Here, in northern Ohio, grass seems to be nature’s covering for the soil. Any place left to itself will come into grass or white clover, but it is not best to depend solely on nature. It is better to prepare the soil and sow the seed. [If the plot to be seeded is a small one so that it can not be plowed, it should be spaded deeply, and the good soil turned under. Great care will be required to getthe surface even. Any parts that are too high must be lowered, and thesurplus earth carried to the points where itis most needed. In filling up low places the soil should be tramped thoroughly so that when all is settled it may still present an even surface. After the grading is completed, the surface should be enriched with whatever fertilizer is most convenient. There is nothing better than old, rotted manure. Bonedust and wood ashes will answer. After the ground is graded and enriched—and there is no better time for this than early spring—a lawn may be had at once by sodding, but this is expensive. A very reliable method, and yet not a costly one, is to get a quantity of sod and cut it into pieces about three inches square and place them a foot apart all over the surface, and press them into the ground. They will commence to grow at once and soon run togeth- er if the ground be moist enough. The common way is to sow grass seed quite thickly, rake it in and then roll the surface. If this be donein the early spring, it is usually a success. Later in the season when the weather is dry and hot, the conditions are less favorable. At such a time it is a good plan to cover the surface lightly with straw to shade the ground until the seed is coming up. For this climate there is nothing better than Kentucky blue grass. Redtop is nearly as good. The mixtures sold under the names of lawn grass are probably all good, but often too costly. The writer has made many a good lawn by simply using the seed found under the hay in the barn. The important thing is to use enough. While a thorough preparation of the soil is indispensable where the best results are desired, any piece of ground, whether rich or poor, may be seeded down and made beautiful. Mr. T. B. Terry, the well known writer and lecturer, has the road in front of his place carefully graded and seeded from fence to fence, except the wagon track. This grass is kept clipped with the lawn mower, giving the road the appearance of a drive through a well kept park. Prof. Lazenby says that the lawn is to any place what the carpet is to a furnished room—indispensable. Prof. Bailey calls it the ground work upon which you can put trees, shrubbery and flower beds and make such a picture as you see fit. Whatever the situation or surroundings may be, certainly no place in the country can be at its best without grass. This is a direction in which nearly every place may be improved with but little labor or expense. — ORCHARDS OF FARMINGTON. 335 ORCHARDS OF FARMINGTON. A. W. LATHAM, SECY. On the 23d of July, I had the pleasure of visiting at the homes of some of our members at Farmington, situated twenty-five miles south of St. Paul. [had at anumber of times been through that sec- tion on the railroad and noticed that it was quite level there and wondered that there should be any good orchards in that vicinity. The society has several very earnest members there, among whom the names of Ditus Day, so many years our treasurer, L. E. Day, his brother, W. L. Parker and D.F. Akin, are all familiar. Mr. Parker met us at the depot, and a ride of three miles south of the village over a gently rolling country brought us by a short turn in the road to hiscosy home. Turning to drive into his yard, a glance at the east revealed the secret of the success of his location for an orchard. Mr. Parker's place stands at the very summit ofa long, gentle in- cline, which at a distance of several miles must fall away the better part of a hundred feet, and beyond that the horizon is skirted with hills which merge further on into the bluffs along the Mis- sissippi river. On the south, ata distance of fifty or sixty rods, is an excellent windbreak of second-growth timber, and also on the north and west at a little less distance. It is open to the east, allow- ing necessary air drainage, and has protection in just the right measure and way on the other three sides. Mr. Parker hasa large number of varieties of apples, many of which, however, have been planted within the last three or four years. But his older trees of Duchess and Tetofsky and some of the hybrids, perhaps twenty years old, are very healthy and reasonably vigorous, and carry at present avery large crop of fruit. Itis prob- able that the character of the soil and the presence of water within reach of the roots has much to do with Mr. Parker’s success in apple growing. Toa depth of twenty to twenty-two inches the soil is a rich loam, containing very little, if any, sand, yet light and fria- ble and not very sticky even when wet. Below that depth is found light yellow clay containing plenty oflime. With similar conditions and with such an object lesson before them, it is a wonder that others in that vicinity do not follow Mr. Parker’s example and plant large orchards. In looking over his garden, besides a variety of beautiful flowers in which both he and his wife delight, I saw many kinds of small fruits. I noted the Older raspberry, which is a black- cap fairly well known, that does well with him without winter pro- tection, bearing, he says, every year a fine crop of berries without failure, while other varieties have winter-killed except where covered. At the home of Mr. Henry Trout, a mile east of Mr. Parker’s place, we founda very nice orchard and garden of perhaps a hundred trees, showing signs of perfect health and bearing heavily. Quitea number of his trees have been set twenty or more years. At the home of Mr. Ditus Day, half a mile south of Mr. Trout’s place, we found scattered along the north and west sides of an en- closure of deciduous trees an orchard containing some sixty or seven- ty varieties. Many of these trees were some years older than Mr. 336 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Parker’s, and most of them were well loaded with fruit. The situa- tion is not quite so favorable as the others noted, being on some- what lower ground, but still as compared with land east of it it would not be considered low. The soil there, I judge, is exceedingly favorable to fruit trees, as these trees were doing well, even standing well up to the south and east sides of a windbreak, which would not be considered a very favorable situation. Mr. Day thinks very much of the Malinda apple, which keeps well with him until spring, and the trees appear to be about as hardy as the Duchess and carry a good crop of fruit. Some of his Malinda are amongst the oldest of his trees. He intends to top-work some of the crab seedlings on his place with that variety. The opinion that more non-blighting crabs should be planted in our commercial orchards was empha- sized here by a statement which Mr. Day madein regard to two trees of the Montreal Wax, nearly a quarter of a century old, and proba- bly twenty feet high and wide. They have borne him an aver- age of ten bushels apiece every other year, which sold for a dollar a bushel. JT found very little blight in any of these orchards. With some exceptions in the case of young trees, they were standing in the grass, though at Mr. Parker’s orchard they were fairly well mulched. The difficulty of cultivating the ground with these low branching trees when they reach much size is apt to bring about this state of things. At Mr. Day’s we found a part of the orchard occupied by the hogs, and there under the trees the ground was well loosened up and free from grass. He commended this practice, which seemed wise. None of these places would be called exceptionably good for or- chard growing, but fairly so, and with suitable attention to wind- breaks, a rolling country with clay subsoil and water reasonably near the surface, it would seem thatthere might be an unlimited number of such orchards scattered throughout the southern half of our state. COOKING AND PANTRY STORES. MRS. H. R, REEVE, LAKE CITY. It is said that a woman with a moderately even temper and a talent for cooking can contribute more toward the health and hap- piness of her family than by the possession of any other one talent. It seems perfectly proper to speak of cooking as a talent, for in my estimation one must possess talent to succeed in that line as well asin any other. One of the greatest essentials is to be a good bread maker. Opinions may differ as to what constitutes good bread, but all will allow that to be good it must be light and sweet, that is, free from any acid tastes, flakey and as white as the grade of flour will allow. To obtain this end three things are indespensi- ble, good yeast, good flour and watchful care. Flour should never be used without sifting and should be kept ina cool, pure atmos- phere, as it absorbs flavor and dampness. Bakers say that freshly ground flour will not make good bread. Spring wheat flour is best for bread, cake and biscuit and winter wheat flour for pie crust. Too much can not be said in favor of the coarse flours, such as graham and corn meal, and of the cereals for breakfast food. COOKING AND PANTRY STORES. 337 An idea which is constantly receiving favor is that of using fruit more and pastry less; it is so much more healthy and also a great saving of time and labor for the housekeeper. Let those who have not tried it begin at once, and they will not regret the change. In canning fruit much of the natural flavor, color and form can be retained by adding the sugar before the fruit. A very good rule is one quart of sugar to one pint of water; let boil a few minutes, skim and add the fruit. Peaches are much finer flavored left whole. In canning tomatoes, let them cook well, nottrying to keep them whole, and turn into hot glass jars and seal. All canned goods keep better in a dark place, but jellies keep better in a light cool place and are not so apt to mold, even if kept in the cellar, if the cover is not put on for a few days afterit is made. Every housekeeper will find it convenient to havea little dried parsley and celery to use through the winter in soups, escaloped dishes, also gravies of all kinds. If one cares to take the trouble, itis very handy to havea little box of parsley growing in the window all winter, and it can be cut off and used as necessary. Tomatoes seem to be much more acid the past few years. Per- haps some have had trouble with their cream of tomato soup curd- ling. If they will try using less tomato and more milk, think they will find it more satisfactory. It is very often convenient to have a few cans of vegetables, salmon and meats of different kinds, to be used in cases of emer- gency. Plum pudding will keepa long time and is very handy to have when one hasn’t time to prepare other dessert. | Salads are being used more and more, especially the vegetable salads. Almost any kind of green vegetable sliced and mixed with celery and served on crisp lettuce leaves, or, if preferred, the leaves shredded and mixed with other ingredients and a dressing (a receipt for which will be given below), makes a pretty as well as ; palatable addition to the dinner or supper table and is easily pre- : pared if one only gets into the way of doing it. , Tomatoes may be peeled and the top scooped out and filled with | chopped celery,and a spoonful of salad dressing poured over the top. Much is added to the looks if each tomato is placed on a ) lettuce leaf. BOILED SALAD DRESSING. One cup of cream or milk in double boiler; while that is heating, beat the yolks of three eggs and add two tablespoons sugar, one teaspoon dry mustard, two teaspoons salt, one-fourth teaspoon | cayenne, two tablespoons butter if milk is used. Mix and add to | milk when it boils, stir till it is quite thick, add one-half cup hot vinegar just before taking from the fire; strain. This should be . quite thick. It keeps some time ina cool place and is greatly im- proved by adding a cup of whipped cream when served. PLUM PUDDING. One pound raisins, one pound currants, one pound sugar, one- half pound flour, one-half pound bread crumbs, one-half pound chopped suet, one-fourth pound citron, five eggs well beaten, one- half cup milk. Spice to taste and add one teaspoon soda. 338 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. THE PEARL GOOSEBERRY. The Pearlisa gooseberry grown from seed of the Houghton,crossed with the Ashton Seedling, by Prof. William Saunders, and worthy of specia] notice because, first, of its good quality; second, its size; third, its productiveness; fourth, its freedom from mildew. r The Pearl Gooseberry. Now, with reference to these points, I will state, the result of my observations. The quality was good,very much like the Downing in this respect, as well as in color marking: but in size it averaged nearly double that berry, and thatin spite of the prodigous crop a A SUCCESSFUL IRRIGATION PLAN, 339 under which the bushes were laden. There was a row of some sixty-five bushes one year planted, and most of them were literally bent to the ground with heaps of fruit. The average was eight berries per inch of wood, and on one bush we estimated there must have been 2,500 berries. We have had great loads upon the Smith, the Downing and others, on our own grounds, but we have not seen the quantity of fruit upon the bushes of any variety to equal that upon these bushes of the Pearl. Should this productiveness prove con- stant, the berry will be of great value for the market. With regard to the mildew, all we can say is what we saw, viz.: it was entirely free from it. One bush stood next a Whitesmith, and, while the berries of that kind were covered with mildew and utterly worthless, no trace of the fungus could be found upon the Pearl. Silas Wilson, of Atlantic, Iowa, a well known authority on horti- culture in his state, says: “The Pearl gooseberry is a great sight. There could be no more berries on the stem without crowding off the leaves. It is wonder- fully productive, and I am pleased to find the quality so good. The best gooseberry Lever saw; nearly sweet. There is no question about its future.” T. T. Lyon, of the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, South Haven, Michigan, in a letter to the originator, says: “T have been testing the Pearl gooseberry here for several years; in my forthcoming report (now ready for the press) I grade it for vigor and productiveness ten and for quality nine, upon the scale of one toten.’—Canadian Horticulturist. A SUCCESSFUL IRRIGATION PLANT. THOMAS H. FORD. I have constructed an irrigation plant that is pronounced first- class. A creek runs through my land. From this I dug a trench into the bank thirty feet long on a level with the bottom of the creek, and at the end of the trench placed my pump. The water is lifted seven or eight feet. The pump is operated by means of a nine-horse-power gasoline engine, and has a capacity of 150,000 gal- lons per hour. The cost of running the engine is 10 cents per day, to which is added $1 or $1.25 for the man who looks after the engine and distribution of the water. Eight to ten acres can be watered at a cost of $2 to $2.25. Last year I applied the water three times, ata total cost of 80cents per acre. My soil is a dark sandy loam, slop- ing to the southeast, and is nearly all in aJfalfa. I watered 100 acres with one pump. The pump cost $125 and the engine $600, a total of $725. This has been used two years without acent of expense except for oil and gasoline, and I think the plant is as good as the day I started it. I have another irrigating plant of the same kind, except that the water is lifted fourteen feet, and the power is furnished by a fourteen-horse-power traction engine. The cost, however, is almost double, as coal costs $5 a ton, the engineer must have 33a day, and only 90,000 to 100,000 gallons can be raised per hour. This plant will only irrigate five to six acres daily.—O. J. Farmer. 340 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. SEEDLING FRUITS, 1895. J. S. HARRIS, LA CRESCENT. I {had hoped that this year (1895) would have been favorable for apples, so that I might have been warranted in making a survey throughout the state in search of new seedlings and to take farther observation such as have been heretofore noted; but learning that the fruit crop only escaped great injury from the May frosts and other causes in localities of limited extent and that many of the most promising seedlings were either not bearing or bearing very little fruit, the project was given up fora later date, and only a few trees have been personally inspected, located in Houston and Wi- nona counties, confining our work chiefly to specimens that might be sent by mail or express or found at the state and other fairs. At John Carson’s, Dakota, Winona county, I found a few seedling trees. One of them I designate as Carson’s No. 1. The tree is about sixteen years old and looks to be entirely hardy. It is a free bearer of large fruit of good appearance; quality similar to the Oldenburg, but the season about a month later. Another, Carson’s No. 2,isa better keeper and better fruit, but the tree stands in sod, leans strongly to the north-north-east and has been considerably injured by sun-scald. In Houston county, Jacob Klein’s seedlings, Catharine and others, were not fruiting, but all survived last winter without injury and are looking well. The T. Johnson’s seedlings, in the town of Sheldon, were all bear- ing to their utmost capacity. I have strong hopes that three of them will yet prove valuable additions to our pomology. The T. Johnson’s No.6 originated from seed brought from Norway. The tree is now thirty-one years old,and I am informed that the owner gathered and sold from it this season twenty-eight bushels of fruit besides some that was used by his family. The tree of No. 4 is about eighteen years old, and I should estimate the season’s crop at six- teen bushels; quality good—Prof. Van Deman writes, better than any Russian he has seen; season, November or later. No.3, sweet apple much like Talmon, as gooda keeper, and the tree appears to be better. I found some other seedlings or unknown varieties in the same neighborhood that appear to be worthy of looking after. These trees are in a Norwegian settlement, where the original orchards were chiefly planted with seedlings. At the La Crosse Inter-State Fair and at the Houston County Fair, nothing new was shown that Ihave not previously reported to you. At our Minnesota State Fair, there were a number of fine exhibits of seedlings, comprising fully one hundred varieties of Minnesota origin, and as a consider- able number of them came from seed of the most hardy varieties produced at home, there can hardly be a doubt that some of them will become standards in our pomology. One of the largest and best collections in competition was shown by George Miller, of Rice county; they were produced on the same farm where the Peerless was originated, and some of them were said to be seedlings of the Peerless. We did rot succeed in taking full notes of them, The ¥ SEEDLING FRUITS, 1895. 3841 Miller's Greening, Prolific and Pippin were among the best of them. O. M. Lord, of Winona county, showed a choice lot of seedlings, and the Holt’s Peach received the highest award as the best autumn apple. Other exhibitors of seedlings were the Jewell Nursery Company, of Lake City; Harris, of La Crescent; Day and Parker, of Farmington; Howard, of Hammond; Pearce, of Chowan, and some others. The highest award for winter seedling was given to a variety shown by Mr. Pearce. We failed to secure a specimen of it to make a description from. Some very fine seedlings of Siberian hybrids were shown. Among them Lyman’s Prolific is worthy of looking after, on account of hardiness, size and productiveness. One of the most interesting and instructive collections shown at the fair was by Otto Wasserzicher, Bay Lake, Crow Wing county, placed with the Aitkin county exhibit. It shows, first, the pos- sibilities of our seedlings with Siberian crosses, and, second, the probability of developing an apple producing region much farther north than heretofore anticipated. Unfortunately, they were not placed inthe competitive exhibits and were not generally observed as they ought to have been. Four of the seedlings were of a size and appearance to make them valuable for market and of a quality superior to many varieties that now find a place in our markets, viz: Red Cloud, Bay Lake Sweet, Blush seedling and Prolific seed- ing. (For description see report on ‘‘Nomenclature and Catalogue.”) Some seedlings originated by the venerable pioneer of seedlings, Peter M. Gideon, and grown at the same place, should have more notice than heretofore given them. At the Wisconsin State Fair there was a remarkable fine collection of Oldenberg seedlings, seven varieties, produced by Joseph Zettel, of Sturgeon Bay, Wis. So fine and valuable a collection from that one variety has never before been produced by one man, The pros- pect for raising an abundance of the finest apples here in the cold North is growing brighter, and seedlings of the Russians and crosses with our best and hardiest American varieties are destined in the very near future to furnish us the best list of apples known to the world. A HYBRID SAND CHERRY. In the September last number of this magazine, page 341, allusion is made to fruit of a hybrid sand cherry received from H. Knudson, Springfield, Minn. I have since had it under investigation and have examined the root, wood, leaves and buds and am fully convinced that it is a true hybrid between the native sand cherry of the North and the family of plums generally known as the Chickasaw. The history of its origin is as follows: Inthe spring of 1891, Mr. Knud_ son artifically pollenized the blossom of a sand cherry bush which I had procured from near Bismarck, N. D.,and sent to him, using pollen from both the Danish morello cherry and the Miner plum, with the hope of getting a cross with one or the otherof these fruits. The fruit, leaf and wood of this offspring go to show that it was the pollen of the Miner plum that was potent, and the roots, buds and season of ripening of the fruit show very plainly that the mother parent was unmistakably the sand cherry. The seed was planted 342 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. on Aug. 7, 1891, came up in the spring of 1892, and that season grew to the height of eight or nine inches. The tree bore fruit in the third year, 1894, blooming and ripening fruit just three years after the cross was made and the seed planted. It has bornea full crop again in 1895. Judging from the samples tested, the quality of the fruit is very good and of fine appearance. Ripening as it does be- tween the cherry season and that of our best native plums, it will be pretty sure to find favor both for home use and market, and be- ing to the manor born, it is likely to be adapted to our climate. But a greater importance that I attach to it is that it is a new departure that shows great possibilities for the improvement of the sand cherry and will stimulate experiments in crossing it with the larg- est and best native plums, and eventually give us even better hybrids than this and as large as the Japanese plum. THE LOUDON RASPBERRY.—A brief account of our visit to the or- iginal plantations of this now extensively advertised new fruit at Mr. Loudon’s place, Janesville, Wis., was given on page 266 of the magazine for August under the head of “Notes from the Seedling Fruit Committee.” We continue of the opinion that it will prove to. be the best red raspberry ever up to this time originated, and it should as soon as possible be tested in every part of our state. The Columbian raspberry is also greatly praised by all who have had an opportunity to try it, but we have not seen enough of it to speak advisably at this time. DISCUSSION. Mr. Harris: I saw the Loudon raspberry before it was ripe, and the bushes were loaded; they were loaded beyond any- thing lever saw. I like the growthof the bushes, and from the appearance of the plant it must be hardy, and it is per- fectly free from any disease whatever. It is more productive than any other red raspberry that has ever been brought be- fore the public. Pres. Underwood: Are there any questions to ask on this paper? Mr. Brackett: Has Prof. Green tried them at the experi- ment station? Prof. Green: We never fruited it. It seems to me it isa little early to endorse it quite so heavily as Mr. Harris does. I should like to see it disseminated through a wider range. Mr. Harris: I saw it at Sparta and at Janesville and compar- ed it with the Cuthbert, and it was so far ahead of them that a. man would get excited. It excels everything in the way of raspberries I ever saw. In quality it surpasses everything. Mr. ©. W. Sampson brought a peck of them home and I brought a peck home, and we carried them around in our travels and showed. them off a good deal, and they kept four SEEDLING FRUITS, 1895. 343 or five days without spoiling, without losing their flavor or color; and I understand they have been shipped one thousand miles and back to test their shipping qualities, and they came back all right. While the berry is juicy, there is something about it that holds it up good. I suppose Mr. Philips could tell you more about it than I can. Mr. A. J. Philips: As secretary of the society in our state, after Mr. Green began to advertise the Loudon raspberry, I received a great many letters asking questions in regard to it. I did not know any way in which I could truthfully answer them except by making a personal investigation. I spent two days there, and we gave it a very thorough ex- amination on Mr. Loudon’s grounds, so as to answer questions understandingly, and I came to this conclusion—I as wellas Prof. Goff—that if it proved as good in every respect and in every locality as it did on Mr. Loudon’s grounds it was a very valuable acquisition to our list of good red raspberries. I picked on Thursday afternoon a half bushel, and I carried them from Janesville to F't. Atkinson, and we had them on the table for dinner, and the next day I went to Madison and from there to Sparta; I wanted them thoroughly tested; I wanted some good people’s opinionas to the quality. I reached home on Sunday evening, and on Monday my wife put up the bal- ance and scolded me for giving away so many, because she wanted tocan them. Those berries kept from Thursday un- til Monday. Last season Mr. Loudon was anxious we should investigate again, and as I was satisfied the question would come here, I advised Mr. Loudon to have Mr. Harris came down. I knew the people would have more confidence in Mr. Harris than in me, so Mr. Sampson and he came down. Mr. Sampson thought it was a long way to go, but we said we would pay part of the expense. He went down and looked down the row a little ways and said no one had anything to pay, he was paid al- ready. Mr. Loudon does not wish to put the berry out unless it is worth something. I think Prof. Green’s objection is well taken. I think we accept too many new things without first thoroughly testing them. I set last spring fifty of the Loudon, and I fruited some the first season. I picked some of the fruit and carried it to La Crosse to the fair. The berries have been grown for four or five years at Mr. Loudon’s, and the plants are healthy. As secretary of our society, I recommended to our people to plant a few of the Loudon and a few of the Columbian, 344 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. the berry that Mr. Coe represents. I said if they did not plant them and they proved to be good they would be wishing they had planted some, and if they did plant them and they are worthless they would be glad they had no moreof them. At present I think it would pay to plant a few of these berries. I would not recommend any one to plant a large amount. Mr. Coe is a better judge of small fruits than I am, and he was there and examined them. ‘ Mr. Brackett; What can they be bought for? Mr. Philips: About forty or fifty cents apiece; cheaper to the trade, of course. Mr. Brackett: Can they be bought any cheaper than last year? Mr. Philips: Well, no, I think not. A number of men say they will wait before buying until they get cheaper. My boys said to me last fall, ‘‘don’t you sell them or give them away.” I have not given them away, and I have no plants to sell. All those men that got hold of them are going to grow them. Mr. Harris: They do not increase nearly as fast as the Cuth- bert, and I know it is an outrageous price to ask. I said it ought to be tried here, because if it is as good a thing as it looked at Mr. Loudon’s, the sooner we get it as a market fruit and a home fruit the better. Mr. Wedge: I would like to hear from Mr. Coe in regard to the Columbian. : Mr. Coe: I want to say just a word about the Loudon first. I was at Janesville at the time that committee met there, and as Mr Harris and Mr. Philips told you, it was asight. The whole plantation of Mr. Loudon had been dug and dug for plants, and had had no cultivation whatever, but I found the Loudon was fruiting abundantly, good large berries, almost as large us two of any other kind. I considered that a better test than if the plantation had been in a high state of cultivation. A word about the Columbian. Two yearsago I was in New York on the Columbian grounds in the height of the bearing season. ( My people live there. I took the pains to go there and inves- ‘ tigate, expecting, of course, to see a large berry, a strong grower and a wonderful yielder, but any idea I had previously entertained was entirely thrown in the shade. The original plant stood in the man’s garden—this was in July, and no one was allowed to pick any fruit—and when he picked the berries that year he picked twenty-eight quarts from one hill. By his house he had the first patch he propagated from his original SEEDLING FRUITS, 1895. 345 bush, which was then about one-third of an acre; they were three years old and stood, without summer pruning, ten feet high. The canes were an inch in diameter. It is different from the Loudon in this point: It is supposed to be propagated from tips instead of sprouts. It certainly is a wonderful berry in my estimation; at any rate I was so well pleased with it I secured plants enough to grow an acre. Mr. Brackett: You have an acre of plants? Mr. Coe: Yes sir. Mr. Wedge: What is the color of the Columbian? Mr. Coe: Like the Shaffer’s Colossal. Pres. Underwood: How does it compare with Shaffer’s Colossal ? Mr. Coe: Most people, I think, would pronounce it better than the Shaffer, not too tart. Mr. Wedge: Is ita good shipper? Mr. Coe: It never crumbles or falls to pieces when you pick it. Mr. Sampson: Does it require winter protection ? Mr. Coe: It has not been tested in the West. I have never covered mine. Mr. Brackett: What is the price, if that is a fair question? Mr. Coe: Ido not know that it is a fair question. Well, the price is 50 cents apiece, or $25 per hundred. Mr. Harris: Ido not know anything about this new rasp- berry. Isaw the fruit on Mr. Coe'’s place. The fruit is good; his description is correct. A little lighter and brighter color than the Shaffer. Wherever I saw the plants they were vig- orous and healthy, but after they get one year more of age I can tell better than I can tell now. I have two plants left, and I will know what the winter will do. Prof. Green: Ifruited the Columbian last year and this year again. I never fruited the Loudon. The Columbian is very much after the style of the Shaffer’s Colossal, very much re- sembles it in cane, berry and leaf. It roots easier than the Shaffer's Colossal and is much easier to propagate. I think the fruit is considerably better. It grew so fast it puzzled me how to cover it. A Voice: Could you distinguish the fruit from the Shaffer's Colossal by tasting? Prof. Green: Yes, I think I could. Mr. Philips (Wisconsin): I will say that Mr. Harris was much interested in those seedling apples exhibited from Door Sh ae ee 346 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. county. There was one there that he pronounced the best apple at the Wisconsin state fair, and the appearance of the apple was such that I made up my mind before winter setin I would visit those trees, and I did two weeks ago. I told Mr. Zettel— he has a large orchard, the largest collection of seedlings I ever saw together—I told him he could grow things we could not grow in our part of the country and in Minnesota. The scions I got there I wanted to be tested in our country and in Minnesota. I think he is a very conscientious man. He said, ‘‘I don’t want you to take those; I have not fruited them long enough so I can recommend them.” I told him, ‘‘The Duchess has fruited with me without injury for twenty-five years. I will take the Duchess for comparison. I do not want a scion unless you know it to be as hardy as the Duchess.’ What we will get out of them for the Northwest I do not know. I have got one variety that Mr. Zettel calls his own, and I notice he is propagating that, he is raising young trees from that variety. I have some of those apples in my satchel. I think the quality is very good. I think we are go- ing to get something there that is valuable; still I would act on the same basis that Professor Green does. We have to try them very thoroughly. Mr. Harris said last summer he was looking for the coming apple, and he believed the time was coming when he would get it, and I believe I am on the track of it. There is a man in Wisconsin who has an orchard of Duchess that have been fruiting for twenty-five years. He told me aman in Maine had a seedling that was better than anything we hadhere. I will give you the description he gave me. It is almost Harris’ ideal apple. After he gave me this description, I offered to exchange for anything we had in the West. He said he would not exchange again. He says it is an apple the tree of which is hardier than the Duchess, the quality is better than the Wealthy, it will keep two months longer than the Wealthy, and if that does not come pretty close to Harris’ idea, I don’t know what will. He said he would send me a dozen scions for a dollar, and he sent me one of the apples. I wrote him to send me apples to bring to this meeting, and my wifesays it is ‘ta, fool and his money soon parted.” Mr. Harris: Now, many of youthink I am a little crazy on seedling apples, as Mr. Lord is plum crazy, but the sooner we get anything on record the better; that is the reason I mentioned those new seedlings that are good for something. an Dainese Par Pee Pe ~ Maen ee SEEDLING FRUITS, 1895. 347 In another report I shall give you a description of six of those varieties, and the trees are hardier than the Duchess; we have Mr. Zettel’s word for that. Pres. Underwood: I would like to emphasize this thought to members of our society, that there is not a year but that there is some new seedling apple comes to our notice, and just as an illustration I will mention that one of our men found a seedling growing perhaps twelve to fifteen miles from our place, in Wisconsin, back on the prairie in an exposed location, and it was obtained in this way: A Norwegian family bought a half bushel of apples about fifteen years ago. The wife saved some seeds and planted them and from that planting has raised a number of seedling trees, and there are some of the apples I think are very promising. The old lady would not allow anything to be cut from the tree. They ought to cut off some of the limbs, and I think the trees would do better. She had allowed them to go without any trimming. One day some tree agents came along and persuaced her that the tree should be trimmed, but it did not prove to do well. They trimmed two or three limbs off and injured the tree, and after that they would not allow anything to be cut off the tree. There were two trees that had fruit last summer, and they were nice apples, and one of them gave indications of being quite a keeper. She said they sold seven or eight dollars worth of apples and had all they wanted themselves. I just think this: if every one would go to work and _ save apple seeds from our hardiest kinds of apples and plant them, we would develop a most wonderful crop of seedlings in afew years. Save your apple seeds this winter and plant them in the spring and get them started; then you can take the wood and top-work it, and you can find out what the fruit is. If we could get enough people at it, in five or six years we would have all the apples we wanted. We would have wonderfully interesting results. At our table every day or evening a few seeds are saved when we eat a good apple, and we have a lot of seedlings saved in that way. Mr. Philips: When Uncle Zettel took me to see the trees, we were eating apples, and I noticed the old man, when we came under that particular tree from which we were eating the apples, he would take out the seeds and stick them into the ground. I said, *‘You do not expect to live the winter through, what do you want to plant those seeds for?” ‘‘O, to do some- body some good.” If we would all do that same thing, we should have some apples. Z\ugust (Calendar, > J. S. HARRIS, LA CRESCENT. The man who would succeed in any kind of business does not de- pend upon chance or luck but looks after the business in all of its de- tails. The orchard and fruit garden should be looked after, if not daily, at least once or twice a week. See that fences are kept in per- fect repair. A loose staple may admit a drove of stock that in a single hour will trample, break down and destroy the labor and care of months. Early varieties of apples should be gathered clean as soon as ripe, and the surplus disposed of, and inferior specimens should not be left upon the ground to rot and breed insects, but be picked up and fed to stock or otherwise disposed of. By doing this promptly, the apple worm crop of the late varieties and of next year may be greatly diminished. Bands of carpet, bagging, or other fabric fast- ened around the trunks of the trees with a single long tack will catch many apple worms. Examine them weekly and kill all that are found. Trees will frequently be broken by accident or careless pickers. Saw off injured limbs close to another branch or the trunk of the tree and cover with grafting wax, shellac or paint. In some sections the oak pruner (Stenocorns putator, of Peck), or some nearly allied insect, is doing considerable damage to the orchards. Its presence is detected by small branches lying under the trees as neatly severed as if cut with a saw. In splitting open the cut end of such branches, they will be found to be perforated several inches in the course of the pith, and a slender grub, the au- thor of the mischief, will be discovered therein. (Later we,will give a description and life history of the insect or engage Prof. Lugger to do so.) This grub remains in the branch over winter and is trans- formed into pupa and comes out next season a perfect insect and deposits eggs on other branches to perpetuate its species. All fal- len branches should be gathered up and burned to prevent the de- velopment of the beetles. If trees set last spring are suffering from drouth, either keep the surface loose by frequent hoeing or mulch them or both. If the growth is feeble or the leaves wilt on hot, dry days, the trunks should be shaded or wrapped with burlap or paper to prevent sun-scald. Young trees may have their shape controlled by pinching in shoots that grow too rampant, thus diverting the sap to weaker branches. Water shoots, or sap sprouts, should be removed while yet soft, and this month is the best of all for doing it. It is a good time to make clearings of wood lands for a future or- chards, either by grubbing or cutting the trees close to the ground, on account of the lessened liability to sprout again. il x at FRUIT BLOSSOMS. 349 BERRIES.—Keep the new beds free from weeds. The hotter and dryer the weather, the faster the purslane will grow. Keep it hoed out of the rows,and rake into piles between the rows or carry it offand feed to the pigs. When the rows are sufficiently filled with plants, itis well to keep the runners clipped to prevent the formation of a surplus of weak and inferior plants. When the raspberriesand blackberries are done bearing, cut away canes that have borne fruit and then cut the suckers of red raspber- ries and blackberries to a sufficient number for next year’s fruiting and give them a chance to get well matured by the end of the sea- son. They should be kept clean from grass and weeds, so that hoe- ing and cultivating may not be necessary after the middle of this month. No more pinching back of canes of grapes or berry plants should be done after the first of this month. With the berries there is danger of next year’s fruiting buds being forced into growth and the wood failing to ripen up ready for winter, and with grapes it retards ripening somewhat, besides weakening the vines and invit- ing mildew and rot. FRUIT BLOSSOMS. R, S. MACKINTOSH, ST. ANTHONY PARK. The following is a short report on the blooming of some of the fruits noted this spring (1896). The dates are from the experiment station and consequently may differ from other localities. The Cheney plum first opened May 2, followed by the standard varieties the 4th inst. The Strawberry crab and Duchess apple opened the 4th, followed by the Wealthy and others the 6th inst. The weather up to the 11th was very favorable for the insects to carry pollen. Onthe llth and 12th, there were showers with con- siderable wind, which washed off nearly all the petals. In some sections south of here, the plums were in bloom before the above and suffered considerably by being open when the weather was wet and windy. The currants blossomed full, but for some reason did not set much fruit. From several places I have been told the conditions were as above. At the university farm the first bloom was seen on the strawber- ries May 27th, somewhat later than in many other places. The weather, most of the time was favorable for pollenation, but those that blossomed earlier did not have as favorable weather. Raspberries and blackberries opened the last of May and were fullof bloom. The fruit has set very well. INTERNATIONAL HORTICULTURAL EXPOSITION.—It is proposed to hold an international horticultural exhibition in Hamburg, Ger- many,in1897. Everything pertaining to horticultural and botanical culture is to be presented at this eXhibition, which will remain open all summer. ea is ee +" _ Seeretary’s (Corner. —) A WELL EARNED VACATION.—Prof. S. B. Green has gone to New England to enjoy his summer vacation. DESTROYING THE LEAF HOPPER.—W. C. Strong, in his “Fruit Cul- ture,” says that “Carrying lighted torches through the vineyard will attract and burn the mature winged hopper.” At an earlier stage “Syringing with tobacco water, hellebore, etc., is serviceable.” COLD STORAGE FOR THE STATE FAIR.—This will remind you again of the free cold storage provided in Minneapolis for fruit intended for exhibition at the state fair. Tags, etc., for this purpose can be had of Secretary Latham, and any information wanted on the sub- ject can be secured from the same source. HAVE YOU MADE YOUR STATE FAIR ENTRIES?—It is a great ad- vantage, both to you and the management, to decide early what you will exhibit and make the necessary entries. Show the best you have. Asarule, others do not grow better fruit than you. If you have no premium list, send to Secy. E. W. Randall, Hamline, Minn., for one and give it carefull study. SuB-DIVIDING THE FRUIT EXHIBIT.—The plan adopted at the last state fair of placing the different classes of fruit exhibits by them- selves worked so satisfactorily that it will be continued this year with, perhaps, some slight modifications; the professional exhibitors will occupy different tables from the amateurs, and all the single plate entries will be put by themselves; also seedling apples, plums, grapes, etc., in separate locations. SEEDLING FRUITS.—Samples of all new seedling fruits of value should be sent to the seedling fruit committee of this society, Mr. J.S. Harris, La Crescent, Minn., for examination, to be reported on later through the magazine. Fruit so sent should be allowed to ap- proach maturity on the tree and can be sent safely by mail by wrapping in cotton and putting in a strong pasteboard box. It should be accompanied by a description and history of the parent tree. THE LAW vs. NURSERY PRopuUCTS.—The American Association of Nurserymen at its late meeting in Chicago, June 10-11, devoted con- siderable attention to this subject and finally adopted the following: “Resolved, That all laws enacted by states, discriminating against nursery products shipped into such state or states, are hereby con- demned by this association as unfair and unjust to interstate com- merce and in every way objectionable, and we ask the repeal of all such laws.” GIRDLING FOR EARLY PRODUCTIVENESS.—Mr. E. H. S. Dartt is continuing this year his experiments in this direction in his orchard with such satisfactory results that, as he writes, he expects to have many specimens at the state fair produced by this process. All our fruit growers are interested in these experiments, and we look for a report from Mr. Dartt covering his larger experience therein with a hope that it may suggest something of general practical benefit. | SECRETARY’S CORNER. 351 OUR APPLE CROP.—Judging from what is known of a few or- chards the yield this season is to be a large one, though the fruit is not, perhaps, up to maximum in size. Mr. Wm. Somerville was in the city on July 22 to dispose of 200 barrels, and the day after Mr. E. H. S. Dartt on a similar errand, though the estimated yield in his case is higher, probably 2,000 bushels. Mr, Ditus Day thinks he has 300 bushels and Mr. W. L. Parker has nearly the same, Others speak in a general way of a successful fruitage. SET UP YOUR OWN EXHIBIT AT THE FAIR.—While any fruit sent to the state fair, where the proper entries have been made, will be set up by the management as well as possible under the circum- stances, still no one can do this so well as the exhibitor, and except in the case of small exhibits it is not the part of discretion to depend upon it. There is a rush of work at that time and often lack of full understanding of the purposes of the exhibitor, which does not con- tribute to best results. By all means,come and set up your exhibit yourself, if at all practicable. “FRUIT CULTURE” BY W. C. STRONG, NEWTON, MASss.—This neat little handbook was first published in 1885 and revised in 1892. The writeris a nurseryman of long experience and evidently well fitted to furnish such a guide as this for the amateur in fruit growing, for whom it isevidently intended. It treats in a general way of the various kinds of fruit grown in the North and, while not especially adapted to this section, will be found a work worthy of careful per- usal. Itis a duodecimo of 225 pages, very handsomely printed in cloth by the Rural Publishing Co., New York. LOW PRICES FOR FRUIT.—Chas. W. Garfield, the noted Michigan horticulturist, in a personal letter from Grand Rapids, says, “Fine Wilson blackberries are retailing from our stores today for five cents a quart box, and the finest Cuthbert raspberries have sold as low as three and a half cents per quart by the case.” Verily the Minnesota berry grower with red raspberries at $1.50 per case of 24 pints and a fair crop in comparison, hath cause for thankfulness. Mr. Garfield speaks also of the “tremendous crop of apples, excep- tionally fine and free from blemishes.” HORTICULTURE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.—A committee from the Missouri State Horticultural Society,of which Mr. G. B. Lamm, of Sedalia, Mo., is chairman, has been working several years upon a plan for securing the information needed in preparing a school book for use in the public schools. It would seem a wise thing to furnish the youngsters at an early age such simple information on this subject as they can understand and remember, most of which can be done to the best advantage, at least in the country, by the aid of object lessons. A suitable handbook to assist in this process would be a great help. We are interested to know how our Mis- souri brothers prosper in their experiment and the details of it. FRUITS FOR THE WINTER MEETING.—Don't forget to save some of the best specimens for this purpose, now that arrangements have been made to store them here ina suitable cold storage to be kept till wanted without expense to the sender. B02 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Suitable premiums will be offered, so that no loss will be sustained by the exhibitor. We hope next winter to make a very full and in- teresting exhibit. Indeed enough have already signified their intention to assist to assure it; but it is hoped all the fruit growers in our society may save something of their best and bear a hand with us. Tagsto be used in sending fruit here for storage can be had by application to Secretary Latham, FRUIT EXHIBIT AT THE FAIR.—Enough is known of the probable show of fruit at the coming state fair, which opens Aug. 31st, to make it certain that it will be up to the average, but we naturally want it to be the very best ever made in our state, and, no doubt, the frit is here to doit. The regular exhibitors, who from experience appreciate the advantages of attendance at the fair, will undoubtedly be on hand, but it is very desirable that others who have not here- tofore attended should also come and reap these advantages, which come largely from the opportunity of intercourse with the exper- ienced pomologists who are there, supplemented by the object lesson of such an exhibit. Come, if possible, and you will be greatly the gainer. MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN.—Our library has been lately en- riched by the addition of a full file of the annual reports of this gar- den, in all seven volumes. They are valuable as works of art, but chiefly, of course, fromthe character of theircontents. This garden was originally founded by Henry Shaw in 1857, and maintained by him till his death in 1889, when it passed by devise under the manage- ment of a board of trustees. It is amply endowed*in land and means to continue its work of usefulness. The first annual report appeared in 1890. The founder is buried inthe garden of his plant- ing, and a splendid tomb stands above hisremains. He has planned well to perpetuate his name, and will be spoken of with feelings of gratitude for generations after the multi-millionaires of the present day who are devoting their possessions to personal gratification are absolutely forgotten. What a monument! THE BORDEAUX MIXTURE FOR POTATO BLIGHT.—Experiments at the Rhode Island Experiment Station in 1895 (see Bulletin 38) dem- onstrate the possibility of the prevention of this dreaded disease in the potato field. In a season when no other good potato field could be found in that section, at the station, by a judicous use of the mixture from July 6th, when the disease first appeared, seven applications in all, till late in August, a yield was secured of about 360 bushels to the acre,and the engraving published shows the tubers to have been large and well formed. No applications were made till the blight appeared on the vines, and from that on they were kept well covered with the mixture. Here is the formula used: Equal parts of quick lime and sulphate of copper, with four to eight gallons of water for each pound of the sulphate of copper. Both the quick lime and the sulphate of copper are dissolved sep- arately and passed through a fine strainer (forty meshes to the inch), and not mixed till the milk of lime is cold. A home made sprayer suitable for this purpose is described on page 238, June Horticulturist. pn A Mar Ler - (See Secretary’s Corner.) THE MINNESOTA HORTICULTURIST. VOL. 24. SEPTEMBER, 1806. NO. 9. THE LANDSCAPE GARDENER IN THE COUNTRY. F. H. NUTTER, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, MINNEAPOLIS. I once had the pleasure of attending a lecture by that eminent philosopher, “Josh Billings,’ the advertised subject of which was “Milk;” on being introduced he solemnly poured out a glass of milk from a pitcher on the stand and drank it. Those who remember the peculiarly connected manner in which this gentleman wrote and spoke will not be surprised to learn that that was the only re- ference made to the subject during the evening. If any of you have preconceived ideas as to my line of thought i this paper, you may perhaps experience a similar shock, for both our secretary and myself found it difficult to express briefly what | purposed to treat upon, so the topic as given in the program was placed there fully as much to fill the space as to convey informa- tion. The expression may also be unfortunate from the fact that to many minds the landscape gardener let loose in the country isa most dangerous personage, from whom nature shrinks aghast; and if so be that his ideal is to decorate the landscape with flashy color beds, groups of shrubbery rich in purple barberry and golden spirea, and puerile architectural adornments, there is much reason for such a sentiment. But it may be said with truth, on the other hand, that factors un- seen by the general observer may enter into the question, and work be rendered necessary for the protection of the public or of the landscape itself, which otherwise all concerned would much prefer to avoid, and which when new and until nature has time to do its gracious work of concealing and draping with shrubs, vines and humbler plants, must be painfully obtrusive. Be this as it may, my intention this evening is to present a con- tinuation or supplement to the paper I read at last winter’s meeting in which I referred particularly to the treatment of grounds im- mediately surrounding the dwelling house; in this paper I wish to make a broader application of the same principles. Our French friends have an expression which rendered into Eng- lish would be “The ornamented farm,” referring to those estates which have been developed along artistic lines, while at the same time the owners have not neglected the scientific and business side of their calling. So little attention has been paid to such matters in this 354 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY country that we have no word coined to fit the case, and, if so, I fear to the practical mind it would savor strongly of sentiment and therefore be frowned upon; so that few writers who have touched upon the subject have used the French phrase, partly, I suppose, on the principle thata nose that is slightly “retroussé” is much more artistic and unobjectionable than when described in plain English. Perhaps, the very use of this foreign expression has impressed some who might otherwise have profited by what was written that it was a subject which had very little to do with the American agriculturist. But I think thisis not quite so, and that many a farmer, studying his farm this winter, would find opportunities for improvements that, while comparatively inexpensive, would in the end be of finan- cial benefit and also render an annual income of beauty and hap- piness that he would never again willingly forego. Few farms do not contain areas which give scanty returns for cultivation, and from a business standpoint the owners should con- sider a change of methods; some hillside is being tilled until the rains have washed away most of the fertility, or some coul¢e is, with every storm eating farther into the arable land; these places need attention and by trees and shrubs from our native forest growth should be controlled and remedied. Some slough or bog lies waste or produces a scanty crop of wild hay, and the owner hopes for the time when he shall be able to drain and cultivate it. This may be the best thing to do, for I firmly believe in drainage, especially underdrainage; but I also believe as firmly, though Iam probably in the minority, that the present craze for draining lakes and sloughs which have hitherto served as reservoirs and sources of moisture, will, if persisted in, at last produce results much akin to and only less disastrous than arise from the reckless reduction of our forest area, and which can be but partially atoned for by the slight addition which may be made to our farm acreage- So let our friend stop and weigh the question carefully if it be not in the end more profitable to devote this extra labor and expense to the more thorough cultivation of the land now in hand, and let the swamp be made a little lake stocked with fish or a reservoir for irri- gation purposes, aud the slough become a tract of woodland from which the household supplies may be obtained, and if in time it should afford the boys a little sport in the way of fishing and trapping it will not lessen their love for home. If there is any place to which I look back with a twinge of homesickness it is the old “ pasture” where I used to set my snares and traps, and although [ caught more gamein my dreams than in reality, still it seems to me, even now, that the most delightful spot I ever saw was these same old woods, now, alas, mostly devoted to “city improvements.” If there be a permanent pasture connected with the farm has it an occasional clump of trees or a protecting border of timber, giving welcome shade and shelter to the stock, and variety and beauty to the scenery? If not, then draw upon the riches of the nearest wood- land or nursery, and in locating the trees let it be done in reference to their effect on the landscape, by framing and emphasizing the distant view or concealing some disagreable object nearer at hand. Ww THE LANDSCAPE GARDENER IN THE COUNTRY. 355 It may be that a little study of the topography will enable one to so re-arrange the farm roads as to combine better grades with more graceful lines,and so carry on the work with less labor and expense, though the different fields may not be so regular in form. We emphasize, with truth, the simplicity and practicability of our system of government surveying; still, I think that nothing stands so much in the way of an adaquate system of good public roads as does this same question of section lines, etc.; and the same at times in regard to the appearance of the farm, for frequently we find some picturesque knoll or little lake, which owned by one person might be made an object of beauty, divided among several, whose con- flicting interests soon rob it of all attractiveness. We can congratu- late ourselves, however, that the progress of time and the intelligent location of all important roads will aftera while remedy a good deal of this. The great question how to keep the young people on the farm, instead of rushing to the over crowded cities, where the propor- tion of failure to success is so great, is one of much importance, not only to the families directly interested but to the country at large; and while the agricultural colleges are doing a grand work in bring- ing the farm life from drudgery up to a scientific profession, I think that in addition to the financial success which is intended to be the result of their teachings there is also an aesthetic side which needs to be considered, that the farm may not only be the location of a successful business but be also a family home, to be looked back to with pleasure and affection, and which it shall be a worthy ambition to keep always in the family; for sneer as we may at “entail” and other questions of inheritance, “the homes of old Eng- land” have always been the source of much that goes to make up her power and prestige. From farm life let us now turn to the village. It is another of the disadvantages of our methods of subdividing land that we have no connecting link between these two, except in rare occasions where the occupants of adjacent farms may group their homes and build- ings around the common points where their lines intersect. The social Frenchman has found a remedy for this evil and in Canada is content to lay out his farm with a narrow frontage and great pro- portional depth so that the highway has the appearance of a con- tinuous village. Another method which, while European, is being adopted in some of the recent colonies on the Pacific coast, seems to be a happy medium in that each land owner has a home lot of an acre or two in the village, while the farms proper surround this center. The success of this plan will be watched with interest, but would probably involve too many radical changes among those who regard aquarter-section far too small a field for their endeavors to be introduced in this part of the country. So we have the conventional village plat to consider, with its checker board arrangement, squared with the section line or the railroad, with twenty-five foot lots, and often with no apparent rea- son for its location but the arbitrary will of man. On a level prai- rie, doubtless,this checker board plan is as good as could be devised 356 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. in most cases, but often, especially in a hilly country, there may be reasons for different methods, and if the establishment of a new town or extensive additions to an old one are contemplated it will be well to study the matter in all its bearings. Is ita place that from its location promises to be an important business point? Then let the principal streets leading out into the country be first located, radiating from the business center in such a way as to best accommodate the expected traffic, and the rest of the plat be made to fit them. The real estate speculator will per- haps be horrified at the havoc this may make with corner lots, but the careful examination of the map of any city, from Minneapolis and St. Paul to Washington and Paris, will prove these diagonal streets to be the most important of all; the two latter cities are con- ceeded to be the most beautiful in their respective continents and, though in Paris military considerations were probably of great weight, still the plan gives most striking artistic results. But we are getting a long ways from the country, so we will turn again to our village improvements. How rarely is the topography of the proposed village considered at all, but the streets are located on paper and future generations left to struggle with the questions of grades, drainage, etc., when they come to be located on the ground. It is said that some zealous temperance advocates were wont to take around with them on their travels some “awful example,” which to point a moral they held up to the reprobation of their audiences. On this principle I will cite a case, which shall other- wise be nameless, lest I should hurt some one’s feelings. I have in mind a thrifty village on the shores of a beautiful lake; on one side of the town, public buildings occupy an attractive site of sev- eral acres, sloping towards the water; but through the heart of the place is a ravine, formerly wooded, with alittle brook rippling through it, which was ignored in the platting; therefore, each trans- verse street requires heavy grading anda culvert, and the valley being at present, at least,valueless, is a dumping ground, and refuse from adjacent stables and houses rolls down the banks, to bein heavy storms carried out into the lake,and spread by the waves along the beach; and if in course of time disease results, it will be almost profanely called “a mysterious dispensation of Providence.” Let our imaginations now consider the scene as “it might have been,” those “saddest of words.” Varying from our checker board plat when this ravine is reached, let us locate a roadway on either side from the shore of the lake with its present waterside street to the head of the ravine, where, joining in one, it curves away to the railroad station. The ravine has now become a park,and if neces- sary to carry one street across it let it be ona light iron bridge; a foot path is led down the gorge under the old trees and beside the brook with its occasional pool and tiny cascade, and we have a spot of beauty and health instead of a disease-breeding nuisance. The surrounding houses now face it instead of turning their backs con- temptuously upon it, and it has become the residence center of the village. THE LANDSCAPE GARDENER IN THE COUNTRY. 357 Many of the smaller places of the state can now, at slight expense, bring about some such revolution in localities that will in the future years require much larger expenditures in the interests of public health and morality if neglected. Itis a fact too often over- looked that the tracts best adapted for parks are frequently the ones which threaten to become nuisances in their present conditions. Street trees are prime factors in village improvements, but it can- not be necessary here to go into methods of handling them in de- tail; but we cannot emphasize too strongly to the general public that success in transplanting demands good trees, good soil in large quantities, care in setting and then watchful protection against droughts and dangers both from man and beast. It may involve considerable labor on your part, but future generations will bless you for it. Do not set the trees too closely; a distance of forty feet for large trees will be about right; above all,don’t trust to future thinning out, for no one will have the nerve to do it. The essentials of a good street tree are perfect health in adverse circumstances, upright growth, not branching lower than eight or ten feet, and long life. “The Tree Planting and Fountain Society,” of Brooklyn, N. Y., re- cently sent circulars to most of the leading landscape gardeners and nurserymen of the East asking for short lists of species suit- able for street planting, and there was a surprising variance in their replies. Mauy of those specified would be useless here, but one or two facts may be of interest. The hard maples are slightly ahead, followed by the elm, which, however,is pronounced useless by some in the vicinity of New York and Philadelphia on account of a for- eign leaf-beetle which has reached our shores, with a name which I will leave with Prof. Lugger to pronounce and a constitution apparently as ironclad as the name,for it is fast destroying all eims, wild or cultivated, in spite of all preventatives. It is to be hoped that it will not come in this direction, but doubtless it will be well to be on the lookout for it. Oaks, especially of the so-called black oak class, with spring | leaves and requiring two years to mature their acorns, have many | friends, and with proper nursing treatment when young and trans- planted when ten to twelve feet high are said to be very hardy and vigorous, and our own woodlands, especially in autumn, proclaim them to be most beautiful trees. Several varieties not often used for the purpose are also recom- mended, among them the laurel-leaf willow and wild cherry; the ) Kentucky coffee-tree is also mentioned, and in the southern part of | Minnesota, where it is found native might be of value, as it isa stately tree with almost tropical foliage. , The best results here have doubtless so far been obtained with the white elm, followed by the ash, and the linden when unmolested : by insects and protected when young from sun-scald, which is the ; great enemy of all smooth-barked trees. Of the smaller trees, the hackberry and the box elder are commonly seen, while the pioneer's tree, cottonwood, is almost invulnerable, and by setting only Cee 358 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. staminate trees, known by their large red flower buds and reddish tassels, the cotton nuisance may be avoided. The Brooklyn society makes a suggestion in regard to artistic street planting which is worthy of consideration; it is to plant at each block corner two trees of the largest growth at the points where the fence lines if extended across the walk intersect the tree planting lines. This would give eight trees at each street intersec- tion, which would finally grow into groups, over-arching and em- phasizing these intersections, the blocks between these groups to be planted with smaller and more ornamental trees and forming, as it were,a section of a parkway. The local arrangement of fire hydrants, catch basins, etc., at the street corners might make some modification of this plan necessary. As to village parks, the time is at hand when more consideration will be given this subject. I havealready spoken of the wise economy of dedicating some waste and broken area to park purposes, but it may be well to emphasize it a little. I have in mind a small city in this state having within its limits a beautiful stream with much waste land along its banks, which if secured for the public would be at once or with but little labora most beautiful park; but in the discussion of the park question attention has been turned almost exclusively to the securing a few acres of land onthe outskirts of the city, in no wise to be disting- uished from the thousands of acres of prairie which surround it, leaving the banks of the stream, almost in the heart of the city to be the common dumping ground of the stables, houses and stores. The flight of years could only bring deep regrets if such a course is persisted in. Another point which is almost, if not entirely, neglected is that of providing a village play-ground, an entirely different matter froma park, although if circumstances permit they may sometimes be combined, but it should be remembered that a park is intended to be a place where in peace and quietness, under the shading trees and in the communion with nature,one may gain rest for both mind and body. Do you know of a village where the young people in their sports do not have to trespass on private property or occupy the highways to the danger of all concerned? Or else, eschewing all entertain- ment of this kind, seek amusement by loitering around the street corners and stores with their evil influences or in the all-welcoming saloons. I think that right here is a field in which temperance and other organizations might doa good work. Turning now toa larger field, I might, if time would permit, speak of the preserving for future generations, as near intact as circum- stances will permit, of those places of particular interest which from their natural beauty or from historical associations are worthy of such action. Something has already been done in this state in that direction by the marking of battle-fields, the setting apart of 35 square miles of land at the source of the Mississippi, and the securing of a tract of land at the Dalles of the St. Croix River to preserve the picturesque scenery there found. This latter pro- ————eo es ee Sh cc mhCUC ~~ oe - cae ¥ Oy aed ’ as ; “THE LANDSCAPE GARDENER IN THE COUNTRY. 359 ject is worthy of much more attention and encourgement than the general public has yet given it Noone without personal inspection can appreciate the varied beauties of this remarkable locality, and it is to be hoped that the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin will carry the matter, now so auspiciously begun, to a complete and successful consummation. The so-called practical man may ask why should time and money be devoted to such purposes, and land that should bear crops, forests that should yield lumber and water- falls that should turn factory wheels, forever lie idle, merely to be looked at? Similar protests of extravagence, etc., were made when the questions of public education and public health were first dis cussed, but now no one hardly would venture to bring them for- ward again. The growing demand for these parks and reservations is based upon the recognized “fact that nature not only brings to the mind and body overstrained by modern habits of life a soverign remedy, but is an educative force as well. “There is a dust in library nooks Blown from the musty leaves of books That blinds the lean scholastic’s eyes And makes him learnedly unwise. Would you be wise, go out-of-doors, And just intuit through the pores; For these bright flowers and these blue skies Were sent to make dull bookmen wise.” HORIZONTAL GRAPE TRELLIS.—A modification of the “Munson” horizontal trellis has given better satisfaction than has any other method fcr training the vines and is the form recommended for general use. In making it, posts are set sixteen feet apart, the first one in each row being four feet outside of each vine. The tops are sawed off square at five feet from the ground, and a cross-piece 2x4, two feet long, is laid on the top of each, and nailed at right angles to the direction of the row. Three No. 12 wires are stapled to these cross-pieces, one directly over the post, and the others one inch from the ends of the cross-pieces. The cost of material is about $7.50 for each one hundred vines. Our reasons for preferring the horizontal trellis are that it makes pruning much more simple and easy, that it keeps the lower part of the vine free from sprouts and branches which would interfere with cultivation, that it affords much greater protection to the growing and ripening fruit, that it holds the fruit where it can be easily reached in spraying, and that it gives partial immunity from the attacks of fungus diseases. It is a well known fact that very few fungi can germinate excepting in the presence of moisture. With the horizontal trellis, nearly all of the fruit is found hanging below the wires, where it is protected from rain and dew by the leaves, which are almost wholly above the wires,and so the spread of disease is toa large extent held in check.—Miss. Ex. Station. 3860 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. OUR LATE AGRICULTURAL FAIR. WM. SOMERVILLE, VIOLA. Mr. President and Members of the Society: They have put it upon me to write areport in regard to our state fair, and the premiums that were offered and awarded at that fair for exhibits in the shape of fruit. In the fruit exhibit at our state fair | was disappointed with the amount of premiums offered to the exhibitors, and not I alone, but a great many others were just as much disappointed as I was, and I do not think our agricultural society treated us as we deserve. It was my opinion in the first place not to go to the fair at all, but at the solicitation of our honorable sécretary and others I finally consented and went, but while I went it was not for the money that was in it, because there was not enough money awarded to anybody to pay the expense of the exhibit. I think the management of the agricultural society does not understand what it takes to get up an exhibit to take to the fair, otherwise they would have been a little more liberal in their premiums. It is quite a job to get up an exhibit of sixty, seventy to eighty varieties of fruit fit to be seen at a state fair, but I am in hopes that in the future they may do a little better with us. I think we ought to get enough money out of such an exhibit to at least pay the expense of getting it to the fair. We do not like to do this when we know that premiums, very liberal prem- iums, are offered for things that can be grown in a year or two years; and while we have been working for thirty-five years in growing what we exhibit, I think it no more than right, no more than justice, that we should get a liberal premium on what we exhibit there. s Our last state fair (1895) was in every department a grand success and an honor to the state. The efficient manner in which the offi- cers and managers performed their laborious work, the order main- tained throughout the entire fair, the prohibiting of intoxicating liquor or any gambling devices to be allowed on the grounds, all are worthy the praise of every good citizen. The exhibit of stock and machinery was one of highest grade. The main hall was decorated by experienced hands, and the show of mercantile goods was gorgeous beyond description. But horticultural hall appeared to be the center of attraction. Now, what was the object of the horticultural society in making such a display as would be an honor to any state? It was certainly not for the premiums offered, because the agricultural society had cut the premiums down for the exhibitors of fruits to less than five hundred dollars, a sum in- sufficient to pay for collecting the fruit and the expenses of those exhibiting. No, it was not for that; it was for the love of their work ee ee 7 OUR LATE AGRICULTURE FAIR. 361 and the honor of the state, to show that fruit could be raised, and that successfully,in Minnesota. The raising of fruit should be encouraged by the state by making a larger appropriation to the horticultural society, so that the society could offer liberal prem- iums for the best orchards of forty trees or more that have been fruited for twenty or twenty-five years; also for orchards of one hundred trees or more that have been set in orchards five or more years. Any person wishing to compete for such premiums should be a member of the horticultural society and notify the secretary that he is competing for sucha premium, and the executive board should employ one or two competent men as judges to make ex- amination of such orchards and report at the annual horticultural meeting on the kind of soil, the condition of the trees and the care and management they have received. This examination should be made the latter part of July when blight is most manifest. Until this can be carried out by the state, the agricultural society should be more liberal in offering larger premiums for the best col- lection of apples and grapes grown in Minnesota and exhibited by the grower, for the best collection of summer and fall varieties of apples, the best collection of winter varieties, the best collection of Siberians and hybrids, the best collection of new Russians, the best collection of seedlings, the best single plates of fall and winter and a greater number of varieties in single plates. The professionals and amateurs should not be brought into competition either by collection or by plates. Neither do I think it right to be compelled to buy a season ticket in order to exhibit some article, the premium of which if won would not buy the ticket. We will now look at the amount awarded as premiums at the last fair—among thirty or more competitiors exhibiting over two hundred varieties of apples, the sum of two hundred and eighty dollars, for more than forty varieties of grapes, premiums to the amount of one hundred and three dollars, while for plums thirty-three dollars and fifty cents: making the sum total of four hundred and twenty-six dollars and fifty cents. Could it be supposed that amount of money would pay the expense of collecting, express charges and passage on railroad and boarding a week on the ground? It certainly could not be for money that this fruit was exhibited, but to make the fair a success, which it did. Fruit growing is not like stock raising; it requires time, labor and money to get trees acclimated to our soil and season. But with stock—the farmer is used to them, and there is little of inquiry about them. At the fair an exhibit of fruit takes the eye of the passer-by, and he stops to inquire if this fruit was raised in Minnesota, where, how and what variety, and a thousand and one questions, which you are obliged to answer. This makes one a teacher as well as an exhibitor, and you see but little of the fair outside your own build- ing. There is no farm work which the farmer needs as much educating upon as fruit raising. They are generally willing to receive such knowledge, and why should not every means be used to encourage this branch of industry when there is such a vast sum of money paid every year to import fruit into our state that should be grown at home, as there are thousands of locations in the south- ern half of the state where apples, grapes, plums and all small fruits can be grown in abundance, sufficient to supply our own market and some to export. Now in view of all these facts, we con- sider the agricultural society did an injustice to the fruit growers of Minnesota by cutting the premiums down from the previous year. 362 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ORCHARDING IN MINNESOTA. OTTO L. BULLIS, WINNEBAGO CITY. There are twelve old apple trees on my farm planted over thirty years ago. One Roman Stem,two Talmon Sweet and the rest Hyslop and Transcendent. Although located most unfavorably on level ground and surrounded by maples and cottonwoods thirty to sixty feet high, on all but the south side the apple trees have yielded fair crops on each alternate year since I owned the place—the Talmon Sweets a barrel to the tree, and the crabs have several times netted $5.00 per tree. I have kept specimens of the Roman Stem until the latter part of March; perhaps they would have kept longer if we had not eaten them. Talmon Sweet, I believe, is not recommended for this locality, but if these two trees can survive thirty years, much of the time among weeds half their own height, why not have more ofthem? Perhaps, you say, these are exceptions. Well, as I want more exceptions, I have planted fifteen more Talmon Sweeton a bleak hillside sloping north and have also included in this orchard fifty Peerless, one hundred Wealthy and Hybernal, sixty Longfield, a few Duchess and crabs, with a dozen plums, about three hundred trees altogether. I intended to use only stock from Minnesota nurseries, but an agent from an Iowa firm arrived at my house when I was in excellent humor, having just finished a rattling good dinner. This agent had with him one hundred and thirteen three year old apple trees labeled Longfield, sixty Wealthy, twenty Duchess, ten Salome, &c, which I told him was just six too many, but as he must have an offer on them, the party ordering being a minor and refusing them, I men- tioned five dollars, for as before stated I was in a very liberal humor—besides I admired his taste in labeling them and in arriv- ing just after dinner. The price suited him so well, that, much to my astonishment, he accepted at once, agreeing to replace at half price,2l4gc each. Whew! and in his hurry to be off, he gave me two Co- lumbian half dollars in making change. Now, while these trees were certainly cheap, time alone will tell how dear they were. I began my orchard with the intention of planting one hundred trees each spring, until the space intended for orcharding was filled. This gives me more time to care for the trees than if all were planted the same season. I plant them as soon as possible after receiving them—plant deep and mulch heavily with barnyard man- ure, being sure to finish mulching before extreme dry weather arrives. I usually plant beans between the rows, doing the plowing and cultivating myself,as I consider each tree the hired man drives over (and he would be sure to bungle a few)the cost of a day’s labor. Out of my first one hundred apple trees planted, ninety-seven are alive and thrifty. Last spring’s planting did not do so well, owing partly to the very high winds prevailing at planting time, making it difficult to get roots covered while moist, and partly to careless packing for shipment. If I could dig the trees myself and transplant at once, I think all would grow. For instance, I had a six year old apple tree that was eee thee HORTICULTURE WITH IRRIGATION. 363 directly in the path of a building I was moving; [ could not go around it, to pass over it was sure to destroy it, and there was no choice but to dig it up, which I did at midday on one of our hot summer days, with the tree in full foliage,replanting as soon as the building was out of the way and watering copiously. I was still surprised to see that the foliage did not even droop or differ from that of other trees in the vicinity. EXPERIMENTAL HORTICULTURE WITH IRRIGATION IN SOUTH DAKOTA. Pres. J. M. Underwood accepted last spring the position of man- ager in the experiments in horticulture by the aid of irrigation, on the Hunter-Salzer farm at Mellette,S. D. This farm is also an experi- ‘mental station under the supervision of the Brookings Agricul- tural College. In pursuance of this work, the Jewell Nursery Co. sent out there at that time a carload of trees and plants, com- bining a great variety of forest and fruit trees, shrubs and small fruits, a little of most everything worth trying there. This farm is irrigated by an artesian well, supplying an unlimited amount of water delivered at the surface of the ground with force enough to runamill. As Mr. Underwood is “one of us,’ and knows our needs fully, these experiments are fraught with unusual interest to us, and we have good reason to expect to learn some things from his experience there on the subject of irrigation as affecting horti- culture of great practical value. That he is enthusiastic in this enterprise you may judge by the way he writes. SEC’y. “When Mr. H. F. Hunter called upon me and first told me of the flowing wells of South Dakota, being comfortably seated in my office and in a receptive frame of mind, I was a ready listener to the marvelous tales he told of the irrigated districts and the partic- ular development of this most wonderful provision of nature at Mellette and on the Hunter-Salzer farm adjoining. With ears and mouth wide open I readily took in all that he said, and it was nota three inch stream either, but like the well on the farm,a full sized eight inch flow and all turned on; but my reservoir is big,and I just filled up. However, a departing train was all that saved me, for it bore Hunter away just before my capacity was reached. In the weeks that followed, evaporation went on, and I was beginning to think that it was a case of more talk than facts; but I have since paid a visit to Mellette and the farm,and I am now fuller than ever, and if I don’t open the flood gates and let others know of what [ saw, there is danger that the banks of my mental reservoir will burst. To you, who have not seen the wonders of irrigation and the power developed by the artesian wells of South Dakota, let me say, be sure to avail yourselves of the excursions that will be run to Mellette this summer by the C. M. & St. P. R. R. and study into them. To encourage you, I will promise that you will find a wide awake, generous, hospitable community, located on an ideal spot for a garden, and a big one,too. Far as the eye can reach the land is level or gently undulating. The soil is a rich loam, with just enough sand to make it pleasant to work and with a deep clay sub- Ld ue} 7a , @ 7 ‘ 864 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. soil. Not a stone to dull the plow or punch the handle into your ribs while plowing. There is nothing even for the boys to pelt the birds or bull frogs with. I found the roads smooth and dry, al- though heavy rains had fallen when I visited there. Mounted in a musical chariot of the town, accompanied by the Board of Regents of Brooking’s College, I enjoyed a pleasant drive of two miles out to the celebrated Hunter-Salzer farm. On theleft,as we approached the farm, our attention was called to the process of planting 260 acresof potatoes—think ofit,you who are scratching around among the stumps and stones of an unproductive, worn-out farm in the Kast! Here you would see one man and a team planting seven acres of potatoes in a day on ground as level as a floor; and the beauty is this land is all situated so it can be irrigated, for farther along on the right is the eight inch artesian well flowing into a reservoir covering about five acres, with high banks that have been thrown up to hold the water that is constantly flowing in. Although the valve is turned so that but a small per cent. of the water is used, the force with which it comes from the pipe makes a sound like a cataract and is sufficient in power to drive the machinery of a large manufactory and light the prairies with electricity for miles around. In the banks of the reservoir are gates opening into ditches conducting the water in every direction, and it is fast being arranged so as to irrigate over 1,200 acres of land. In a central lo- cation on the farm are the experimental grounds and seed farm. Men were busy fitting the land for seeds of all kinds, and the re- sults of growing seeds on irrigated land are simply marvelous. All the appointments of the farm are fine and everything in splendid condition, indicating the excellent management it is under. The only things lacking on the farm to make it an ideal garden are a good growth of trees for shade in summer and pro- tection from the cold winds of winter, also fruit trees and small fruits,that are not only a luxury but anecessity for health and hap- piness. These have been denied sections of our country affected by drought, but happily this otherwise charming district is now being supplied with these blessings through the medium of these flowing wells. Is it not wonderful that, although there are no cool- ing springs bubbling from the hillsides or running streams wind- ing their way across these prairies, you have only to borea hole down into the earth a thousand feet, and you can secure a flow of water with power that will light a city, speed its travelers along on electric cars, turn the wheels of its factories and mills, water its streets and lawns, or that can conquer the drought and cover the fields with luxuriant vegetation and secure certain and abundant harvests; finally, these wells bid us to plant trees and fruits that | they may add them to their crown of glory. Energetic, enthusiastic horticulturists in the Northwest have labored and experimented in the interests of horticulture for years, and all over the country, north, south, east and west they have not found any foe to horticul- f ture so great as drought. Given the water they need, trees will grow indefinitely and luxuriantly; deprive them of this element, and all over the land they perish. Here then is the solution for South REPORT ON ENTOMOLOGY. 365 Dakota, not by uncertain and often disappointing rains or floods; but by a simple turn of the wrist a valve is opened, and up from the bowels of the earth the water comes and flows at your feet and not in pelting storms upon your head. It follows your bidding through ditches or over the whole surface to the roots of your trees, that in return stretch out their arms and wave you their blessings. It is only a question of time when South Dakota will be covered with beautiful groves wherever they are cultivated and watered, and trees in return will stop the force of the winds, shade the ground and prevent the rapid evaporation of moisture and so ameliorate the inclemencies of a severe climate.” REPORT ON ENTOMOLOGY. MRS. A. A. KENNEDY, HUTCHINSON. December 3, 1895, is at hand, the long looked-for time has arrived at last. One year ago when we last met, the time appointed for the next meeting seemed a long way off; we counted the months, then the weeks, then the days; it is with joy we meet again, and yet itis with feelings of sadness we notice the vacant places some of our members used to fill. We miss their pleasant smiles and words of cheer, and as we scan the tables in the exhibit room, we notice empty spaces there, also,where their fruit and vegetables were wont to be piled in goodly array. And then as we remember that the hands that placed them there are folded away, and the eyes that glowed with enthusiasm as we listened with attentive ear to the words of cheer and encouragement that came to our beloved society from different parts of the state, are now forever closed, and that we shall never see them more, then we are led to wonder who of us, before this convention meets again in 1896, shall like them have passed beyond the bounds of time. And again we wonder after all is over and we have made our last exhibit, how many of us will meet to part no more, ina world where the inhabitants never say “I am sick,” but where we may pluck and eat of the fruit that grows on the tree of life and talk of our failures and successes here. I sincerely hope we shall all be there. There will be no need of reports on en- tomology, no call for kerosene emulsion, no call for “Green’s Ama- teur Fruit Growing,” but we “shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye” from novices to scientific fruit growers. * Our secretary wrote to me that I was to report onentomology. I said to myself “What can I do with that?” Of course I know ento- mology pertains to insects, and I know that the honey bee is an insect,and that it is a very busy little creature, and that it sips the nectar from the flowers and converts it into a commodity they call honey, and that I am very fond of it, and that it plays a very promin- ent part in fertilizing our fruit by carrying pollen—but I think they must have failed in their duty in this respect this year (1895) for there was no fruit. I know,too, that there is a little white moth that hovers over the cabbage plants and deposits its eggs in great abundance among the leaves, and presently we find the cabbage is filled with worms; and when they have done all the mischief they can they ‘a a eee 366 | MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. hide themselves for a seasen, but in due time they come forth and follow the injunction of their mother to “go thou and do likewise.” And they are insects, and they put in good time this year. Then, there is is the potato bug, another insect, but it failed to put in an appearance this year. Whether they were all frozen to death or whether they have decided to move to Sunnyside or Kennewick, where the climate is more congenial, is a mystery. I became slightly acquainted with the tent worm, though it called only long enough to give us the parting blessing this year. Then there is the cut worm. “From whence cometh it?” Itis like the wind. “I cannot tell from whence it cometh or whither it goeth,” but itis to be hoped that they have gone so far that they will never return. This year their names were legion. Then there is the chinch bug, quintes- sence of the bed bug; the only difference I can see between them is that one derives its sustenance from the human body while the other subsists on the sap of cereals. And so we might enumerate. It is like the writing of books, there is no end. Every year new in- sects come onto the stage of action, until it seems as though the plagues of Egypt are about to be enacted over again. So I would advise every member to buy Prof. Green’s “Amateur Fruit Growing” and arm himself with all the paraphernalia of war, for you are bound to fight bugs all the rest of your mortal life. In the Horticultural Gleaner, R. H. Price gives a method of pro- tecting fruit trees from ravages of rabbits, etc. His way would certainly appear a practical and efficient one, since he has saved one large orchard by the treatment, while others have used it with great success. A gallon of common white lead paint of the ordinary thickness to be used on buildings is taken, and toit is added one tablespoonful of Paris green. The two are well mixed together; after which the dirt is removed for an inch or so around the base of the tree,and a good coating of paint applied to a height of eighteen inches on the trunk. A rabbit comes along, gnaws off a piece of the bark and dies. Insects, particularly borers, attempt to drill through the painted wood and die. The average cost of this treat- ment for each tree the correspondent estimates at 144 cents. As they require painting over only every two years the process is compar- atively inexpensive.—The Market Garden. DEGENERATION OF FRUITS.—Will varieties of fruit degenerate? has long been an open question with the fruit growers of the Old World, the tread of opinion being against the Knightion theory; but the opposition to it has been mainly on physiological grounds, Since the discovery of the operations of minute fungi, which after a while find a certain variety to be a good field for their opera- tions, and which then travel with the young plants raised, the ob- jections are weakening. Physiologically, there is no reason that a variety should wear out, but in practice it is found that something happens, and new varieties are necessary.—Meehan’s Monthly. a CLIMATIC MODIFICATION OF FRUIT. 367 CLIMATIC MODIFICATION OF FRUIT. A. F. COLLMAN, CORNING, IOWA. Mr. President: Your beautiful city is very near the geographical center, east and west, of the western continent, and is one of the best in the central states. Your railroad facilities are among the best. Your state is noted for its fine lumber and mineral products and its broad fields of golden wheat. Connected by the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico and by the chain of lakes to the Atlantic, you can load your famous whalebacks with golden wheat and feed the people in the old world. Your state is noted for its educational and religious institutions, and its people forintelligence and refinement. And as we climb the mount and look over into your beautiful state, we cannot help thinking that you are occupying the lovely valley God has given to a chosen people. The climate of a country depends chiefly upon its latitude and elevation; it is also affected by the ocean and its currents. From the Japan current a stream of warm water flows northward with a similar current from the gulf stream, which tends to moderate the cold of the arctic region and to balance the cold currents flowing south. The general flow of the ocean current, westward in the tropical and eastward in the temperate regions, coincides with the atmospheric movements. Inthe tropics, the winds blow to the west and are called trade winds; in the temperate zones they blow to the east and are called return trade winds. The temperature of the atmosphere is regulated by winds or currents of air, while that of the ocean is regulated by currents of water. Allis the effect of the combined action of heat, coldand air. Heat lightens the water, that the air may lift it from the ocean and lakes; the wind carries it in the form of vapor over the land; the cold makes the vapor heavier than the air, and then it falls inthe form of rain, dew, snow and frost, Minnesota is very favorably located, being near the geographical center, east and west, and at the head of the great Mississppi valley. The vapor from the Atlantic and the lakes is carried west, from the Pacific east and from the Gulf north, and meets the cold current of air from the north that follows the water in the two great rivers to the Gulf. This cold current cools the atmosphere, and vapor falls in the form of rain, which accounts for the fact that we have a great- er rainfall in the Mississippi valley or the central states than in the eastern or western states. In Minnesota the average rainfall is about twenty-six inches: The southeastern counties of Minnesota and a strip along the eastern line as far north as Duluth receive about thirty-five inches. Iowa receives about thirty-five inches. The northern half of Mis- souri has an average of about thirty-five inches; the southern half being nearer the Gulf receives more than forty inches yearly. Llli- nois, northern half, thirty-four inches; southern half, forty inches. In Nebraska the range is very great, like a shingle with the butt end eastward; along the river and western end, very thin; in the ’ southeastern section the range is twenty-four to thirty inches. In —— =~ ie, Soa 368 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. respect to humidity ofthe air, Nebraska and Minnesota havea lower average per centage than the other states mentioned. We find that moisture is necessary for the development of fruit. In a dry climate the fruit is small, but fair in appearance and qual- ity. Moisture, sunshine anda high state of cultivation are neces- sary to produce fruit that will command the highest prices and carry away the first premiums at our great fairs. During our late Columbian Exposition I was kept busy the last thirteen weeks at the great fair in Horticultural Hall, to do the best I could to show the horticultural products of my state. Duties called the superintendents connected with their work from one end of the great hall to the other almost daily and sometimes many times a day, and I found it a pleasure to take notes and study fruits along my line of duty. Wehada chance to study fruits in latitude 40 and 45, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from Maine to Oregon, through the entire fruit belt of our country. In Maine, New Hamp- shire, New York, Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, where the growing season is comparatively short, with a low temp- erature but protected by a humid atmosphere, we found excellent fruit, and the superintendents all spoke well of the countries they represented. Now we reach Illinois and Nebraska. Of course, mod- esty prevents us from saying very much about our own state, but we like our home and ship millions of bushels of fine apples east, west, north and south. Southern Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and California, all made fine displays of fruit. Where lands had been irrigated, the fruits were very large and finein appearance, but were poor in quality and color compared with the fruits in the Mississippi and Missouri val- leys, where the rainfall is sufficient to mature good crops of grass and our Indian corn. Moisture is necessary for the development of fine, showy fruit, but too much moisture will tend to produce large, coarse fruit of poor color and quality. Fruits may be modified by selection and acclimation. We may select choice varieties and, like our friend Gideon, plant seeds that may produce varieties that will prove satisfactory in tree and fruit. I would not discourage planting seeds, for many thousand varieties of fruit have been brought to notice in that way. But we know from sad experience that the pathway to success along this line is strewn with many thorns. Again, fruits can be modified by crossing and hybridizing. This we think is practical and comparatively certain. Perhaps it would be interesting to describe the process. To prepare the pollen.—Just before the flower opens, extract the anthers and place them in a sealed envelope and allow the pollen to ripen in a warm room from twenty-four to thirty-six hours. It may be kept several days or even weeks and sent thousands of miles. For the sake of argument, we will take the Duchess as the stand- ard of hardiness. We know the fruit for culinary purposes ranks very high, and the tree for hardiness is a model, its roots extending deep into the earth after moisture, and its leaf is perfect. In the Duchess we find about as many good qualities as in any one of our CLIMATIC MODIFICATION OF FRUIT. 369 hardy varieties, but we believe the fruit of the Duchess can be im- proved by crossing it with some of our American apples of high quality, and the hardiness of the tree maintained. We have plenty of good summer and fall varieties, so we should turn our attention to the production of winter apples of good quality and hardiness of tree. Some of us may not succeed, but let us all try, and some one will produce the apple for the million. The want of definite information as to hybrid, or cross-bred offspring of fruits, is very great. As wetrust the hybridist, we must insist on his being a trustworthy and skillful operator before we place confidence in his records. For example, the flowers must be carefully emasculated before there is a shadow of a chance that pol- len can have escaped from the anthers. The female flower must then be carefully covered with a paper sack, and in about twenty- four hours the pollen of the intended male parent (after having been prepared) must be applied with a clean camel’s hair pencil, and the sack carefully replaced and fastened with fine wire to prevent insects from entering the sacks. Plant the seeds produced by the cross, and you have a new variety that may be valuable. A scion from the young tree may be cut and top-worked on some hardy, bearing tree, and in about three years you will see the result of your labor. We find the rainfall and sunshine in the southeastern counties of Minnesota and a strip on the east side as far north as Duluth, is sufficient to develop fine, showy fruit of good quality. With proper care in selecting location and hardy varieties, the country named is equal to any fruit lands found in the great Mississippi valley. CATCHING MoTuHs.—For an entomologist who wishes to study the owlet moths of any regionin a short time, there is no better method than to “sugar” forthem. This is the technical name for applying a bait composed of the cheaper grades of molasses, sugar and vinegar. This mixture if kept warm will soon start a vinous fer- mentation, which seems to have a wonderful attraction for all owlet- moths that take food in that stage. For a number of years sugar- ing was carried on by myself at the Agricultural School, and im- mense numbers of moths were captured. The above mixture, which is of a treacle-like consistency, was brushed against the trees, and proved such an attraction that on certain evenings moths came in such numbers as to appear like swarming bees. Strange insects are sometimes caught at such baited trees, insects that have never been found breeding in the north. For instance it is a common occurrence to see large numbers of cotton moths flut- tering around such baited trees. They are found only very late in the autumn, and always appear as if freshly issued from the pupa. This is very remarkable indeed, when we consider that such in- sects must have flown over that tremendous territory separating the wheat belts of the north from the cotton belts of the south, —Minn. Ex. Station, Bulletin No. 43. 370 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. FERTILIZATION OF THE SQUASH. 7 (The sketch and engraving, with that following on“Celery Transplanting,” are taken from the advance sheets of a work on ‘Vegetable Gardening,” by Prof. S. B. Green, now in press.—Sec’y.) “Figure No. 1 shows the two kinds of flowers found on the squash. Squash flowers are practically the samein construction as the flow- ersof the cucumber, pumpkin, melonand gourd. The piece of vine in the center of the figure has attached to it a pistillate female flower to the left, which has a short stem and shows clearly the young squash; on the right of it is a staminate (male) flower, often called false flower, attached to the piece of vine. On the extreme left and Figure 1.—Fertilization of the Squash Blossom. separate is shown the pistillate flower with corolla removed, show- ing the pistil,which is the part that receives the pollen. On the extreme right is a staminate flower with the corolla removed, show- ing the stamens in a column in the center. The purpose of this flower is solely to produce pollen, and after doing this it dies. At the base of the stamens will be noticed a dark spot, which leads to the honey gland, in trying to reach which the honey bee becomes covered with pollen; this is transferred to the pistil of the pistil- late flower by a like process.” TRANSPLANTING CELERY. 371 TRANSPLANTING CELERY. (From “Vegetable Gardening,” by Prof. S. B. Green.) “It is generally best to transplant celery plants temporarily when very young from the bed where the seed is sown to boxes or to other beds where they will have sufficient room to develop properly until large enough to be moved to their quarters in the field. The effect of this early transplanting is to encourage the formation of fibrous roots: such plants are much more certain to live and do well when moved to the open ground in hot weather in June or July than plants that are grown without being transplanted when young. Figure 2.—Effects of Transplanting Celery. “Figure No. 2 shows on the left the effect of this transplanting on the roots of the plants in increasing the root system; on the right is shown plants as commonly grown without being moved until they are to go into the field. In this latter case little more than a large tap root is left, and the plants often fail unless the conditions are very favorable. In each case a plant is shown with full top and also one which is properly trimmed for transplanting.” 372 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. BEFORE AND BEHIND THE SCENES, OR WHY FRUIT GROWING HAS OFTEN BEEN A FAILURE IN MINNESOTA. J. S. HARRIS, LA CRESCENT. The subject of this paper was of my own choosing. Having been a fruit grower and tree planter within sight of my present location more than forty years with very diversified experiences and in cor- respondence with the most prominent and successful fruit growers of Wisconsin, Illinois,lowa and this state for about thirty years,and having largely made the work of my life experimental, it occurred to me that I might handle this subject in a manner that would prove interesting to you and throw a little light upon the causes that have led to so many failures in fruit growing in this region. But I find—and I think you will agree with me before I am done— that I have greatly overestimated my ability. I shall endeavor to confine myself in this paper chiefly to orcharding, or growing of tree fruits. Many of the failures in the earlier years were excusable and at the time unavoidable, and their causes should occupy the place “before the scenes” until such time as they become known and can be avoided. Atthe date when our first orchards were planted there was notany guide whatever for the would-be fruit grower. No matter how learned and expert a horticulturist he had been in his eastern or more southern home, it availed him nothing, for the soil and climate of his new home were entirely different from that of the one he had left, and he soon found that much had to be learned by experienceand original observation. He had to learn that varie- ties that succeeded the best under certain environments were uncer- tain or totally worthless when surrounded by those that were en- tirely different, and that it was not safe to planta tree that could not stand a hundred degrees of summer heat and endure a temperature of forty degrees below zero. Unfortunately for him,the difference in the hardiness and adaptation of varieties were unknown here, because no previous tests had been made, so he had to work out the problem > under great difficulties. Another cause of failure in the early days was the distance thatintervened between the places where the trees were propagated and raised to a suitable size and where they were to be planted, and the slow and uncertain facilities that existed for their safe transportation, it often consuming several weeks of time, and the trees arriving so late in the season and in such a con- dition that it was about useless to set them out, for the little life left in them would flit away before many winter storms had swept over them. Another cause was the injudicious selection of the site for the orchard. Our first orchards, wherever it could be done, were set on southern slopes orin warm sheltered nooks, which experience has since proved were the very worst locations for an orchard, and that the cool northern slope and the high, airy grounds were much the best. Another trouble was that time could not be taken to give the ground suitable preparation and that the mulchings, prunings and protection suited for the climate were not generally understood. et lille) ah Bit had Se eel Ba, * ww ba , 7"? BEFORE AND BEHIND THE SCENES. 373 Today there exists no valid excuse for failures from the causes mentioned, because the causes need not necessarily exist. The best of facilities are afforded every man to learn how the ground for an orchard should be prepared before the trees are planted, and when, how and where they should be plantedand cared for to bring him the best results. It has become known, too, that some varieties are more hardy than others and can be made to thrive over a considerable portion of the Northwest, which they are doing, and there is no ex- cuse remaining for procuring trees from long distances away and from milder climates, for we have ample nurseries right at home or easy of access and in which are propagated only the hardiest and best known varieties—and even distance has been almost annihila- ted by the facilities now afforded by railroads and express com- panies. Under these improved conditions there are a few men scattered over the state who are making commercial orcharding a satisfactory success, and the number who raise a considerable portion of the fruit consumed in their families is increasing in a ratio about cor- responding withthe growth of our society. Such are generally liberal minded, energetic men and intelligent, careful cultivators, continually experimenting and always profiting by the success and failures of others; had it not been so, the Minnesota State Horticul- tural Society could not have been kept alive and growing in influ- ence and usefulness under the difficulties that had to be encountered and surmounted. But the successes are not what they ought to be. Every year there is paid out for fruit trees and plants by the people of the state from one hundred to one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in hard earned money, that never net one-tenth of the pur- chasers one per cent on the investment, not counting the time and labor of cultivating and use of land anything. For some of the causes for these losses or failures, we must look “behind the scenes:” First. Many people do not take pains to learn what varieties are hardy and adapted, and then set no others. Second. Altogether too many people procure their trees of agents of nurseries located long distances away and that frequently are only associations of middlemen who are not responsible and who procure their trees where they can be purchased the cheapest, re- gardless of quality, and besides rely too much upon the agent’s “say so,” about their hardiness. Experience has repeatedly shown that a two year old tree grown to the size of a four year old on the rich soils south of us will not live as long or do as well as one of the Same age or four years grown on soil and under conditions like those in which it is to be planted. Third. Much loss comes from purchasing too freely of novelties that have had no time or opportunity for being tested in regard to their hardiness or adaptation to our climate. Fourth. Thousands of trees are lost every year through the care- lessness of the planter. Some are allowed to lie around and dry up too long after they are received and before they are planted; some are set in holes and carelessly filled around with clods, sods and whatever is most convenient: some are set too deep in tenacious Clay soil that has no drainage; and mulching is too often neglected. 374 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Nor are these all the causes of failure that we may discover lurk- ing “behind the scenes.” Too often orchards are not securely fenced against the incursion of farm stock, or fence gates are left open and the farm animals break in and mutilate and destroy the trees. The enclosed orchard is too often found a convenient place for turning in the horses for exercise and baiting the cows when the fall pastures are short and in the spring before they are fit to turn on to. Every tree that is severely browsed, has the top broken off or is otherwise mutilated by cattle might better be dug up and thrown away than to attempt to nurse it into usefulness. Evenallowing the ground to be tramped in the late fall or early spring is dangerous. Many orchards are hopelessly ruined while young by raising grass and grain among the trees without even mulching or digging over a space about them. Every winter great numbers of trees are lost through being gnawed by mice and rabbits, when with a spade in one minute of time a mound of earth may be raised about the base that is an effectual barrier against mice, and it costs but little to bind straw, cornstalks, lath or cloths about them to protect against rabbits. Ina few instances we have seen orchards that had been planted and cared for and had yielded good fruit, by men who are now disabled by age and infirmity, totally ruined through the thoughtlessness of younger members of the family and hired help, in allowing them to grow unkempt and then throwing the grounds open to common pasture to get rid of the labour of mowing down the weeds. After looking “behind the scenes,” is it any wonder that orchard- ing is no greater success in the Northwest? The success of a great number of our farmers in growing small fruitsis about on the same scale. Good money is paid for plants, they are set in the same field where other crops are growing, they are hoed and tended all sum- mer and look promising in the fall; then the cows, colts and, some- times, the hogs are turned into the field to bait; and the berry patch is soon ruined for next year’s crop by the plants being burned off or trodden into the ground, and next year the owner buys his fruit or goes without and will tell you that berries will not grow for him, MULCHING TO RETARD MATURITY.—Careful investigation and thorough inquiry lead to the following conclusions: 1. The early bloom of fruit plants depends very largely upon the appropriation of foods stored in the twigs, and it is more or less independent of root action. This is proved by direct experimeut and by study of the physiology of plants. 2. It must follow, then, that the temperature of the twig or branch must be reduced if its vegetation is to be retarded; or, in other words, the top of the plant, as well as the soil, must be mulched, and in practice this is possible only with strawberries and other very low plants or those which are laid down during winter. 3. There is danger of injuring plants by heavy mulch which is allowed to remain late in spring. If it is desired to retard flowers or fruit by mulching, the practice should not be violent and the plants should be carefully watched. 4. Many strawberry growers are able to delay the ripening of fruit by mulching from two days to two weeks; buta week’s delay is usually about the limit of profitable results. PRoF. L. H. BAILEY. Ce i i, ee te Mi i Ce | | | ~ REPORT ON SMALL FRUITS. 375 REPORT ON SMALL FRUITS. MRS. A. A. KENNEDY, HUTCHINSON. Strawberries. Crescent and Charles Downing and Finch’s Prolific have given the best satisfaction. I have tried Bederwood for three successive years; the plants look strong and vigorous, but I don’t think they have borne two dozen berries. It may be owing to the dry seasons and not to the plants,as none of our plants have amounted to much. We have had the best success with the Cuthbert and Turner rasp- berries, as far as I know, in this district, though the Marlborough and Shaffer have done well in some localities. Of bla¢k raspberries, the Ohio and Doolittle have borne heavily in spite of the drouth, Gregg and Souhegen have provéd to be too tender, and Mrs. Bell says they want too much petting. The Ada, Kansas, Palmer, Progress and Alden I have on my grounds, Prof. Green sent to me for trial this year; they all did well; the Alden bore the largest ber- ries I ever saw. Currants do well, but as far as I know very few know what kind they have; they have been handed down from one generation to another, and nobody knows where they came from, but some of us know where they will go to—-they will run out if they are not re- placed by some standard varieties. Buffalo berries are a success with us. Mr. Barrett sent me some plants three years ago. I planted them in my garden and was sorry I did not put them in my flower garden wheninbloom. Their loveliness is beyond description, and when laden with fruit they are not much less so. Grapes. The Lady has been a failure; Moore’s Early, Concord, Eaton and Nia- gara have done the best. The pears Prof. Green sent for trial looked perfectly hardy and have never winter-killed but have never produced any pears. Ialso have some apple trees from Mr. Pearce, of Chowen, he called them Nos. 1, 2and3. They are free from blight so far and are in bearing. The Peerless, as far as I know, are all doing well and looking nicely. I am going to try and do a little missionary work in this district and see if I cannot prevail upon the people to get fruit that they know the names of and then mark them and keep a record; then we will be able to make intelligent reports. Unless we can succeed in do- ing this, our reports will be meager and unsatisfactory. A THORNLESS ROSE.—The Paul Neyroncomesthe nearest to being a thornless plant that we have. The canes, orstalks, as well as their branches, are very free indeed from prickers, and the wood is hand- some, with a beautiful smooth finish. The leaves are large, clean and glossy, and the flower is perfectly magnificent. It is claimed that this rose is the largest rose in cultivation, Its color is a clear deep rose, and the fragrance is exquisite, and taking into considera- tion these many valuable points, we see that it is a grand rose. Being perfectly hardy and vigorous, it can be safely recommended for general planting, and should be in the collection of every ama- teur and professional florist. 376 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. MY ARTESIAN WELL. WM. DANFORTH, RED WING. The immediate incentive to the construction of our artesian well was the dry summer of 1894, which was productive of poor vege- tables and a very few discouraged flowers, and left dying trees and fruit plants ill prepared either for winter existence or next year’s fruiting. The well is situated two miles from Red Wing ona plateau of the same height as the city, fifty feet above the Mississippi. It was drilled in March of the present year (1895). There wasa layer of earth to a depth of thirteen feet, sand rock to ninety feet, shale to 225 feet and then sand again the balance of the distance, the last twenty feet being colored with iron. It was made with a sixinch drill. Arte- sian water was reached at 225 feet below the surface. Drilling was continued to 496 feet. At this point the temperature was 51° and had been rising one degree for every fifty feet in depth. The flow was sixteen feet above the surface and had increased one foot for every seven in depth. The discharge is eighty-five gallons a minute. The total expense has been about five hundred dollars. The well was completed so late that very little could be done for the early fruit. By July it wasin running order, A two-inch iron pipe was run north of the well to the summit ofa ridge, thence along the ridge to and through the strawberry field. This ridge is about seven feet above the well. The rows lie north and south, dropping from the ridge to the north one foot in one hundred and four feet in one hundred to the south. Along the pipe about every one hundred feet are Ts, where the hose can be connected. In the strawberry field we use a fifty feet length of two-inch hose to lead the water to troughs, by which it is distributed to the plants, irrigating about eighteen rows at once. We could not apply directly from the hose on account of the soil washing. The troughs are V-shaped and made from common fenc- ing, with a small hole for each row. We generally changed the troughs once in twenty-four hours. We went over our strawberry field in August and in October. In a few places where we did not get water on the plants. they do not look as thrifty as the balance of the field. The vegetables were im- proved by the use of the water, and the flowers were especially fine. Mr. C. L. Smith: How long has your well been running? Mr. Danforth: This year we got the water running about two weeks before the strawberries came into bearing, and we could not see much difference between those rows which were watered from the balance of the bed, but this year our plants were in very poor condition in the spring. We estimated we had only about thirty per cent. of the plants we generally had. Pres. Underwood: What was the cost of the well? ee MY ARTESIAN WELL. 377 Mr. Danforth: The cost of the well itself was $350, but we paid out over $150 for pipe and incidentals connected with it. We have about one hundred feet of two-inch hose. Mr. Kimball: Did you have it put down by contract or day labor ? Mr. Danforth: We had a contract. They were togive us an 18 foot head of water, but they got down into rock and gave us only a 16 foot head. Mr. Bunnell: Do you think two inches is large enough for irrigation? Mr. Danforth: Our inside casing is three inches, and then we use two-inch hose. We never use the full flow of water: We could irrigate about one-third of an acre a day, and we let the water run without any attention. Mr. S. M. Owen: How much do you irrigate? Mr. Danforth: We have been irrigating about three and a half acres. Mr. Kellogg (Wisconsin): Did you get an immediate ben- efit? Mr. Danforth: We commenced on three rows of strawber- ries, but we did not see much benefit. Pres. Underwood: Did you have rain? Mr. Danforth: Oh, yes, we had showers occasionally. Mr. Gardner: Did I understand you to say you did not see any difference in the fruit or the plant? Mr. Danforth: We can see a difference in the new bed that is going to bear next year, but on the old bed that bore last year’s crop we do not see much difference. Mr. Gardner (Iowa): If they have a frost when the plants are in blossom, and the buds are killed, those buds that come on afterwards do not amount to much, and it would not make any difference whether you water or not, you would not have any fruit any way. Mr. Collman (Iowa): I would like to tell what | saw at the Elgin Nurseries last summer. The owner irrigated his nur- series by means of underground tiling, and last year while everything else was drying up he saved his entire crop of trees, and he thinks it is by far the best system of irrigation. 378 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY SOME THOUGHTS ON GARDENING. GEO. C. STOUT, LAKE CITY. Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: Your most excellent president has lately selected me to give some rambling thoughts on gardening, thinking that the least fluent speaker or writer would be made eloquent by his subject, but I as- sure you the reverse is the case. The great possibility of my sub- ject overburdens my poor faculties, for if I had the tongue of men and angels combined I should fail to do justice to my theme. Gar- dening has many worthier and far more eloquent champions than myself. In our journey through life, wherever we are or whatever our situation or avocation, we are continually learning lessons, and one of the most important to learn or be acquired is to learn how little we know and how much we do notknow. I think this ap- plies very forcibly to me and gardening. Before deciding on a spot for a garden, we should be cautious in selecting the locality. Mistakes in this matter are often the cause of non-success, when all other things are favorable. We also should select our grounds near some good market, as thecost of marketing our crop is a big item in our expense account, and we have a better chance to take advantage of prices which sometimes are variable. In selecting land for a garden, do not be deceived by any one telling you that if not naturally good the soilcan be made so by cultivation and manure. These, of course, will help, but only as education im- proves the shallow mind, Luxurient crops can no more be raised from a thin and poor soil,no matter how much it is cultivated, than fertile ideas from a shallow brain. In selecting your garden, see that the soil is a good, deep loam, neither sandy nor clayey, as deep as you can get it, through which water will pass freely. On this you can raise abundant crops under good management. In laying out your garden, you should divide it up by the number of feet, giving to this or that tree, flower, vine or vegetable the number of feet which you intend to devote to each and the respective places they are tooccupy. This should be the work of a day and should be carefully done, as work well done is twice done, and you will not _ have to go over your work the next day to ménd the weak places; besides it gives you a feeling of solid self respect to look over your work when well done, and it commands the respect of your neigh- bors also. Thereis nothing so encouraging as successful experi- ments to the gardener and nothing so discouraging as frequent failures. Therefore, think well and work well,and you will not fail of making a good gardener who will not be ashamed of his profes- sion. What can be more interesting than to investigate the habits and growth of fruits and flowers and to help unfold the riches of the vegetable kingdom and to watch their growth and development. It is man’s natural avocation to till the soil—in all the world of nature there is nothing like it. Tilling the soil is one of the most honorable, healthy and desirable pursuits vouchsafed to man. It is pluck that is needed to make a good gardener, with plenty of bull dog tenacity of purpose and stubborness of perserverance. This wins the battle. SOME THOUGHTS ON GARDENING. 379 Nature demands intelligent industry, and she tempts us with op- portunities of financial reward. Gardening, or soil culture,in the widest sense of the word, in- cludes a hundred or more pursuits that call for the thoughtful brain, the inventive wit and skill. There is no employment which demands a closer observation nor so fine a sense of climatic changes nor more infinite knowledge of the life, growth and habits of fruit, flowers and vegetables. It has been said by one of the old writers on this subject that he who could plant a fruit tree and supply it with nourishment and protec- tion through the years that intervene between its root existence and its full harvest of fruitage, is master of a realm of cause, of effect, of influence, of tendency, whose domains are as large as the fruit bear- ing zone of the world. Mr. President, he who can take a piece of sterile land, impoverished and worn out, and plant it into a garden, and by industry and intelligent manipulating of the soil make it productive and to blossom like the rose, has won a victory over ad- verse circumstances prouder than the triumphs of the sword. The love of flowers, fruit and vegetables is natural to all. The Creator of all has ordained man for the cultivation of the soil. Thus we are in a manner, like our first parent Adam, made gardeners. I have otten thought of the transports of joy that must have filled the heart of our first parent as his delighted eyes first luxuriated on the clustered beauties that decked his Eden bowers. Although we may be denied from the beauties of Eden, we still inherit some of the beautiful flowers and fruit. Who does not like them? We are told that Solo- mon in all his glory was not arrayed like the beautiful lily. Dormant indeed must that mind be that fails to derive a feel- ing of elevated and refined delight from the contemplation of those pearly gems that grace the bosom of our mother earth, the jewelry with which heaven has adorned her. Barren indeed this world of ours would be Deprived of the sweet smiles of the beautiful flowers. Who would not be a gardener where nature is so bountiful! She gives us the soil, we try to help her by working it; she keeps the soil moist as we mellow it up: she then lets the air pass into it with its fertility, which she has gathered from the neglected barnyards and cesspools of the land, and this fertility she leaves with the soil. And thus the gardener and nature are working together trying to help each other; thus are our gardens improved and made produc- tive. The more we feed and work the soil of our gardens, the more will nature assist us, and the better will our crops and gardens be. The truth is we are only helping nature at the best, and she pays us well for what we do for her. If we deal generously by her, how well she pays us back— With great waves of plenty, Rolling up their golden harvest at our feet. The question is often asked of us,“would I make a good gardener?” Yes, if you have plenty of mother wit andare willing to put inthe Same energy and hard study that you would to make a good mer- ¥, aa > a 380 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. chant, lawyer or doctor, but you must not think that you have only to plant and sow the seed to reap big crops and prices. You will have to pull off that coat, For you will find plenty to do. You will have no time to sit down and growl, But you will just have to ‘“‘get up and howl,”’ And “paddle your own canoe.” Perhaps you will have some very bad luck, That is the time to show your pluck. You cannot stop to sit down and complain; You will have to get up and shake off the dust, And then go at it again. The problem of creating wealth from the soil is no less difficult and laborious than any other business pursuit,and he who thinks otherwise will learn at the end of sad and dear experience that he was mistaken. Therefore, you want to study hard and get all the information you can from practical men, and dont be afraid to get all the good ideas you can from writers on this subject. Work hard, study hard and keep your eyes wide open, and you will hardly fail. Mr. Stout: Ladies and gentlemen: This is the first meeting of the kind I ever attended. Ihave been in the shoddy busi- ness, and I have talked all my teeth out trying to make people believe that shoddy was as good as all wool. For the last three or four years I have been working in the garden. If you were out in my garden where I work and wanted to know any- thing, I could most likely tell you what you wanted to know, and at any rate any time you come out I can talk you to death in a few hours time. But to get me up here to talk is different. I would like to ask the gentlemen here if they think there is any virtue in coal ashes. Mr. Pearce: No, there is not. Mr. Stout: Well, now, just hold on; let me tell you some- thing. A few years ago I bought a peck of some new kind of potato, and I set them aside and forgot them, and when I found them again it was pretty late,and I had no place to plant them. I had a sandy knoll, mixed with clay, which I thought was good for nothing, but I covered it with coal ashes and put in my potatoes and covered them over, and I noticed after a while that the bugs did not bother them; I asked myself the reason why the bugs did not get after those vines, for it was a fact they let them alone. The vines were not as thick as my arm, and there were no weeds among them either; once in a while a big weed would come up, but on the whole I thought those potatoes would not amount to anything. One day I went to work and dug up some just to see what they were like, and the way those potatoes looked made my eyes stick out like the SE Rae Ee ACE TPG ER) fom eer SOME THOUGHTS ON GARDENING. 381 nigger’s did when he fell in the barrel of lard. And when I came to dig them in the fall, from that one peck I planted there I had eleven bushels of as nice potatoes as you ever laid eyes on—and if those coal ashes did not help them just tell me what did? Now I will tell you another thing. I wanted some early potatoes to plant, and I finally found a man who had some sort that he claimed were good, and I guess they were sprouted a foot long, but I got them and paid a dollar a bushel for them—and I had a piece of ground that I covered over thick with leaves from maple trees. When I was in town and saw a man raking up his yard, I would get the leaves and haul them home, and then I would cover the ground thick with leaves and put coal ashes all over. I plowed that stuff under I took pretty good care of the potatoes, and when I came to dig them in the fall I found I had forty bushels and three pecks from that one bushel. About that time I met a man, and we were talking about potatoes, and he says, ‘‘Just come out to Dakota if you want to raise potatoes.” And I says to him, ‘‘Just you come out here.”” I showed him the potatoes I had raised, and he said, ‘‘By gosh! That beats Dakota.” Now, if coal ashes ain’t good for anything, I don’t understand what made those potatoes turn out like that. Some one wanted to know how it was I had such good luck with tomatoes. In the first place I make a hotbed. I pile up about three or four feet of manure, and then I put on, say, four inches of soil. And if I get in a hurry, and the manure doesn’t heat, it don’t worry me a bit; I just heat a few kettles full of water, and I stick a funnel inthe manure and pour that hot water in, and the bed is not long in getting up a good heat. I plant my tomato seed in that hotbed, and after they are about four inches high I reset theminacold frame. That is a sort of a hotbed anyway; I put manure in the bottom. I[leave them in there until the plants get about eight or ten inches high. I take them out again, and by that time they have pretty good roots on, and I make a bed right on the ground and transplant them again, and when I get ready to set them out they have small buds on. I put out four rows across the garden three rods long, and they were all out in blossom, and one night it looked as though it was going to be pretty cold, so I gota lot of old stumps and things together and made a little smudge. Where I got hold of that was down in New Jersey. One year there was a man there that had a very fine peach orchard; he thought it was getting pretty cold, and he went to town to a 382 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. tannery and got a lot of dry tanbark, and they hauled that out there and put it in piles around his orchard, and then he went all around those heaps around his peach orchard and set them afire, and that man was the only man in the county that had a peach. I tried his game, and it came pretty cold that night, and wherever that smoke blew there was not a tomato hurt, but the smoke only blew over a few, and I mistrusted there would be trouble, and when I got out in the morning I saw where the trouble was; I saw thatthe minute [ got there. So I pitched right in and reset those that were killed, and by the time anybody came around everything looked just as nice and green as though we never had any frost. One man says to me, “T’d like to know why you are any better than the rest of us.” T couldn’t tell him. Inevertold them that I got up bright and early and reset those that were gone. Now I want to give you a conundrum. Why am I likea new kind of squash I’ve got? Give it up, eh! I am inclined to sport. THE NEW STRAWBERRY CULTURE. L. J. FARMER, PULASKI, N. Y. (Reference was made to this article in the April number, but it appears to be of sufficient value to printentire. Sec’y.) The “new strawberry culture” is to take up the plants in the spring and instead of setting them out permanently at once to set them in a small bed close together, about twenty plants to the linear foot, and shade from the direct rays of the sun for a few days until firmly es- tablished. A furrow about eight inches deep is made with a spade, the plants are trimmed of superfluous leaves, their roots shortened to four inches and then set closely to the land side, hauling earth up onto the roots,filling the furrow. The little rows are made abouta foot apart, except once in a while when a row is omitted for a path to facilitate moving among them in watering and spraying. Fine rotted manure is put between the rows for a mulch and to add fer- tility. The plants are kept in this bed about a month or six weeks. Meanwhile they are watered as often as necessary and sprayed with Bordeaux mixture once a week to free them of the leaf blight. When ready to set out,the ground is soaked about the plants, and they are taken up in pansand carried tothefield. Whilein this bed new roots start out on all sides of the old ones. These cling to the soil,and when transplanted earth is taken along with the plants, and they grow right along, receiving no check in transplanting. The advantages of this system are many. As is well known,if you set plants out permanently early in April, the ground cannot be properly prepared because it is too wet, etc. Set out so early, they Rha IPH Se ee wltg 7 PF. THE NEW STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 383 apparently stand still and become thoroughly infested with leaf blight, but the weeds do not fail to grow unless a great amount of work is laid out on them. Strawberry growers all know that the first six weeks after the plants are set is the most expensive period. You must be ever vigi- lant or the weeds get the start, especially if the plants are weak and debilitated by leaf blight. By our new method the field is plowed and worked over with har- rows and cultivators for about six weeks before setting out the plants. All weed seeds are destroyed, and if the land is infested with grubs they are brought to the surface where birds pick them up. In our locality we keep the plants in the beds and do not set them out permanently until about June first. At this time the soil is warm, and, if the last harrowings be very shallow, the soil will be moist, and when set out the plants will boom right along. One of the greatest advantages of this system is that it facilitates the spraying. We find that it is absolutely necessary to spray with Bordeaux mixture if we are to keep plants healthy. It is expensive to go over eight thousand plants and spray them if they are spread over anacre. It takes more time,and much liquidis wasted. When set in a bed closely together,it can be done easily and cheaply every week, and the leaf blight is killed before the plants go to the field. Ordinarily, I do not believe they wi!ll need further spraying the same year and hardly ever in the fruiting year if plants are set on clean soil notinfested with leaf blight fungus. They will, however, need further spraying if stawberries have been grown on the same soil year after year. Farmers are always busy getting in spring crops at the season strawberries are generally set. By this plan they wait until the rush is over. A man will “heel in,’or set closely together, ten thous- and plants in a day, while to set out permanently an ordinary man can only handle abouttwothousand plants. If treated right,nearly and often quite as good a growth may be secured as when plants are set by the old method in early spring. I have seen rows nine feet wide grown in one season from plants treated in this manner. If plants are wanted for setting the middle or latter part of June, they should not be heeled in the little bed until about May 15th or thereabouts. The earlier you intend setting out permanently, the earlier they should be heeled in,and rice versa. Of course, all blos- soms and runners should be removed from the plants when they are set closely in the heeling-ground, and when finally taken up all old leaves and any superfluous foliage should be clipped off. Practical experience is worth more than theory, and for the benefit of those who might otherwise think this something that had been gotten up simply because it was new, I will say that we have been practicing this plan with great success for several years.—Western N. ¥. Horticultural Society’s Report of 1895. 7 a +2 - 384 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. COMMENTS ON CAPTAIN CROSS’ FORESTRY PLAN. H. B. Ayres, Esq., one of the committee appointed by the Forestry Association to investigate and report to the associa- tion upon the suggestion of Captain J. N. Cross for a plan to induce the pine land owners to deed their non-agricultural cut- over pine lands to the state for the purposes of a natural and inexpensive re-foresting of the same by simply keeping the fires out, submitted the plan to Prof. C. S. Sargent of Harvard University, who is a member of the national committee of forestry appointed by the Smithsonian Institute on the re- quest of President Cleveland to formulate a plan of national forestry, and who on commenting on Mr. Cross’ plan wrote to Mr. Ayres as follows: “With regard to the matter of the state of Minnesota receiving and holding stump lands presented to it, I should think the best way would be to get a board of trustees appointed to hold such lands. The danger in such matters is always that of political interference. If you could get a good non-partisan board of three or five with au- thority to fill their own vacancies, the future control of these lands would be entirely outside from politics, provided the first members of such a board, who would have to be appointed by the governor, were good men and not politicians. The trouble always has been in New York that the forest commission has been a political body. This fact has been a very serious damage to the interest of the state and if Minnesota is to adopt a plan for acquiring and caring for state lands, it will be wise to use every effort to avoid the mistakes made by New York. I should bevery glad to hear from you again on this subject, which is of very great national importance.” William M. Canby, Esq., an eastern capitalist, greatly inter- ested in forestry, writes to Mr. Ayres concerning Mr. Cross’ plan as follows: | “T am glad to hear from youagain. So far as I can judge the plan suggested by Mr. Cross is good as a start, but your people will { have to learn that forestry is a business and has to be conducted on just as good business principles as any other enterprise. Forestry means not only to keep a tract in wood land, but to make it pay asa wood land; and this means that it must be looked upon as a crop, and that eventual thinning out is to be done with due regard to the growing timber so as to get the largest returns possible without trespassing upon that which is to come. I do not know exactly what “dead and down timber” means, but what you ought to aim for is the greatest amount of timber that is alive and standing but ripe; and if you aré wise you will not sell it on the ground to be removed) but will see that it is got out without injuring the balance. I have not time to write more than this. Prof. Sargent and I expect to make a visit to one old grove in Montana, north of Flathead lake, this summer.” Orocare ABBIE GUILD FORD, DIED AT SAN DIEGO, CAL., AUG... 4, 1896. Many hearts will mourn in sympathy with our old friend, L. M. Ford, at the unexpected death of the companion of his life. Only a few weeks since, in a very bright and cheery way, he spoke of the happiness of himself and wife and the pleasure of life. Mr. Ford is especially affiicted in that no children remain from this long union to cheer and comfort his declining years. A sketch of her life will appear in an early number. Mrs. Ford was herself very much interested in hor- ticulture, and especially in the culture of flowers. Sec’y. IN MEMORIAM, I am sad and very lonely, ‘ As I think of other days; Sorrow is my portion only, While I try to sing her praise. She was true as wife could be, For she gave her life for me. In this land of palms and roses, Lay we now that form to rest; While her dust in peace reposes, All we love has joined the blest In a clime where none grow old Nor lay down their harps of gold. But she loved those prairie flowers And the notes of northern birds, Lilies sweet in sylvan bowers And the tramp of lowing herds. There are dear ones who will weep When they learn that she’s asleep. She and [I so long have tended Flowerlets fair from every clime. Graces rare in her were blended, That can ne’er be told in rhyme. Now at three score years and ten, Tearfully these lines I pen, My dear wife, Abbie Guild Ford, expired from the effects of a paralytic stroke, received July 20, while going to visit the Misses Clark at Coronado. She brought me, quite sick, to Los Angeles, in November, 1885, and a year later to San Diego. Over forty years ago we were married at Sandusky, Ohio, and went to St. Paul, Minnesota, where I bought a claim in 1850, about half way to St. Anthony, there being no Minneapolis in those days. Though an invalid from girlhood, she outlived many dear friends, and only two weeks before her death looked as young as at fifty, with only a tinge of gray hairs, and had not begun to use glasses. She was born in Pawlet, Vermont, December 31, 1824, my birthday being January 22, 1825. L. M. Forp, San Diego, California, August 4, 1896. ————— rl TCU. eptember alendar. J. S. HARRIS. September is the month for agricultural fairs. Every farmer and horticulturist who possibly can should attend the state fair and see the full fruitage of the work of the state horticultural so- ciety, the best exhibition of fruit ever seen in the state. He should take his wife along and not forget to give his boys and girls the benefit of beautiful object lessons that will stimulate them to be- come better farmers and horticulturists. He should also attend his own county fair with all of his family; holding a paid-up ticket by the “straight and narrow way,” and help to make it a success by taking in something for exhibition. Carry a memorandum book and pencil,and learn the correct names of the varieties of fruit, vegetables, etc.,and set them down for future reference; interview the men who have the best exhibits and find out how they do it. FRUITS. Winter apples will keep better if gathered as soon as matured or tree-ripened and before severe frosts occur. They should be hand- picked from the trees and handled as carefully as you would handle eggs, and stored inacool place. The fall fruit should be disposed of as fast asripened, Nothing will be gained by waiting for better prices. That which is sold should be carefully sorted and made to be of one quality all through the package. Plenty should be dried for next spring’s and summer's use, and to tide over a year of short crops; good dried fruit will always sell if not needed at home. The poorer grades should be ground up and converted into vine- gar, and that which is worthless for other purposes should not be allowed to rot on the ground but be picked up and fed to stock. Nameless fruit is much less valuable without a name than if it had one. Instead of inventing a name for it, take good specimens to the fair or to some competent person and find out the true name Weeds in the orchard are a great nuisance and afford a harbor for vermin. Remove them before they scatter their seed. In the small fruit garden, keep the strawberry beds clean from purslane and other weeds, and remove the old canes that have fruited and all surplus canes from the blackberry and raspberry patches, and clean out the weeds to give those remaining a chance to ripen and harden up for winter. Grapes are now ripening, and birds often find them out and make sad havoc with them. Watch closely and if needs be use the hard remedy of powder and shot. Pick carefully when fully ripe, with long stems, and pack in baskets or shallow boxes for market. _ Secretary's (Corner. THE SECRETARY AT THE FAIR.—On account of the official connec- tion of the secretary with the horticultural exhibit at the state fair, he will be found there all through fair week, and during that period the office and library will be closed, YELLOW CLOVER.—Mr. R. H. Pendergast, of Dulutb, has sent me a specimen plant of a small kind of clover with a bright yellow blossom. Do any of our readers know anything about this? Mr. Pendergast found it growing on his lawn. CoOL, J. H. STEVENS.—We are glad to announce the steady improve- ment in health of Col. Stevens. Few were aware of the severity of the attack which prostrated him some three months since. For several weeks he was confined to his bed, but a steady gain has at last brought him down stairs and out of doors, and we hope soon to see him about on the streets again. His active, temperate and wholesome life stand him in good stead now at the time of his need. THREE SCORF AND TEN.—On August 17th last, our esteemed fel- low worker, John S. Harris, passed the alloted span of life which terminates with the seventieth birthday, and he is now living on “borrowed time.” With his temperate, cheerful and honest life, we have reason to believe his credit so good that he will be able to make a long loan at the outset and easily renew it as it matures. That he may be granted a long lease of days in which to prosecute the good work he has so much at heart is the earnest wish and prayer of his host of friends. A CHANGE OF NAME SUGGESTED.—Prof. W. M. Hays, of the Univ- ersity Experiment Farm, suggests the advisability of changing the name of the “experiment stations” conducted under the auspices of this society to “trial stations,” so as to avoid any possible confusion with the experiment stations now being conducted by the state ex- periment station as branches. There being now three of these sub- stations in operation in which experiments are being conducted in horticulture as well as other branches of agriculture, it appears that such a change would be in the direction of clearness in no- menclature, A FREESTONE PLUM.—We received from the Jewell Nursery Com- pany, lately, specimens of a handsome reddish-yellow plum of large size for the season, 44g in. around, which at the proper stage of ma- turity is a full freestone, with fine flesh, of excellent quality and entirely free from astringency. Wenote that the stone is flat and of large circumference, so that the fruit is more nearly divided in half by it than in the case of any other native plum within our recollecton. This, we take it, adds materially to its otherwise especial value for domestic purposes. It is also a fime dessert fruit. If the tree has as many good qualities as the fruit, it is well worth disseminating. No name accompanied the specimens. 388 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. HORTICULTURE IN THE NORTHWESTERN AGRICULTURIST.—The horticultural columns in this Minneapolis farmers’ paper are now in the charge of Mr. KE. J. Cutts. Mr. Cutts is a nurseryman of con- siderable experience residing at Howard Lake, Wright Co., and heis fortunate in being engaged in a business to which he is attached. He is a gentleman of culture and enterprise and will add an element of real value to this useful journal. Mr. Collins is to be congratu- lated in securing so competent a successor to Mr. Clarence Wedge, by whose efforts the horticultural department of this paper was given marked prominence. Mr. Cutts has been for some years an active and useful member of our organization. KEROSENE EMULSION.—Hard soap, half pound; boiling water, one gallon; kerosene, two gallons. Dissolve the soap in the water, add the kerosene, and churn with a pump for5to10 minutes. Dilute four to twenty-five times before ap- plying. Use strong emulsion for all scale insects; for such insects as plant lice, mealy bugs, red spider and thrips, weaker preparations will prove effective. Cabbage worms, currant worms and all insects which have soft bodies, can also be successfully treated. It is ad- visable to make the emulsion shortly before it is used. The above is the latest formula for this useful preparation as issued by the Cornell Agricultural Experiment Station and can be relied upon. OUR HORTICULTURAL LECTURER.—Prof. O. C, Gregg sends infor- mation of a change in the personnel of the lecturer on horticulture in the Farmers’ Institute Corps, Mr. E. J. Cutts, of Howard Lake, Wright county, taking the place vacated by the resignation of Mr. Clarence Wedge. Speaking of Mr. Wedge’s retirement, Mr. Gregg says: “I deeply regret the loss of Mr. Wedge from our work. His home conditions were such that he concluded he could not continue with us, so we reluctantly parted with him.” In another note in this “Corner” reference is made to Mr. Cutts’ training in and love for hort- iculture—and we believe he is well fitted to succeed also in this hon- orable and useful position. Mr. Wedge’s mantle seems to have fallen upon him, and we expect he will wear it with credit to himself and benefit to the public. NEW CREATIONS IN FRUITS AND FLOWERS.—The annual catalogue of Luther Burbank, of Santa Rosa, Cal., is one of great value to any one interested in the production of new varieties by the process of hybridization. According to this list his experiments are confined mainly to walnuts, quinces, plums, the small fruits and roses, though other species are not forgotten. His descriptions of new fruits in- clude a raspberry earlier in ripening than the strawberry and one the fruit of which is three times the size of the Gregg; absolutely thornless raspberries, blackberries and dewberries; raspberry- strawberry hybrids, valuable,however, only asa curiosity,and many other objects of interest. A number of acres are being devoted to the work and hundreds of thousands of hybrids and cross-bred seed- lings are being tested. It is claimed to be much the most extensive SECRETARY’S CORNER. 389 enterprise of the kind in the world. The occupation is certainly a fascinating one as well as useful, and in these times of unlimited demand for something new may bea profitable one also. “NORTHWESTERN POMOLOGY.”—This is the title of a book pub- lished in 1894, by its author, C. W. Gurney, of Concord, Nebraska, a nurseryman of long experience. A marked and interesting feature of this work are the peculiarities of the writer which vein it throughout. Beginning with the propagation of stock in the nur- sery, he goes through the usual routine of subjects in similar works, concluding with a chapteron “Humbugs.” Sufficiently in detail and in an attractive way he describes the various methods and processes in use in the culture of Northern fruits, giving in an easy and conversational style his views and experience on the sub- ject. Though a little foreign to the title, it contains a chapter on ever- greens, born evidently of his experience with them. Asa whole, it will be found an especially readable book and probably more than any other ofits kind—except Prof.Green’s “Amateur Fruit Growing,” which was prepared expressly for this locality—of value to the North- western pomologist. The book is appropriately named. It is a duodecimo volume of 293 pages and for sale by the author. PREMIUM LisT, ANNUAL MEETING, DEC, 1, 1896 —The following list of premiums on fruit to be exhibited at the next annual meeting, has been decided upon. As has already been announced in these columns, fruit designed for exhibition at that time can be sent to cold storage in Minneapolis, and will be cared for there without ex- pense on the part of the exhibitor and at the proper time be deliv- ered at the place of meeting. Apply to the secretary for tags to be used in making shipments. APPLES AND CRABS. 1st 2d Prem. Prem. SOMERS ENON oe fom oin gates ie ats ia! Ort sie selon sae thes 3d prem. $3.00 $8.00 $5.00 Each variety exhibited included in the fruit list of Pet OCIS LYK LOT 1500s, se a ehel pores asic oa dea ameer te aie oa 3 SOO 00 Each variety exhibited not included in above men- BEUIMEELS CRORES es ry Mer oe ico iS Sn 8 2 ara aia Fad. cve bates ao Seiaiavad 3 90 .29 Seedling apple, never before exhibited................ 3.00 2.00 PEACHES. POUR Ea IACIS LELYEE EMIED | ore Siaps, ota wos. = 4

, THE MINNESOTA HORTICULTURIST. VOL. 24. NOVEMBER, 1806, NO. ut. “THE NEW HORTICULTURE."’ BY H. M. STRING- FELLOW, OF GALVESTON, TEXAS. (A review). F, H, NUTTER, MINNEAPOLIS. This is indeed a time of transition, and, whichever way we may turn, we are confronted by the “new religion,” the “new woman” and many other novelties well calculated to shock the conservative mind, and it is not entirely unfitting that the “new horticulture” should also appear upon the stage, though our author strenuously asserts that his theories are not really new but founded on the methods by which nature has worked from the beginning. The book named above has been read with great interest, as it is very attractively written and printed, and presents to our minds the evolution of an enthusiastic horticulturist from a discouraged and disappointed business man. Though written for a southern climate, the opening chapters on gardening present many hints and expedients which may be worthy of consideration in our latitude, but when the writer presents his theories, and also his practice, in regard to methods of pruning and transplanting trees and vines and as to their effects on the future health and productiveness of the tree, doubtless the cry of “ heresy’ will begin to be heard; for to take a thrifty tree and trim off all the top and cut away all the roots till it has been reduced to whata emall boy would consider an ideal “shinny club,” insert the lower end in ahole made with a crowbar, tamp itin like a post and then to expect the results to more than rival those obtained by our ordinary methods, is certainly a startling one, to say the least. Our author presents his theories with vigor and, unfortunately for his opponent, backs them up with facts from extensive experi- ments on his own part and that of others, which it would seem could only be successfully met by a direct denial or else the claim that his own particular locality is exempt from the usual laws of nature On those who read it, the book will have, probably, one of two effects: to many it will bring helpful suggestions and food for thought and, doubtless, stimulate some to investigations, for as to the theories advanced we can surely say with safety, as was often done in war time in regard to rumors from the front, “important, if true.” With others, especially if they be among those “ scientists ” whom the writer, doubtless, erroneously believes to be selfishly and wilfully opposed to him, it will be apt to provoke laughter and scorn, perhaps profanity. Try it and see. 434 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. IN THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. GEO. H. PRESCOTT, ALBERT LEA. The first product of my garden is asparagus. There seems to be two ways of cutting it: first, as soon as it appears above ground, dig down a few inches and cut it off about four inches long—it is white, and some prefer it that way; second, let it grow about four inches high and cut even with the ground—I think it best this way. We are advised to spread manure on in the fall, but I think it best to put a dressing of manure on as soon as done cutting and work it in two or three times until the growth gets high enough to shade the ground. By so doing, it will thaw out earlierin the spring, and you can cut it earlier. The first asparagus brings the money, and that is what we are after. In the meantime, a few rows of beets and spinach should be planted for greens. Sow thickly in rows eighteen inches apart, and when large enough thin out by taking a handful and leaving about half as much in the row; and so continue to the end. Afterwards thin out to one plant. They will be about four inches apart and should be left until large enough to cook. Sow as early as possible, as frost does not injure much. Sow every ten days until Fourth of July. Peas and onion sets should be planted as soon as the ground can be worked, also lettuce, as they will stand quite a heavy frost. Plant peas in rows quite thick, eighteen inches apart for Little Gem, which I consider the best for all purposes. Sow every ten days until the middle of July. Plant onion sets one inch apart in the row, and rows twelve inches apart. I use any kind of small onions I have onhand. Pull out the largest for table use, until thinned to three or four inches apart in the row, which are left for cooking. Sow lettuce in rows one foot apart quite thick and thin out for use, leaving some for heading later on. Sweet Corn. The Early Minnesota, with white cob, is as good as any. A row or two should be risked quite early, and if killed by frost the second planting ten days later will be all right. It should be planted every ten days until the middle of Jul y—fresh, soft, sweet corn is in demand until killed by frost. Plant in rows three feet apart, one kernel in a hill, one foot apart in the row. We must not forget our potatoes, if they are only ten cents a bushel now. Go into the cellar and take some with sprouts on, and be careful and uot break or bruise the sprouts. Cut to one or two eyes, and plant in rows three feet apart and six inches apart in the row for Early Rose or Beauty of Hebron. If the frost cuts the tops a little, they will come out all right. In former years I used to transplant my tomato and cabbage plants two or three times to give them a good root and make them stocky. I now let them grow in the hotbed until a foot high—to- matoes in blossom sometimes. In setting out I use a garden fork. Put it in the ground quite slanting, lifting the ground up enough to put the plant half the length of it in the ground, drop the dirt on it and press with the foot. Water if necessary. They seldom wilt when planted this way and develop a stronger root. IN THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 435 Plant cabbages two or three feet apart, according to the kind of cabbage. I put mine so close that the last time through the culti- vator breaks off some of the leaves. The Dwarf Champion tomato suits me the best, yields well, is early, bears good showy fruit and can be picked more easily than those with larger vines. Itshould be planted close enough to entirely cover the ground at maturity, Ground cherries should be planted the same as tomatoes, putting one-half of the plant in the ground, if tall when setting out, to give them plenty of roots. They, like tomatoes, throw out roots the whole length of that part put in the ground. Some of you may think [am putting my plants too close together, but it seems to be a provision of nature for the earth to be covered with vegetation, and if the grower does not plant close enough weeds of all kinds will spring up until the ground is covered. There is a great deal said about mulching but the true mulch is the crop you raise. Go to the forest where the trees are close enough together to shade (mulch) the ground, and when it does rain the moisture is kept until the trees need it. So itis in the potato patch; when the plants cover the ground it will be found cool and moist under the vines; where a few hills are missing, you will find weeds growing. When rows are wide apart, itis the same. So follow na- ture and plant close enough to cover the ground when the plant is about full grown. THE PLUM, OR PEACH, CURCULIO is a native American insect, and is the chief enemy of all our choicest stone fruits. The perfect in- sect is a small, rough, brownish beetle, with some markings of shin- ing black and ochre yellow. It is about one-fifth of an inch long, quite stout and with its beakand legs folded close to its body bears a close resemblance to a dried bud of the peach or plum. Its small but sharp jaws are on the end of a stout, curved beak. It comes out of its winter quarters early in the spring, and feeds sparingly on the opening leaf buds. Shortly after the young peaches or other fruits are formed, its work will be found upon them, Two sorts of punctures may be noticed; one a simple cut through the skin for the purpose of feeding upon the flesh underneath, the other larger and deeper, accompanied by the crescent-shaped slit, which marks the position of theegg. The cavity for the latter being prepared, the insect reverses its position and drops into it a single pearly white egg. The crescent is then cut, partly encircling it, apparently for the purpose of deadening the little flap, in order that the delicate egg may not be crushed bythe too rapid growth of the fruit cells. The curculio is a long-lived insect, and the females continue the process of egg-laying at the rate of from two to five a day for a per- iod of six weeks or two months, and, though but single-brooded, their period of activity is so long that their larve will be found in all but the latest varieties of peaches and plums, and even these will often be seriously marred by punctures made in feeding. This insect hibernates in the perfect state around buildings and under the loose bark of forest trees or any other convenient shelter. The best remedies are trapping in the early spring by means of chips and cobs placed upon the carefully smoothed earth around the trees and De eng from the trees upon cloths or in the regular curculio catcher. Spraying with the arsenites has not proved suffi- ciently successful to warrant its advocacy in the case of this in- sect.—Report Mo. State Horticultural Society, 1895. 436 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. STRAWBERRIES. A DISCUSSION. Mr. A. H. Brackett: Would it not be a good idea to cover the straw- berries before the ground freezes? Does not Mr. Wedge advocate that? Mr. C. Wedge: I have had no experience in the matter, but Iam cov- ering my strawberries a little earlier each year. lam quite confidant that a year ago we would have saved our plants in much better shape if we had covered them lightly. Pres. J. M. Underwood: I should think the greatest danger to the plants is the.alternate freezing and thawing that comes the latter part of October. On our place we make a practice of covering the beds as soon as we geta light freeze. The ground this fall was hard, and we could drive on just as well as if it was frozen. The plants have grown all they will grow and all they want to grow, and we can commence to cover with straw, and we never have had any trouble from covering them too close. If we had a warm spell, it might occasionally do a little harm. Mr. J. P. West: How thick do you cover? |} Pres. Underwood: We use clean straw, free from chaff and free of seeds, and it is thrown on lightly; the straw lays up very lightly, and you would say there was six inches of straw on, but when it comes to settle down there would not be more than three or four inches. I imagine marsh hay would cover them closer than rye straw. Mr. West: What do you do with that in the spring? Pres. Underwood: We rake it off and letit stay inthe rows. In growing different varieties we have a wide row between so there will be plenty of room to pile the mulch. If the ground is hard, we take that mulching off and lay it in a large windrow, and if it is neces- sary put it back, but if the ground is in good condition and the weather is moisttooand we find we can get along without that extra work, we do it. Mr. West: What time in the spring do you find it best to uncover plants? Pres. Underwood: A large part of our strawberry ground is in- tended for plants, and those we have to uncover earlier. If you dig from beds in the fall season, it makes it necessary to cover those beds earlier, because if you let them stay there after having dug around the roots, I think it weakens them—tnat is, those plants that are left there in the spring. If I could I would leave the mulching on as late as possible, on account of keeping them back. I do not know that it does keep them back, but it does some, perhaps. If you took the mulching off early, you might have to put it back again. Mr. F. W. Kimball: Would it put back the blossom? Pres. Underwood: I do not know; I never experimented in that way. I satisfied myself that you can keep fruit trees back by mulch- ing, but, perhaps, strawberries you can not. How is it, Prof. Green, can you keep strawberries back by keeping the mulching on? Prof. S. B. Green: Yes, a good deal. Pres. Underwood: How much? Ee a ee _ . STRAWBERRIES. 437 Prof. Green: I don't know just how much. I know some years there was a difference of ten days or more. Pres. Underwood: It would be desirable to keep it on then? Mr. Brackett: I always keep mine on until the leaves begin to bleach. Mr. D. Cook: How much later does it keep the fruit back? Prof. Green: Some of mine have been kept back ten days. Pres. Underwood: Iam afraid Mr. Cook is trying to get me intoa hole. Mr. Cook: I have kept the blossoms back ten days, but the fruit not more than three or four days. Mr. W. J. Kellogg: I donot think you can retard the fruit more than three days, and you can retard the blossom no more than the fruit. I came up here to learn how to grow two hundred bushels of strawberries to the acre every year without so much expense. (Laughter.) Mr. A.J. Philips: There was one point in Mr. Hopkins’ paper that was perhaps lost sight of by some; it gave me a little information, and that was in reference to putting down canes. In traveling over the northern portion of our state, where there are some large planta- tions located, every man invariably said this: “I never laid down my canes when they laid down so easy.” I never heard any one say why it was, but Mr. Hopkins said he believed after quite a freeze if the canes thawed out they were more pliable. This year we hada freeze. There were quite a lot of potatoes in the ground, but it was sufficient to freeze them so they will never be dug. Warm weather came along afterwards,and the people laid down their canes, and I think Mr. Hopkins’ head is level on that subject; I think it is the freezing and thawing that made them lay down so easy. Mr. Brackett: I had notroubleatall with breaking in laying down my berries. I do not lay them so low; I cover them with hay instead of with earth. Pres. Underwood: Do you find that sufficient? Mr. Brackett: That has been sufficient so far; I never have had any trouble. Mr. Philips. We have in Wisconsin this year more dirt than hay. (Laughter.) Mr. C. F. Gardner of Iowa: Is it a wise thing to wilt anything to lay it down easy? Mr. Philips of Wisconsin: That would be a question to test next spring. Pres. Underwood: I do not know whether it would do if you had a large plantation to cover. I think the growth of the vines can be directed a good deal during the summer so they will lay down easily, and if a vine has been laid down once it has a natural incli- nation to lie down again. I think it is a good idea to educate them to lie down, like the turkeys who laid down and stuck up their legs to be tied. (Laughter.) Mr. Philips,of Wisconsin: They used to tell that in Wisconsin about the chickens when the preachers came around. (Laughter.) ee Ce i 6 ay, ae ies. 438 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. A CITY ORCHARD. H, R. BIRCH, 1706 SOUTH SIXTH ST., MINNEAPOLIS. In the year 1875, twenty years ago, I bought one-half doz, Duchess apple trees of Wyman Elliot. Idug out a space about six feet in diameter and about fifteen inches deep, and set out my trees about ten feet apart—I set them that near together on account of spacey | for I had only two lots at that time. Then I put in one-half dozen or so of round cobble stones, from three to six inches in diameter, the large ones under the largest roots of each tree. I think the stones retain the moisture in summer, and in the spring they hold the frost in the ground and prevent the trees from budding so early in the spring, and that prevents the late frosts from injuring the fruit. When I hoe my garden I rake up all around each tree all of the weeds, sticks and stones that I find, and then I put a little earth on top to make my garden look well; but any good mulching will do, My trees have borne apples every year since they first commenced to bear, but this fall has beat any past record. I raised twenty-four bushels of nice apples from four trees. Two trees died on account of being set out too near my well, which was twenty feet deep. I did not have hydrant water until 1889, since which time I have had plen- ty of water in summer. Duchess apple trees ought to Voie from the south side of the body of the tree. But where the fun comes in is in scaring the boys away from stealing your apples. To scare the boys I recommend a shotgun in plain sight of the boys and a high board fence. Mr. A. J. Philips: Did you have a good crop this year? Mr. Birch: I had twenty-four bushels from four trees. I sold $16.00 worth of apples. Mr. Clarence Wedge: How many trees aids you say you had? Mr. Birch: I planted six trees, but two of them died. Mr. Wedge: What kind of soil have you? Mr. Birch: It is a rich loam, about a foot deep, with a little sand sprinkled in, then it goes down about three feet into clay hard pan, that will nearly hold water. MARKETING GRAPES.—Grapes, like other fruits, need to be care- fully handled to bring the best prices. The vines need to be gone over frequently during the ripening season,gathering only those with full color, because grapes do not, like other fruits, color after being gathered. The bunches should be cut off with a pair of scissors and so handled as not to disturb the bloom. Ordinary varieties may be at once packed from the vines into the basket that is intended for sale. Choice varieties should be gathered in shallow trays or baskets, in which they should stand a day or two on shelves in the fruit house, and then re-packed. By this treatment the stems will wilt, and the bunches will then keep without molding and pack more closely than when green.—Canadian Horticulturist. TO PROTECT THE BEAUTY OF THE WOODS. 439 TO PROTECT THE BEAUTY OF THE WOODS. G. F, SCHWARTZ, NUENDEN, GERMANY. It may not be generally realized that scientific forestry, though of inestimable value to a growing country, may in time despoil the woodland scenery of much of its highest charm. If this is so, what is the remedy? It seems to me that it might be desira- ble to include in the prospective managing boards of our forest interests, whether state or national, some person or persons whose influence should count for the aesthetic value of our forests. In such a staff of directors, for instance, as were proposed by Mr. Jud- son N. Cross, of Minneapolis,in his scheme for restoring and pre- serving the Minnesota woods, might it not be proper under these conditions to include some authority on art, somebody with a recognized understanding and appreciation of the beautiful in nature? When I say that scientific forestry tends to mar the beauty of woodland scenery,I refer to the changes in outward appearances that natural forests undergo as a result of some of the methods pre- scribed by scientific forestry. On the whole, such forests, in time, assume a strikingly artificial look: they show the evidence of man’s handling’s and interference for some purpose. The trees, where planted or systematically sown, stand in monotonous rows or squares. The transition from undergrowth to standing forest is often abrupt and unpleasant. Again, there is not infrequently a systematic lopping of the lower branches, through which the crowns of the trees are raised to an awkward and unnatural height. Ata distance the artificiality of such woodsis still more obtrusive. They are apt to look patched and pieced together, incongruous in outline and form of surface and discordant in combination of color. An. irregular strip of young beeches, for instance, may be followed by a patch of full grown pines, and this in turn bya bare spot ready foran aftergrowth. Asarule, there is wanting that graceful out- line, soft blending of shades and fitness in detail that nature, left to herself, so well knows how to produce. In detailing these effects of scientific forestry, I have only tried to show that scientfic forestry methods do, in fact, influence undesira- bly the outward appearance of forests. The effects I have spoken of are mostly the results of important principles of forestry and can- not be sweepingly removed. And yet, something may, perhaps, be done to mitigate their effect. It is plain, of course, that,on the whole, forestry must be allowed free scope. It should be remem- bered that forestry is an art as well as a science, and that, according to the conditions of soil, climate and so forth, cases may arise where one method would serve nearly as well as another. If in some way the primeval aspect of a characteristic bit of scenery might be pre- served without seriously departing from the main principles of the best forestry practice, might not such a departure be justified? I have in mind a part of the woods belonging to the city of Stuttgart, Wurtemberg, which lies several miles from the city ona hill. In this case, an order was given several years ago that these woods should at no time be cleared, like the surrounding forest, but that 440 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. reforestration should be effected through natural seeding or plant- ing in order that the dense beauty of the green forest might stand uninterruptedly an agreeable sight to the citizens. Wemay, perhaps, assume or at least hope that our system of forest man- agement will be more pliable and elastic than the forestry systems of European countries, because our civil institutions are less rigid and bureaucratic than theirs; which leads me to believe that instances like the one I have cited might with us be made of still wider appli- cation. It is even conceivable that special cases might arise where the exceptional beauty of the landscape might warrant an entire subordination to it of the question of material gain aimed at by forestry. Aside from this, the critic I have proposed could exercise his powers in certain other specific ways. He could, for instance, select exceptionally beautiful or otherwise remarkable individual trees for special protection and preservation. It occurs to me that the selection of wooded areas for country parks, etc., might like- wise be entrusted to his care. In this way it would be possible to retain something of the pris- tine beauty of our scenery, and some of the best influences of nature, so constantly threatened in various ways by “progress and civili- zation,’ might be preserved.—_Garden and Forest. NATIVE EVERGREENS. H. B. AYRES, CARLTON. With little experience in cultivating, I have doubted my useful- ness as a member of this committee. Impressions as to what treatment the several plants like have been formed not by personal care of them but merely by seeing them under various circumstances, whether in cultivation or wild. These remarks, therefore, should be received with sharp criticism, and the pros and cons should be well considered before going to expense or making any venture based upon them; but if the woods man can help the prairie man in his need or make the city man happier by reminding him of or leading him to the restful retreats of the forest, he is only glad to have the privilege. There is reason why the prairie people of Minnesota should be deeply interested in evergreens, especially in the trees, We havea great diversity of soil and climate. Analyses and the yields of favorable seasons show most of the soil to be very rich in plant food, and our problem is how to prepare and serve this food for our plants, that they may grow fat and fine and always yield us good crops. Experience has been slowly and expensively teaching us that on the prairie trees are desired not merely for ornament and for their wood, but that windbreaks and groves are needed to check evaporation and otherwise regulate moisture and temper the air: } But we have not always succeeded in growing windbreaks and . groves. We need to be learning the hardy trees and the way to ! treat them. ; If we begin on the Atlantic coast and travel northwestward across the continent, we find farms follow the hardwood, but unfavorable NATIVE EVERGREENS. 441 soil and climate among the conifers. Toward the summits of moun- tains and upon the borders of other barrens where trees have a struggle for existence (and fires are not prevalent), we find the picket line to be of evergreens. Asarule, we find them enduring greater extremes of temperature, more and drier wind, less fertile soil and less moisture than deciduous trees. These were the ideas acted upon when Dr. Fernow planted jack and Norway pine from Minnesota in the the sand hills of Nebraska. The experiment proved an eminent success, the jack pine (Pinus banksSsiana), direct from the forest, proving the hardiest of all the many trees planted there. I do not know what trials have been made in Minnesota; I have not heard of these two pines being tried; even if they have been tried and have failed, perhaps some essential provision nature makes has been overlooked. Fora striking illustration of such provision, take the spruces and fires growing in exposed situations: they have their lower branches longer than those above, and those of the black spruce especially, vine-like, run out upon the ground forming a dense mat about the base of the tree. The snow, falling upon this mat is kept off the ground, and the higher branches, weighted down at the same time, form an air space that extends well up the tree, causing a much more even temperature about the lowertrunk. The snow forms a cone-shaped downy blanket that regulates the temper- ature, keeps the ground from freezing deeply and protects against drying winds. In applying this suggestion, select seedlings with their lower branches well developed and, in addition, even pile some brush around them or set something like a barrel with heads out over the small trees before the ground freezes. Each of our native evergreen trees and shrubs will now be men- tioned with some remarks. Some of you may be surprised, but first in order of usefulness for planting in sandy and gravelly soils in exposed situations for windbreaks, groves, fuel, fencing, even lum- ber—yes, and far better than nothing for ornament, is: PINUS BANKSItANA—Lambert (Banksian, or Jack Pine). Plantitas early as the frost is out deep enough to plant, and let it have the moisture from the thawing ground. It cannot be planted too densely. With it, for groves and timber, plant the red, or Norway, pine from twenty to thirty feet apart. The two go together, the jack pine acting asa nurse to the Norway. Under the most favorable circumstances jack pine has been seen 125 feet high and two feet on the stump. Itis now cut by lumbermen with other timber. PINUS RESINOSA—Aiton (Red, or Norway Pine). Itis sturdy in ap- pearance when young, like the Scotch and Austrian pines,and is fully as beautiful. Itis one of the few evergreens that will thrive without branches on the lower trunk. If properly managed, at thirty years and upward it will make a most attractive grove. Such groves are occasionally found in our northern forest. The upper branches join, the lower have disappeared, leaving clear yellowish-brown or bronze colored trunks supporting the wide dome overhead, in which the winds whisper and the birds nest and sing. The ground in these groves is free from brush and is covered with the clean, bright leaves the trees have shed, forming a great assembly ground the Goths would come far to find,and from which all vandals should be 442 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. carefully excluded. When sucha spot is found in the woods, one readily agrees with Bryantin saying: “The groves were God’s first temples.” TSUGA CANADENSIS—Carriere. (Hemlock). When grown in good soil with plenty of room and moisture it is probably our most beau- tiful native for the lawn. Its slender, graceful branches, with the silvery bloom under the leaves, its conical yet. gentle outlines tempt one to try every means to make it a success. But it may be hard to do this away from its favorite haunts, where it finds the shelter of other trees, fertile loam and constant moisture. Here let me mention another hemiock for introduction, 1suga Pattoni- ana, of Montana, a remarkably beautiful tree, growing high up the mountains, where it is much exposed. It may be perfectly hardy here. PICEA ALBA—Link (White Spruce) and ABIES BALSAMEA (Bal- sam Fir) stand nextin my favor for ornamental planting. They are often remarkably beautiful on the alluvial banks of streams in mountain regions. Picea alba and abies subalpina grow together in Montana and seem there even more rigorous than the white spruce and balsam here. It may be advisable to get seed and seed- lings from there for nursery stock. The white spruce resembles the Norway spruce somewhat. Itgrows tall and large and is val- uable for timber. It is eminently a Northwestern tree, forming large timber forests in Manitoba and the Northwest Territory. It is doubtless more hardy on the prairie than the fir, yet it likes shelter. It is the most ready conifer to come in under the birch and poplar that follow forest fires. The fir is not a large tree, seldom exceeding seventy feet in height and eighteen inches in diameter. It is valuable not only for its beautiful form and foliage and its dense shade, but about the home itis desirable for its medicinal properties. The “blister” in the bark contains the most healing salve the woodman knows and anexcellent remedy for nasal and pulmonary diseases. Even the resinous odor thrown off from the leaves on warm days is very healthful, and some people use pillows made of them. A well watered subsoil seems to be necessary for these two trees. PICEA NIGRA—Link (Black Spruce). This has a natural distribution northward, It is principally confined to the sphagnum bogs or muskeegs. (It is sometimes called the muskeeg spruce). There it grows more slowly, sometimes being only an inch in diameter at seventy-five years old, and uncouth, even weird in aspect; some- times devoid ofall limbs except a tuft of very short fruiting branches at the very top; but on sandy upland with damp subsoil and plenty of shelter, it develops much beauty. Its upper, or fruiting, branches, very short, stiff and compact, form spires resembling but not as slender as those of the balsam fir, or, occasionally, an inverted nap- iform ball. The middle branches often droop considerably, ascend. ing, however, at the tip. Sometimes they hang like vines close to the trunk (as shown in engraving), the very lowest, when present running out upon the ground. Some individuals of this form are very beautiful. This is not alarge tree. It is seldom more than seventy feet high and ten inchesin diameter. This as well as the a ee 443 NATIVE EVERGREENS, Tpland form. ~\ ra). yr ani Spruce (Pice Black 444 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. white spruce is subject to disfigurement by an insect that lays its eggsin the twigs. THUGA OCCIDENTALS—Linnaeus. (White Cedar, or Arbor Vitae) is probably so well known it need merely be mentioned. It is found native almost exclusively on wetland, but, like the cypress of the South, thrives on dry uplands, too. Like most other trees, it flourishes in the alluvial soil along streams, where it is sometimes found three feet in diameter and a hundred high. Some of these very old trees have the greatest attractiveness. Crippled and decrepit they may be, but their broken branches healed over or half the tree living while the other half is dead indicate that they are veterans whose history we would like to know. But for lessons in life— PINUS STROBUS—Linnaeus (White Pine) is probably the best teacher. Some one has said of trees and he must have been look- ing at old white pine timber trees when he said it: “Trees are our teachers If we but read their silent lives aright. Rooted in clay they lift their heads toward light.” Tender when young, starting under the shade of other trees, it seems to pause, just above the ground, then, decided, upward it goes straight and true until it reaches the branches of older trees, Here it pauses again, waiting for an opening, enduring the whippings of the branches above it; its buds repeatedly broken off, suffering for — light and air, yet persisting, as if knowing an opening there will be if itholds out long enough. When it does come at last, up springs our pine. Once above the other trees it is free and stretches out its great strong beautiful arms for the first greetings of the rising and the last of the setting sun and shakes defiance at the storms, as if to guard the forest of smaller trees above which it towers. This tree is monumental of manhood and should be planted in memory of those men we wish to honor and of the old pine forest that has done so much for Minnesota. Unfortunately for the planter, its grander qualities do not develop until the tree is a hundred years old or more; yet it is undeniably pretty during its youth when open grown. JUNIPERUS VIRGINIANA—Linnaeus (Red Cedar). This is one of the few trees that cross the continent, and whether by the roadsides and fences of Virginia, on the bold rocky ledges of New England, hid- ing secluded upon islands in Minnesota lakes or proving its endur- ance in the foot hills of Montana, it is an interesting and valuable tree. It is not especially beautiful, is of slow growth and yet is val- luabe for its colored and fragrant wood, its odor, its berries and its hardiness. It may succeed for hedges and windbreaks where many others fail. It likes lime, and I would suggest its careful trial on the chalky, alkaline and gypsum soils of Minnesota and Dakota. JUNIPERUS COMMUNIS—Linnaeus (Low Juniper). This is quite common. Itis interesting because of its form,and is valuable for the lawn as an easily kept and clean shrub that will not obstruct the view. Its natural form is between saucer and bowl shape, will rise to about four feet in height, and with a little clipping grows very compact. A third of this genus is: os NATIVE EVERGREENS. 445 JUNIPERUS SABINA—L. var. procumbens-Pursh (Trailing Juniper). This modest and hardy little shrub has its own peculiar ways, and whether upon the summits of buttes in Dakota or on the lake shores of Minnesota, it likes to be alone. Alone let it be then and plant it on sandy or gravelly mounds where nothing else will grow! Let it have the hot summer sun and the cold winter wind! Let sands drift over it and let roots be piled upon it, for then it will multiply and thrive! Trailing down from the summit of a mound of white or brown sand, it is remarkably beautiful. Several plants were seen last summer tinged with yellow or golden tipped. These should perhaps be named variety aurea. A White Pine Forest in Northern Minnesota. Taxus BAccATA—var. Canadensis—Willd. (Ground Hemlock) another trailing, or rather a creeping shrub, seeks the deep cool shade of cedar and fir and black spruce on the borders of swamps and the banks of streams. If its language were interpreted, it would say, whether to warn of danger or to guard some sacred spot, “keep out.” If you try to pass it, it will probably trip you. Its foliage is dark green. Its curious red fruit is rare. It spreads by rooting branches and sometimes rises to six feet above the ground. It may be valuable as a border or protecting shrub with plenty of 446 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. moisture. In the woods, it is often found blighted when the trees’ have been cut from over it. This ends the list of trees and shrubs, but the smaller plants are not necessarily of less importance. The strong trees are placed first, because if the finer sentiments are not readily awakened the big trees compel an impression of some sort. Under the protection of the trees—and no grove seems complete without it—grows: GAULTHERIA EROeUMEENR= Ts (Wintergreen, or Tea Berry, or Checker Berry). At the red school-house near the old Quaker meet- ing-house where I went to school, the boys used to go a mile at noon time to get wintergreen for the girls. Whether to catch the reflection of its crimson berries upon their cheeks or to perfume their breaths with the young leaves, I do not know. ARCTOSTAPHYLOS ura ursi—Sprengel (Bear Berry) is a trailing vine with durable, astringent, red berries. It prefers or rather, per- haps, is crowded upon poor clay soils and may be desirable to cover clayey spots where little else will grow. It sometimes forms a dense mat like myrtle. I had wished to note all the evergreens, but the field is too large. The four species of lycopodium that grow here must not pass unmentioned. They are valuable for Christmas and other trim- mings and in some of the Eastern cities are brought into market in large quantities. There are many more among herbaceous plants that may be de- sirable to plant in suitable locations when arranging pleasure grounds, especially upon the prairie; for what a pleasure it is for prairie people whose homes were once in or near woods to find the old friends of their childhood can be moved and will thrive in the new location with them. ‘ My little favorite the partridge berry, (MITCHELLA REPENS Lin- naeus) is saved to mention last. A common name, an humble plant, a modest but beautiful trailing vine; but the sweetest of blossoms and lasting pleasant fruit make it an easy kindness to hold it up for admiration. SORTING APPLES.—The ease and convenience in assorting apples can be greatly enhanced by using a table constructed for the pur- pose as follows: Length 7 feet, width 34 feet, height 3 feet. The top should consist of canvas or oilcloth securely nailed to the frame, strips three inches wide of inch stuff, and, for convenience, openings should be left in each corner large enough to admit a half bushel basket. These rest on supports fastened to the legs of the table, the latter being made three inches wide and two inches thick, all well braced. The writer can vouch for the ease, comfort and facility of the work performed by its aid,and could not be induced to return to the tiresome, back-aching method of sorting on the ground. Not being patented, they are free to all, and are truly a great acquisition, not only in the apple orchard but are desirable for handling pears and quinces as well.—_Farm and Vineyard. ee ee THE APPLE .AS AN ORNAMENTAL TREE. 447 THE APPLE AS AN ORNAMENTAL THREE. Cc. G. GRAY. Fashion long ago banished the apple tree from the lawn and park and substituted various ornamental trees and shrubs. We obtain our ideas of the apple tree from those that grow in neglected or badly kept orchards. The tree is left to run riot part of the time and is then assailed with ax and saw, usually by the hired man, who neither knows nor cares. Its symmetry is destroyed, and blood poisoning enters through the stumps ofitsamputatedlimbs. Cattle and horses browse off all the twigs they can reach, so that between men and farm-stock the tree is diseased, ungainly and does not live out half its days. It is but rarely that an apple tree is given room, protected from browsing animals, properly pruned and permitted to develop its natural beauty. It will produce a leafy dome with limbs drooping on all sides to the ground, its clusters of apples almost or quite reaching the sod. As a flowering tree, it has no superior. No blossoms are more dainty, delicately fragrant or abundant, and if the fruit be well chosen for effect its dark green foliage will be jeweled with scarlet or yellow; and the fruit retains, in full, the fragrance of the bloom. It has no equal asa shade tree, sifting only sufficient sunlight down into its closed pantheon to render it cheerful. It so happened that an acre lot which I improved six years ago contained about twenty appletrees. They were a hopeless looking community—mere bramble-tops of sprouts and dead limbs set upon decayed boles. But I undertook to do what I could for them, gave the sod a shallow plowing, employed fertilizers, pruned care- fully, painting over the stumps of the limbs which were sawed off, and have since used the shears upon the sprouts two or three times each summer. The transformation is entire. They produce large crops of apples, and there are more pears than can be used. But it is not as an orchard that I would speak of it, but asa park. The lot is regarded as the handsomest in the suburb, and I doubt if it has its equal,ina plain sortof way,inanyvillage. I notice strangers, as they pass, pausing to admire it. There is almost no expense in caring for it; I do it myself of evenings. If those apple trees were removed, it would depreciate the selling value of the property very seriously. Those old, dying apple trees have now niade it too fine a place for a printer-man like myself—but then I shall have to leave it soon any way, and | want to break myself in for the heavenly paradise before I gotoit. I shall say to Father Adam, “This is all very fine, especially the river, but then, dear Grandpa, you ought to see my lot in Oak Park.” It is a maxim of architecture and of all art, even that of a lady’s dress, that decoration for the sake of the decoration is not beauty. Utility will bear ornamentation, but it must not be smothered in it. A Jawn or park should be beautified with shrubs and trees, but it must not be made to look like a nursery. It is an ample out-door room, breezier and better lighted and more attractive every way 448 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. than any apartment under shingles. Trees that are wholly useless, ornamental only, do not yield beauty. There is no sentiment ina clipped juniper. A shade tree has ideas, and an apple tree is full of them—of fond associations, and pleasant memories, which appeal to every one, most strongly to the country bred. The fashion which banished the apple tree from lawn and park was a vain affectation.— Interior. ENTOMOLOGY IN 1895. J. S. HARRIS, LA CRESCENT. Although I have studied the habits of some insects to a limited extent and have observed enough to know the difference between a June bug and a black hornet by the sensation that follows too close a proximity to an angry specimen of the latter, I do not pose as a thoroughbred entomologist, or even know enough about the fascin- ating science of “bug”-ology to warrant trespassing upon your val- uable time with such a report as I am able to give. Everybody knows that we had a rather dry season in 1895, with sufficient warmth for all fruiting purposes—and such a season is generally considered favorable for the multiplication and fullest de- velopment of most kinds of injurious insects, as well as the benefi- cial. Wehada plenty of bloom on cherry. plum, and apple trees from the 25th of April until the 10th of May. During that period no frosts occurred, and mornings the thermometer marked from 40° to 68° above zero. On every fair day during that time bees were work- ing in the blossoms, and some days the trees were literally swarm- ing with small flies. The result was that the blossoms were thor- oughly pollenized and the set of fruit was immense. Iam glad to note that there was a very great scarcity of the pest commonly known as the potato beetle, which was very fortunate, as the low price which the product is bringing would have made it un- profitable to administer the usual remedies. The beetles that came out in the spring were too premature, and their early food was cut short by frosts; many perished through starvation, and they were so weakened by the long frost that their eggs and young larvae was deficient and mostly destroyed by the lady bug and other para- sities, that were reasonably plentiful. May beetles made their ap- pearance at the proper time in unusual numbers, and as there was a notable scarcity of birds that usually feed upon them, it may rea- sonably be expected that in meadows and foul grounds that had sufficient vegetable covering to induce the females to seek themas proper places for depositing their eggs, they will in about two years show a liberal crop of white grubs, and those who grow strawberries should be careful to select ground for new plantations that in 1895 was kept in a clean state of cultivation. The codling moth and apple gouger were to be found in goodly numbers, and, as is common in years of a rather short apple crop,a large proportion of it was appropriated by them to be used in the reproduction of their species. One sign that is somewhat hopeful is that the extremely warm spells in September induced numbers of the late broods to come to early maturity and transform into perfect i a i ee —— ee ee ee ——i a i ESC a re eee ji La al a a ENTOMOLOGY IN 1895. 449 insects so late in the fall that they may experience considerable dif- ficulty in surviving the winter, and should their numbers be greatly reduced next spring will be a feasible time to commence waging war againstthem. It is hoped that more insectivorous birds will come to the horticulturist’s aid in the coming year. Only such as are ordinary winter residents, like the blue jay, owl and young woodpecker, have been promptly on hand at the time of need. I have not seen one single pair of bluebirds during the year, while robbins and other thrushes are comparatively scarce. The round and flat headed tree borers are on the increase in this section of the state and are doing more than the usual damage to young trees. A considerable number of infested trees have been sold toour unsuspecting farmers by agents of irresponsible firms that practice picking up poor grades of stock and disposing of it in that manner, and if they are encouraged in it by finding ready pur- chasers, it will soon become necessary to provide for the inspection and disinfection of all nursery stock before it is allowed to be deliv- ered and planted. It will prove wise for every planter to examine trees for borers before setting them out and afterward keep a faith- ful lookout for them. Considerable fears were expressed during the early part of the season that the destructive San Josescale might soon be introduced into our state through the importation of trees from some Eastern nurseries where it had found a lodgment, but so far I have not been able to learn of a single tree that has been attacked by it. In southeastern Minnesota, the gooseberry, or currant worm has not been as injurious as in a few past years, and on my own place not a single specimen was observed. It is probable that bya united effort in the application of remedies by all who grow these truits, they may be effectually exterminated. Either hot water, white hellebore orParis green are sure remedies. In extreme cases we should advise taking off all the fruit and using Paris green, but where not too numerous and if treated in season the crop of fruit may be pre- served by using the other remedies, and then if another brood ap- pears after the fruit is gathered use a solution of the Paris green in water. FRUIT TREES BY THE ROADSIDE.—Tell us if you know any good reason for planting maples, elms and the like along the roadsides in place of the practically useful cherries, chestnuts, walnuts and other fruit trees, especially out in the country where the depreda- tions of fruit-hungry city boys are not much to be feared. Orif one must have forest trees, why not the linden, that will after a while enable our bees to gather the choicest honey in abundance ? When a Spaniard eats a peach or pear by the roadside, wherever he is, he digs a hole in the ground with his foot and covers the seed. Consequently, all over Spain by the roadside and elsewhere, fruit in great abundance tempts the taste and may be picked and eaten by anybody. This fruit is a great boon to tired and thirsty travelers,— The Garden. 2 Te wer 450 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. WINDMILL IRRIGATION. (Selected.) Nearly every farmer can find a few acres on his farm with a water supply, either from well or creek,and a surface suitable for irrigation. On sandy plains, which are usually level, large tracts of land are fitted for this system of farming, being leveled down or filled up in order to make the entire field or set of fields, present a proper sur- face for flooding. The instructions here given are not intended to apply to such cases as are furnished with water by means of large irrigation ditches controlled by corporations. Lands in the vicinity of these ditches are usually thoroughly surveyed, and at great ex- pense the entire country in the vicinity is leveled off and properly arranged. In those regions called semi-arid, where only an occasional water- ing is needed, other than that given by nature, farmers, in general, do not attempt to irrigate their entire holdings but only a small acreage of garden, root crops, fruit trees and occasionally a grass plot. Such places being isolated from any general irrigation system, much economy must be looked for in the use of water, which usually must be pumped up from small streams or wells of varying depths. Whether the water be obtained from either of these sources, the farmer can choose for himself, taking that system which will be cheapest and most suitable to his location and surroundings. The questions which confront every farmer in starting out at this kind of work are: How large must the reservoir be in order to irrigate a field of a certain acreage? How must this reservoir be con- structed? Can I, without enormous expense, water my crop if my land is rolling to such an extent as to make flooding impossible? How much water will be needed? THE SIX FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF WINDMILL IRRIGATION. First, and very important, an open welland ample supply of water. Second, a first-class, small, steel windmill. Third, a windmill at least thirty feet above all wind obstructions. Fourth, a good brass cylinder pump, with large openings through valves. Fifth, a reservoir of sufficient capacity so that the water can be allowed to rush on the land in a large volume, thoroughly soak- ing it to a considerable depth. Sixth, the entire capacity of the windmill utilized for three- quarters of the year, and the ground thoroughly flooded and satu- rated in the winter time, when there is the least heat to dry it up and interfere with irrigating. THE RESERVOIR. Too much importance cannot be given to the necessity of send- ing over the ground a large volume of water at one time. It must be a flooding of the ground, not a moistening. In most cases, the greater the depth of water that is put on'the ground at one time the better; hence, the necessity of an ample sized reservoir. In no case should one be less than fifty feet in diameter, with walls that Tl WINDMILL IRRIGATION, 451 will hold water four or five feet deep, and a larger reservoir is preferable. Where a small reservoir is used, a correspondingly small piece of ground must be flooded each time, and the flood- ing must be done oftener. The best form of reservoir is round. A round reservoir exposes less wall through which the water can seep, and from which it can dry out, and is easier to build. In around reservoir fifty feet in diameter and four feet deep, there is thirteeen per cent less wall surface than in a reservoir of equal capacity built up square, and if the reservoir were built long and narrow the amount of wall surface in proportion to its holding capacity would be vastly in- creased. However, in the opinion of some, reservoirs should be built oblong, say fifty feet wide and one hundred feet long, or one hundred feet wide and two hundred feet long, etc.,and extending at right angles to the prevailing wind, as the momentum of the waves in traveling a considerable distance will be likely to injure the banks. A location should be secured, if possible, with hardpan or tough clay subsoil. If possible, place it on the highest part of the plot to be irrigated and as near as possible to the source of the water. If there is any slope whatever, let it be away from the reservoir. It should be borne in mind that hillside, as well as level ground, can be profitably irrigated if proper care is taken in the location of the reservoir. Occasionally good results are obtained by building a dam across some depression, thus necessitating an artificial bank only on two sides of the reservoir. Sometimes, also, a sloping de- pression on a hillside is enclosed at the lowest part by a substantial dam. Most reservoirs are made by simply scraping up from the the outside of the reservoir a ridge of dirt sufficiently high to give four, five or six feet of water on the inside. No dirt should be thrown up from the inside of the reservoir, because it is desirable to keep the bottom of the reservoir as high as the surrounding land, and because the surface of the ground holds water much better than the strata further down. However, if there is any sod upon the ground where the embankments are to be made, the ground under the locality of the embankment should be thoroughly ploughed, and the sods removed, as sod is not a proper material for the con- struction of embankments, and there would always remain a pos. sibility of water seeping through at the bottom of the embank- ment. Now, with an ordinary scraper commence scraping up soil from the outside of the reservoir to form the embankment. The earth should be thoroughly leveled, pounded and packed as it is thrown in place. No attempt should be made to mix rock or other ma- terial with the dirt composing the walls. The embankment should be very wide at the bottom sloping up very gradually from the inside, as the waves would destroy perpendicular embankments. | Walls from four to six feet in height are usually to be preferred. | When the embankments are constructed, it is well to fill the tank partly full with water and allow it to seep out. While the bottom is still muddy, turn into the reservoir horses and cattle and drive them 452 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. around for many hours, thoroughly puddling and pulverizing the ground. Some invert a scraper and with two teams of horses drive around upon the inside of the inclosure riding on the scraper. If this work is done thoroughly, you will have a reservoir which is practically water tight. In sandy soil it is well to haul in old straw and hay, scatter it around and tramp it into the mud as much as possible. Ifthe bottom should continue to seep still, it will be neces- sary to haulin a few loads of earth or clay. Every Western farmer knows of the dry buffalo lakes that are found everywhere upon the great plains. Material taken from these lakes is most excellent for the construction of the bottom of a reservoir. Additional hay or straw can be put in, and it will in time make the bottom of the res- ervoir practically tight. There exists no necessity except in some extreme cases for the use of cement, pitch or tar, as the reservoirs, by hauling in a sufficient quantity of mud, clay or even the magnesia deposits that are found all over the West, can be made practically impervious to water. The dirt walls upon the inside are much better if sodded; otherwise they are likely to cause trouble by the washing of waves. An excellent plan is toriprap the embankment on the inside, if stone can be had. By riprapping, we mean to place stone closely together without order on the inside of the embankment. Itis often the case that planks are thrown into the reservoir, which will of course be blown to the opposite side from which the wind is blowing, which will prevent in a measure the waves from washing against the bank. An excel lent plan is to plant water willows all around the embankment, which will in a short timegrow up and serve as a very effectual windbreak. In the construction of reservoirs where the depth of wells is such that much power and expense is required to lift the water, great care should be exercised in their construction. It is well in such cases to make a deep reservoir. These should be constructed more slowly than where the mills are pumping from shallow depths. Build up the sides of the reservoir about two feet in height, then turn in the horses and cattle and allow the puddling operation to go on for a couple of weeks; then raise the banks another foot, and continue the process as before. In this way reservoirs can be made upon the upland where the depth of water within the reservoir can be maintained at a depth of seven or eight feet. This will insure jess evaporation and, therefore, greater economy, MAIN DITCH. If the ground to be irrigated is in the immediate vicinity of the reservoir, the main ditch should lead away from the end of the flume, conducting the water directly to those parts of the field that are to be irrigated. If necessary to convey the water any great distance from the reservoir, a small lateral or raised ditch should be constructed. The discharge pipe of the reservoir should be of sufficient size to allow alarge amount of water to be discharged through it. This will give sufficient head or force to carry the water on rapidly through the lateral to a point at a distance where it should be ap- | | : | WINDMILL IRRIGATION. 453 plied, and but little water will be lost by seepage. However, much is to be gained by using a trough, or flume, say ten or twelve inches square, built of one-inch board, as the water will then be conducted without any loss tg the point where it is needed. If the water is to be taken down a heavy incline, say two-and-one-half or three feet to the hundred, it should be carried in a wooden flume; otherwise, it will wash away the bank and make dangerous ditches. The main ditch for an orchard can be built up of one-inch board, with open- ings opposite each tree. These openings are to be filled with round wooden plugs when the water is not needed. THE FLUME. Before beginning to build the walls of a reservoir’,choose the side from which the water is to be taken and builda long trough or flume of 2-inch plank not spliced, 12 orl4inches square. This flume on the inside should be placed at such a height that not all of the water can be withdrawn from the reservoir. If this is not done, the water in the reservoir might dry out, and the mud that has been so carefully packed will crack, and the process of re-puddling will have to be gone over again. The flume should be sawed off on the inside at an angle of about 45 degrees. A "cover should be made to fit carefully over the opening. Upon one side of the cover should be securely fastened a leather gasket. Any suitable hinge may be used for fastening this over to the flume, and it is well to puta heavy weight on the top of the cover. In order to lift the gate, two pieces of 2x4 can be placed in an “A” shaped manner above anda little back from the gate. This will be steadied by a third additional piece of timber running back and nailed to the side of the box, forming atripod. On the top of this can be attached a lever, the short end of which is to be connected by means of a wire to the gate. Great care should be exercised in placing the flume in the ground, and it should be more firmly tamped than any other portion of the embankment, as the water will have a tendency to flow alongside of the flume and cause a break in the reservoir. If the water is discharged with too great a velocity, a water apron can be made to receive the force of the water. APPLICATION OF WATER TO LAND BY FURROW SYSTEM. The proper time to commence applying the water to the land on sunshiny days would be about four o'clock in the afternoon, and continue the work until dark. This gives ample time for water to soak into the ground, and the plants will not be injured by scalding. The favorite method of supplying water to crops in semi-arid regions, especially where the ground is not absolutely Jevel, is by flooding each row or every alternate row of the crop. Sufficient head should be given where the rows of corn, potatoes, vegetables, etc., are of considerable length to carry the water rapidly forward, so that the end of the furrow at the greatest distance from the convey- ing lateral will receive its proportionate share of the water, Ifa field is planted with potatoes, for instance, they are to be planted so the 454 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. entire length of each row is nearlv on the level. If the field is on the hillside or on an incline, the furrow should not run down the hill but crosswise in such a manner that there will be only a very slight incline to each row. The feeding ditch from the reservoir, which in this case need be only about 18 inches deep and the same in width, can be run along at one end of the rows mentioned. When the water is allowed to rush out of the reservoir, a boy can stand at the first row in the field and break down the wall at the lateral ditch, so that the water will rush in and flood onerow. The walls of the ditch are then broken down, allowing the water to follow adjacent rows, and while it is filling them the boy can repair the wall in front of the first row; and thus the work is continued until the entire field is irrigated between the rows. A portable dam may be used to close up the ditch at each place where the water escapes, being moved from point to point 2s needed. If yourreservoiris ample in size, two or three furrows may be irrigated at the same time. THE FLOODING SYSTEM AND PREPARATION OF THE LAND. Where the ground is comparatively level, the most satisfactory method for distributing the water will be by flooding. To do this, the farmer should carefully observe the surface of the field, and by means of plow and scraper level down any small elevations, so that the entire surface may be brought down to one general level. The field should then be divided up into oblong patches about 15 or 20 feet wide, though in some instances they are made as wide as 50 feet. These patches of ground should end up at the main ditch, so that the water can flow out of it upon the beds, one ata time. These beds referred to are separated from each other by ridges a foot or morein height. They are generally made by a scraper, con- structed of planks, shaped like the runners of a sled, with the exception that the planks are put in the form of the letter “A,” with the front about 8 feet wide, and the other end cut off so as to leave an opening 15 or 18 inches wide. Planks should be securely nailed atintervals across the top to hold the scraper together. By hitching to the wide end and driving across the field, the dirt will be gathered in and left behind ina ridge. These ridges should be thoroughly smoothed and packed, so they may not cause trouble by the water breaking through. The length ot the beds will vary according to the size of the reservoir, the kind of soil, the slope of the land, etc.; they range from 200 to 1,000 feet long. These beds should be leveled off as smoothly and evenly as possible. Ina field so arranged, fall and winter flooding may be followed. For flooding at any time of the year, the reservoir should be allowed to fill up and then suddenly discharged in a large stream, thoroughly and quickly covering the entire bed. This is possible in winter, as your reservoir will not freeze over if you are continu- ally pumping into it, unless, of course, the reservoir is unusually large in comparison to the amount of water pumped. Where this system of flooding is followed, it will usually suffice to flood the ground thoroughly during the late fall and early winter. Ifa dry spring follows, another flooding may be given in June or July, just WINDMILL IRRIGATION. 455 as the crop is setting. Any surplus of water put on the land in the fall or winter need not be drained off, but in summer the crop may be injured if the subsoil is such that under drainage is not possi- ble. In such cases the ridges around each lot will furnish ample drainage by making an opening and discharging the water into the next lot. . FRUIT TREES. In the economical use of water a large number of acres of fruit trees can be successfully and cheaply irrigated, even where it is necessary to raise the water from a depth of 200 feet. If the owners ot orchards should procure ordinary drainage tiles without sockets, and place them perpendicularly at a distance of four feet on each side of the trees, and convey the water by pipes, or other means where great economy is necessary, into these tiles during the grow- ing season,a very small amount of water will accomplish great results. The tile should be about six inches in diameter and eight- een inches long, imbedded in the ground. By this method all the water is conveyed below the surface, and there is very little loss by evaporation. This causes the roots of the tree to go down where the earth is cool, and the tiles do not become choked up with roots, as is the case when they are laid under the ground horizontally. With orchards it is never advisable to allow the water to come in contact with the trunk of the tree. Small ridges of earth should be thrown up around the tree to as to protect the bark from the water, USE A SMALL WINDMILL. We should emphatically advocate the use of wheels not larger then 8 or 12 feet in diameter where the lift is not over 25 feet, and in very many other cases where the lift is 50 feet they can be used to advantage. Where all the conditions laid down are complied with, an 8 or 12 foot wheel should easily irrigate 10 or 15 acres. To flow water through open ditches to land more remote is a waste of water anda waste of labor—better put up another small plantthere. Huge irrigating schemes are generally huge failures. The big ditches near Garden City are pretty nearly always out of water when it is needed most, That is why windmills are now being used; they are more reliable. Any one who will observe the six conditions laid down can raise the same amount of produce on the same ground every year with- out fail. In this work there is no gambling on the weather nor praying for rain, but it must be borne in mind that any excuse, however ingenious, for not complying with the above six condi- tions will not help the crop. Some of the additional reasons for using small irrigating outfits may be of interest. First. They are within the reach of all in cost. Second. They are most easily and safely cared for by the care- less and shiftless. Third. While it is easy to get a water supply for the small wheel, it is not for the large one, Fourth, When the elevation is not great, itis much more eco- nomical in every respect to pump the water to the surface where it is 4 456 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. wanted than to do the work and suffer the wastage incident to flow- ing it to distant points. Fifth. Even where irrigation or windmill irrigation is not neces- sary or desirable at all times, the use of an 8-foot outfit will insurea large family and some stock with a livelihood every year. Allis not chanced on the weather. In nine cases out of ten farmers wish to irrigate only from three to five acres of garden, root crops and fruit. Where they are suita- bly located, many will wish to irrigate tracts much larger than this. It will usually be found, however, that a large area which is to be irrigated can be divided off into several smaller ones, each of which can be supplied with a small reservoir, and will therefore be inde- pendent of all others. Another advantage gained by using small outfits is that the farmer who is inexperienced might fail in carry- ing out an extended system, while ifasmall outfit is used at first, he can, as his knowledge of the subject increases, add to this by estab- lishing a similar outfit in the adjacent field. WIND OBSTRUCTIONS. Another of the most potent causes of failure in the use of wind- mills for irrigation is wind obstructions. Were we to lay down the rule just as we would like to see it carried out for all windmills put up for irrigating purposes, we would say, never put up a windmill unless you have it thirty feet above all wind obstructions. In this vicinity are one-half dozen places where wind is used for irrigating purposes, where they do not secure water enough to irrigate more than three or four acres from a12-foot wheel. In most cases this failure is due to the fact that they do not get the windmill up to where the wind can reach it. In several of these places, the wheels are hardly visible above the groves in which they are placed. That they get any results whatever from them is more surprising than that they do not get more. The best results can never be obtained unless the windmill is at least thirty feet above trees and houses in the vicinity. A grove or clump of trees ten or fifteen rods away to the south, west or northwest may almost wholly destroy the effici- ency of the windmill when the wind blows from those prevailing directions. Many say that they do not like to goupon a high wind- milltower. Then don’t waste time in putting up a windmill; get your water supply from the ditch. If you contemplate using a windmill, you must put it up so that the wind will get a full sweep atit. It is safer, and it is the only way to getresults. You are not putting up a windmill as a matter of convenience, but to raise water for irrigation purposes, and should not, therefore, give much consid- eration to the small matter of convenience in climbing the tower to oil and look after the wheel, when this feature is of such infinitely small importance as compared with thedesirability of getting the wheel up where you will get the best results. If you contemplate putting in a 12-foot wheel down low, it will serve your purpose just as well to take an 8-foot wheel and put it up high. You will get more from it than you will from the 12-foot wheel put down behind the obstructions. WINDMILL IRRIGATION, 457 COST OF WINDMILL AND PUMP. The cost of irrigating outfits should be exceedingly small. If any one asks you more than $25 for the best 8-foot galvanized steel wheel, he is asking you too much; better send right to the factory and buy it yourself. Of course you will have to pay in addition to these prices, freight from Chicago, cost of the tower and erecting the outfit; but these prices buy the best thing there is made in the way of a steel wheel. Add to this the cost of a pump such as is described above, $15 for pump for an 8-foot wheel. Of course, you will have to pay freight on the pump also, but the best pump can be had for these prices, and the best steel wheel can be had at these prices; and if your local dealer will not furnish them at these prices, write to the factory direct. It is all you should pay, besides freight and the cost of erecting. Bear in mind that we do not believe in large plants; we believe in small ones and more of them. MANITOBA FRUITS. Speaking of the Rockwood Electorial Division Agricultural Exhi- bition held at Stonewall, Manitoba, on the seventh of October, of the present year, the Stonewall (Manitoba) Argus, says: Perhaps no other exhibit attracted so much attention as the display of Mani- toba fruits collected and arranged by Mr. Thos. Frankland. Many visitors were surprised to note the degree of success which had attended the efforts of that gentleman and his friends at other provincial points. We give the list of fruits in the collection : . From A, P. Stevenson, Nelson: APPLES—Wealthy, Whitney. CRABS—Hyslop, Transcendent, Virginia, Sweet Russet, General Grant, Montreal Beauty. PLUMS —Newton Egg, Luedloff. GRAPES—Moore’s Early. From Nelson Bedford, Glencross: CRABS—Transcendent, Hyslop. PLUMS— Desota. From W. B. Hall, Headingly: APPLES—Wealthy. CRABS—Yellow Siberian Hyslop, Transcendent, Red Siberian. From J. O. Cradham, Portage la Prairie: APPLES—Oldenberg. CRABS—Trans- cendent, Hyslop. From J, J. Routledge, Miami: CRABS—Hyslop. Transcendent. From Joseph Tottle, Stonewall: APPLES—Excelsior. From Colin McLean: CRAB—Hyslop. From T. Frankland, Stonewall: APPLES—Recumbent, Anisim, Whitney, Octo- ber, Hybrid Seedling. CRABS—Sweet Russet, Hyslop, Orange Hybrid, ’Tonka, Yellow Siberian, Seedling. GRAPES—Seedling. PLUMS—Collection. From W. Saunderson, Souris: PLUMS—Collection. KEEPING TOMATOES.—Prof. Massey, of the North Carolina Experi- ment Station, writes the Garden and Forest that when frostis immi- nent he gathers the green tomatoes, wraps them separately in paper (old newspapers will answer) and packs them in boxes, which are stored in a place just warm enough to be secure from frost, the ob- ject being to keep them and not to ripen them. Then, as the fruits are wanted, a few of them are brought out at a time and placed ina warm position, where they will ripen in a few days. In this way he has kept his table supplied with sliced tomatoes up to midwinter. wry wae 458 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY A PROLIFIC DUCHESS TREE. The apple tree shown in the accompanying engraving is a Duch- ess tweuty-five or twenty-six years old. It is in perfect condition (excepting the broken limb to be seen on the ground), and at the time this photograph was taken had over twenty bushels of apples on, and two bushels had been picked off, mostly from the broken limb. The orchard in which it stands is situated at the head of a little coolie, about half way up the hillside, on an eastern slope, and about three-quarters of a mile from the Mississippi river, at the home of W.S. Widmoyer, in the town of Dresbach, Winona Co., Minn. Probably this is a fair type of a large number of similar trees, scat- tered through the southern half of the state, which were planted a quarter of a century since. COOKING AND PANTRY STORES. MRS. E, CROSS, SAUK RAPIDS. YEAST.—Take six large potatoes, boil in two quarts of water; take a handful of hops, tie in a cloth and boil in the potato water; when cool add a half cup of sugar, a half cup of salt, a tablespoon- tul of ginger and one yeast cake; let it get frothy and bottle it. It will keep for six months, BREAD.—One cup of this yeast with two quarts of water sponged over night will make four or five loaves of bread. I make my gra- ham in the same way. GRAHAM WAFERS.—A half pound of graham flour, a half pint of sweet cream anda pinch of salt. Mix quickly and thoroughly and roll out as thin as possible, prick and bake in a quick oven. DELICIOUS DOUGHNUTS.—Take one quart of flour, one cup of sugar, one cup of sweet milk, one egg,a pinch of salt, one teaspoonful of saleratus and two of cream of tartar. Fry inlard. This is a tested receipt. ROLL JELLY CAKE.—One and one-half cups of sugar, one cup of milk, two cups of flour and one teaspoonful of soda. LAYER COCOANUT CAKE.—Two cups of flour, a cup and a half of sugar, half cup of sweet milk, half cup of butter, four eggs—leaving out the white of one to use for tilling; beat stiff and put in the co- coanut. FILLING FOR CAKE.—This is made by putting one cup of pow- dered sugar into a saucepan with one quarter of a cup of water. Let them simmer gently until the sugar is dissolved and, in fact, stiff when dropped into cold water; then add the white of one egg beaten to a stiff froth, half a cup of chopped raisins and a table- spoonful of cocoanut; flavor with vanilla. This makes an excellent icing by leaving out raisins and cocoanut. RHUBARB PIE.—One and one-half teacups of rhubarb, cut fine, pour boiling water over and turn off; one half teacup raisins cut in two, three-fourths teacup granulated sugar. Mix all together. Sprinkle with flour; beat one egg and spread over the top; put on upper crust and bake. 459 TREE. ” SS 4 ~ “ A PROLIFIC DUCHEI *. 7" “s ra pes f* <¢ %) eS ae A toe . > ee 460 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. WATERMELON PRESERVES.—Pare off the outside green rind; cut in pieces an inch square and put on with water and baking soda to boil. To six pounds of melon take one teaspoonful of soda, boil until tender, then drain off the water. Then dissolve the sugarin a little water, and put the sugar and melon on the stove to boil to- gether until the melon is clear. (Take a pound of sugar to a pound of melon). Then drain off the sugar and boil to a thick syrup and pour it over the melon. SWEET PEACH PICKLE.—Pare clingstone peaches and pack in jars; use three pounds of sugar to every seven pounds of fruit, and more vinegar than enough to cover them. Tie the spices in a cloth and simmer with the vinegar and sugar an hour. Then pour over the peaches. Cover tight while hot. Will be ready for use in three weeks. Splendid, and will keep any length of time. CELERY.—Celery is invaluable as a food for those suffering from rheumatism or diseases of the nerves and nervous dyspepsia. CELERY Soup.—Take one cupful of chopped celery,a quart of milk, a tablespoonful of flour; butter, salt and pepper to the taste; stew the celery until soft enough to rub through a colander; to this pulp add the milk boiling hot; thicken with the flour rubbed smooth in the butter; add salt and pepper. CABBAGE SALAD.—Slice cabbage off very fine; place in a dish and sprinkle a little salt over and mix it up thoroughly; let it stand one- half hour; then squeeze the liquor, or juice, off by taking a portion of it in both hands and pressing, then placing it in another dish. For a dressing, take the yolks of two hard boiled eggs and rub them smooth with one tablespoonful of made mustard, pepper, one-quar- ter teaspoonful sugar, one tablespoonful melted butter and a half teacupful of vinegar. Add at last one-halfteacupful of sweet cream, and beat all thoroughly with an egg beater. Pour over the cab- bage and garnish with whites of eggs cut in slices. HoT MILK AS A NUTRIMENT.—If any one doubts the nourishing properties of milk, let a test be made of the following preparations ofit. When any oneis very weary or weak from exhaustion, heat some milk to the scalding point, until a thin skin begins to wrinkle upon the surface, and then drink it as hot as possible. It refreshes almost instantly, and restores the exhausted vitality to a surprising extent as soonasitistaken. Itis more nutritious than any of the beef teas made from meat extracts or that made from fresh beef which is carefully strained, as many of the receipes direct that it shall be. THE USE OF CREAM.—There are many people who need the nour- ishment to the system which cod-liver oil would give, but their stomachs refuse to acceptit. Sweet cream isa highly recommended substitute for the oil, being a nutritious food which can be taken by those inclined to consumption or having feeble digestion, and also by aged persons. _—_ =. - = -—_T~_ - A Rae eee Mae iy ee >, Abst a t J THE BLACK WALNUT. 461 WILL IT PAY TO GROW THE BLACK WALNUT? J. R. CUMMINS, EDEN PRAIRIE. The northern limits of the native growth of the black walnut (Ju- glans nigra) inthis state are along the Cannon river, and thence southwesterly through Blue Earth county. At Miller’s lake, Dahl- gren, T. 115, R. 24, in Carver county, the black walnut was found when the country was first settled in 1855-6. It is doubtful whether the black walnut has ever been found elsewhere north of the Min- nesota river growing wild. These limits can by cultivation and planting northern grown seed, be extended northward very much. If the conditions which restrict its growth further northward are considered, it will be seen that itis not so much one of temperature, since the mercury, with very little difference, falls as much below zero on the Cannon river and through Blue Earth county as it does one or two hundred miles fur- ther north; but, that it is one of moisture, soil and cultivation and, as with the apple cultivation produces the conditions favorable for a profitable yield beyond the bounds made by nature, so also can we more reasonably expect that the black walnut, since it is already acclimated in the southern one-third of the state, will make a profit- able growth probably to the northern boundary, except in localities where early and heavy frosts prevail. The experience of the last year or two has proved beyond a doubt that apples, grapes, plums and raspberries are by cultivation practically under control against the effects of drought. On the other hand, we must admit that cultivation alone will not give on the uplands of the state gene- rally the conditions favorable to a profitable yield of strawberries and blackberries or among vegetables, celery. The walnuts grown in this state will produce trees better adapted to stand the winter climate and also the frequent droughts, while those from Illinois and further east are very liable to be injured by droughts and low temperature. : The soil most favorable for growing the walnut is a black loam, naturally moist, with clay subsoil. However, there are few soils, excepting the sandy, but where the walnut could be grown with cultivation; and for a paying product, a careful and continued cul- tivation must be given. Weeds and grass, with droughts, do not favor profitable yields of any crop or product, and the walnut will not be found to be an exception. The land for a walnut grove should be well plowed in the spring and planted with a hoed crop, and before planting in the fall the land should be well manured and plowed deeply. Two-year or three-year old trees can be set out in the spring, or the nuts can be planted about four inches deep where the grove is to grow the last of October or in November before the ground becomes frozen. This may be the better way, but the black walnut can be as safely replanted as other trees. The rows should be twenty feet apart, as this admits of four rows of potatoes or beans, or five rows of carrots, three feet apart, between each two rows of trees. The nuts intended for planting should be left ina dry place through October, so that they should be partly dried and planted 462 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY as before recommended; and if planted where they are to grow, some should be dropped by measure ten and twenty inches apart, and the rest two feet, if to be transplanted, one foot from each other. In this way the value of the vegetable crop will more than pay expenses, leaving the grove free of cost. At the end of ten or twelve years, the trees should be left in the rows twenty feet from each other. It might be advisable after ten years to stop cultiva- tion, but the trees would do better for a longer one. Probably no tree does less injury to a crop growing near than the walnut. One objection to the tree is that sometimes in August or Septem- ber the limbs are broken or branches split from the tree by the winds. No tree, even the elm, has greater vitality than the walnut. Hard maples, growing on well cultivated land for ten years, were en- tirely killed by the drouth of 1894 and last winter, while the walnut was not injured in the least. Trees from nuts which grew in Put- nam county, Indiana, planted in 1868 but not growing till 1869, were killed about seven years ago. These have sent up sprouts which produced walnuts this year. The trees now growing from walnuts produced by one of the trees growing in 1869 from Indiana nuts, are much the more hardy and thrifty. From one of these trees ten or twelve years old,three pecks of unhulled walnuts were gathered last fall. Atten feet from each other each way, 441 would grow on an acre; at twenty feet each way, 100. After eight or ten years, the trees would be of value for posts, and at that age each tree would be worth at least twenty-five to fifty cents, making the value of an acre twenty- five to fifty or one hundred dollars. The essential points in growing the tree are, the walnuts must be grown in Minnesota, their vitality not injured in any way, and a careful cultivation of the land. ‘‘ Will it pay to grow the black walnut in Minnesota?” can be answeréd affirmatively by the grower if he will observe and follow the nat- ural laws controlling its growth. The shell bark hickory can be recommended for trial in this state. It is found in Houston county. Trees also from nuts from Indiana, planted in 1869 and killed to the ground twelve or fifteen years ago, sent up shoots which have con- tinued to grow since and came through the season of 1894 and 1895, while the Norway spruce, cultivated alongside since 1870, were mostly killed. The hickories grow in a very tough bluegrass sod. Mr. M. C. Bunnell: Would you recommend cracking the nuts before planting? Mr. Cummins: No, I would not. Plant them in the fall about three or four inches deep. Mr. Clarence Wedge: Mr. Cummins advised drying those nuts, and it seems to me they ought to have some moisture. It seems to me they would not germinate the second year. Pres. Underwood: What is the object of drying them? Mr. ©. F. Gardner (Iowa): I feel like making a few remarks on this subject. I will state that I have planted black walnuts for almost thirty years, and my experience has been that if those nuts are dried one particle the meats in them will shrivel, ) | b a Wag soe Re ee 4 THE BLACK WALNUT. 463 and they will not grow, and my advice would be to take care of those nuts and keep them from drying, and keep them as nearly as possible as they were when you first picked them off from the tree. It will do no harm to dry them so the shuck on the outside is dry, but if the nuts dry I never have been able to grow them Pres. Underwood: As I understand it, that is all Mr. Cum- mins is claiming. He is afraid the nuts will mould. They will sometimes mould if not dried in the shuck. He does not mean to dry the meat in the nut; drying the shuck is sufficient. Mr. Wyman Elliot: I have had some experience in growing the black walnut in earlier days. My method was to gather the nuts and spread them on the ground, ona level piece of ground, and cover them about two inches deep; let them lie until December before planting, which would be just before the ground freezes up. Then I would just cover them over with soil. and I never had any trouble. Mr. Cummins says they are a tree that is easily transplanted. They are not after the first or second year planting. They run a tap root right down. The Minnesota black walnut is very much hardier than they are in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. I have tried them from different sections, and I have found those grown in the Southern states a great deal more tender than our native walnut. Mr. E. H. S. Dartt: I have had some experience with the black walnut. I can corroborate what Mr. Elliot has said in regard to the difficulty of transplanting after attaining a little size, but his last statement I will have to go back on. I havea tree, the nut of which was grown in Kansas, transplanted to Wisconsin and from there transplanted to Minnesota, and it is to-day the nicest tree in the lower section of the state, a foot or more in diameter and just as hardy as any black walnut I ever saw. That would seem to indicate that whether the nut was grown in Kansas or Wisconsin, it would make no difference in the hardiness of the tree. Mr. A. J. Philips (Wisconsin): I think it was acclimated in Wisconsin. (Laughter. ) Mr. Gardner: I wish to state that if you wish to transplant black walnut trees, when you set them out, no matter whether they are one year of age or more, justas soon as you plant them out saw off the tops close to the ground, and I think you will have success. I always cut the top off, and if the tree is two or three years old, I get a straight shoot the first year, and get a straight tree four feet high. If you leave the top on, it makes 464 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY a slow growth, and it will not be nearly as large in five years as if you had cut the top off. Mr. J. O. Barrett: I understand Mr. Elliot to speak of the the tap root. In the old country they make a pavement, either of cement or plank, and carry on dirt, say six inches, and then plant the seeds in that, and the roots are from necessity obliged to spread out horizontally, so there is no difficulty in avoiding that feature. That reminds me of what the Secretary of Agri- culture at Washington wrote to Prof. Northrup(?),of Cornell, who reported it to me, and it will be published in the next edition of my manual. He said, Mr. Morton, the secretary, was in the habit of plucking his walnuts while green and planting them instantly without delay, and in his letter to Mr. Northrop he stated it was a triumphant success. The kernel inside was not dry, and the ground kept the seed in proper condition so that it sprouted very readily. Mr. O. M. Lord: I planted a good many walnuts for several years and found no difficulty in making them grow. Probably the best way and easiest way, the cheapest and quickest way, is to pick them up as soon as they fall, then with a plow turna furrow over, string them through the furrow and cover them with the plow, and they will all come up. Sometimes they will not come up until the second year. I have met with just as good success by gathering them and digging a hole in the ground and planting them, or throwing them on the ground where we are plowing, and plowing them in. Mr. Barrett: How deep do you plow them under? Mr. Lord: Don’t try to turn the furrow more than two inches over them. I have never tried transplanting very large trees, but people have come to my place and taken them away four and five years old, but I have always insisted that they should dig them and plant them immediately to protect them from the wind and sun. You will find several of them in Winona making fine shade trees. For my own transplanting, I prefer to trans- plant them when they are a year old. Mr. Dartt: Are your black walnuts all doing well? Mr. Lord: Yes, sir; I have trees eight years old that have borne this last season more than a bushel of walnuts, and have borne for three years more or less. Mr. Philips: Ido not know whether it would be a good idea to put a plank under or not. I had a friend at La Crosse who wanted a butternut tree. He said he understood he must have all the tap root, and he had a place where he wanted to grow THE BLACK WALNUT. 465 one, so he hired two men to get him a nice tree, and he told them to be very careful to get all the tap root. He came home at noon, and asked his wife if the men had come home yet with the tree. She said no, they had not. ‘ Well,” he said, ‘I guess I will have to get some one else.” He came home at night and saw acouple of men digging awell. He said to them, ‘*What are you doing?” ‘‘We are digging a hole for your treee.”’ The tree was fifteen feet long. The tree above ground . was seven feet, and the tap root was eight feet long. The men said, ‘‘ You told us to get it all, and we did.” That tree grew. (Laughter). | Mr. Dartt: From the experience I have had with the black | walnut in Steele county, a man need not flatter himself on the fortune he is going to make growing black walnuts in Min- nesota. ; Mr. C. L. Smith: If Mr. Dartt does not succeed in growing | black walnuts, I don’t know that I would recommend any one to do it, but judging from what I saw on Mr. Lord’s place I should think it was a very fine industry. They grow well on the prairie. Ihave found them in a great many different places. I think Mr. Lord’s method of planting is the most economical, and I would certainly recommend the planting of the tree where it is to grow. Ihave had considerable experience in | regard to transplanting, and I prefer to cut off the tap root eight to ten inches below the ground, Inthe spring when they are a year old, just cut off the tap root and cut off the top and let them come up, and the next year they will have some side roots, and they can be very easily transplanted—or they can be trans- planted two years afterwards. They can be transplanted at the end of three years, but you want to cut off the tap root again, the same as in the beginning, as they throw out tap roots again. Mr. Lord: Not so directly, but more or less. Mr. Smith: I had a little experience in getting black wal- nuts from the South, and it will hardly agree with what Mr. Dartt has said. I had some call for black walnuts, and sold more than I could spare, sol sent to Rockford, Illinois, and got five bushels. I sold four bushels and had one bushel left. | Afterwards I got three bushels from a neighbor of Mr. Ken- ney’s, and I planted the lot in two rows. I planted the one bushel from Rockford as far as they went continuously and finished with the other lot, and the last row was all in black walnuts grown in Rice county. The first winter every tree wy = so = eee OE ae 466 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. from the Illinois walnuts killed down to within six inches of the ground, and some of the Minnesota killed back one or two inches. After three or four years I could see no particular difference between the trees from Illinois seed and the Min- nesota seed, but the first year those from Illinois killed back the worst. I have never known the black walnut to winter- kill in Minnesota, no matter where the seed came from. They may freeze down the first winter one-half or two-thirds of the growth, but they will come up again. I can heartily indorse what Mr. Gardner says: ‘‘Saw the tree off at the ground when you do the planting, and it will make a tree three or four feet high the first year; and you take another of the same size which you do not saw off, and at the end of four years you will have a great deal larger and better tree from the one you sawed off.” Mr. A. F. Collman (Iowa): I have quite a large grove on my place—some trees that I bought when quite young and transplanted them. On another place I have several trees. I saved the walnuts in the fall, plowed the ground very nicely, planted them four feet apart each way and stepped on each hill with my heel. Two years after I trans- planted the trees, and those trees that were grown from the nuts are larger than those that were transplanted, and they are the best trees. Mr. Wedge: What is the commercial value of the nut? Mr. Elliot: About one dollar a bushel. Mr. Harris: In Mr. Cummins’ paper he mentioned hickory nuts. Ina little corner of Minnesota they can be grown so they will be of more commercial value than the apple. I have a tree that has been bearing for thirty-five years, and that tree every alternate year bears more nuts than three families can use. A great many nut trees have come up on my place, and wherever those have commenced bearing I find the nut is larger and finer than those from the old trees that used to be there. At the time I planted my young orchard, I had to cut down some two hundred nut trees. I believe I could have made two dollars out of the nuts where I can make one dollar out of the apples, but it is apples the horticultural society is looking for now and not nuts. I think we can extend the region much further north than nature would indicate they would grow. It is perhaps some other cause than the climate that causes them not to do so well. Any time any members want some nuts, I will send them a small package. ce WL ro “a '” Vou: 7 vf. NAMING OF NEW FRUITS. 467 ABOUT THE NAMING OF NEW FRUITS. HON. H. E. VAN DEMAN, PARKSLEY, VA. One thing I notice is needed in Minnesota as well as in other parts of our country, that the originators and introducers of new fruits use more judgment in naming them. The list of cultivated varieties has long since become so large and cumbersome that a reformation has been and now is a neces- sity. The matter has been forcibly presented over and over by some of the best pomologists of the country, and yet the addition of new names of unwise and confusing character goeson. The originators or introducers of new fruits often do not know of the impropriety of the names they adopt, and I sometimes fear that they do not care. It might be well for the editor to publish the rules of nomenclature of the American Pomological Society for the guidance of the readers. The names should be as simple, short and smooth sounding as possible. The name of a river, mountain, county, town or of a person is often all right, but there is a great danger of duplicating those alreadyinuse. Donotuse Prolific, Beauty, Red, White, Green- ing, Pearmain, Pippin, Seedling or any other name that is socommon. Denote seedlings by numbers at home or while under trial in the hands of experimenters, but never send them out to the public un- der such titles. There are two national authorities on pomological nomenclature, the American Pomological Society and the Division of Pomology at Washington; or perhaps I should say one, for they now act in unison, as I had originally hoped and planned when I conceived of and organized that division in 1886. If those who have new fruits to name will address the latter, they will be greatly helped in finding out from the only list in existence—and made for that purpose in part—whether the name conflicts with any other in use and also in other ways. RULES FOR NAMING AND DESCRIBING FRUITS. Adopted by the American Pomological Society. Rule 1.—The originator or introducer (in the order named) has the prior right to bestow a name upon a new or unnamed fruit. Rule 2.—The society reserves the right, in case of a long, inappropriate or otherwise objectionable name, to shorten, modify or wholly change the same when they shall occur in its discussions or reports; and also recommend such changes for general adoption. Rule 3.—The name of a fruit should preferably express, as far as practicable, by a single word, a characteristic of the variety, the name of the originator or the place of its origin. Under no ordinary circumstances should more thana single word be employed. Rule 4.—Should the question of priority arise between different names for the same variety of fruit, other circumstances being equal, the name first publicly bestowed will be given precedence. Rule 5.—To entitle a new fruit to the award or commendation of the society, it must possess (at least for the locality for which it is recommended) some valua- ble or desirable quality or combination of qualities ina higher degree than any previously known variety of its class and season. Rule 6.—A variety of fruit having been once exhibited, examined, and reported upon as anew fruit by a committee of the society, will not thereafter be recog- nized as such so far as subsequent reports are concerned. A rule governing the revision of names, as authorized by the society at the meeting in Washington in Ey me 1891, is as follows: : Prefixes, suffixes,apostrophic terminations and secondary words,together with words whose significations are expressed in the descriptive columns of the cata- logue, are eliminated from the names of fruits, save in a few cases in which they may be needful to insure the identity of a variety and ina few time-honored names. The anglicising of foreign names is resorted to only in the interest of brevity or pronounceability. In questionable cases, subsidiary words are retained in parentheses. _ November alendar. J. S. HARRIS. The calendar for November, published in the report of 1895 is doubtless accessible to all of our members, and it is needless to add very much to it except as reminder. The work in the orchard is, first, to see that the fences and gates are in perfect repair, and that the gates cannot be carelessly left open to admit stock. Some kinds of pruning can safely be done in autumn, but browsing by stock and horn pruning has never yet proved a satisfactory success. Remove dead and broken limbs, also cut away all blighted twigs below where they are affected and burn to prevent the spread of the disease, and if any trees are so badly blighted that they will not likely recover they had best be removed root and branch to make room for something better. All wounds made on trees in pruning ought to be covered with pure white lead paint or shellac varnish. Trees planted last spring and others not large and well established, should have earth banked up about the base, making a conical mound about one foot in diameter and eight to twelve inches high. It should be of clean, solid earth, free from sods and weeds, or it will furnish a winter home for mice. The mound thus made serves the double purpose of a support to the tree against the winds of winter, and prevents mice from gnawing the bark from the trunks, This mound is to be leveled in the spring. Before placing this mound it is well to make a careful search for borers, and if any are found, dig them out or probe their borrow with a wire to destroy them. We think it is also beneficial to apply a coat of lime whitewash to the trunks and larger branches, to which a half ounce of carbolic acid and a half pound of copperas is added to each two gallons of the wash, Rabbits can and do work much harm in the young orchard by gnawing the bark from the trees, and here they often begin their depredations quite early in the fall. The most effectual and, in the end, cheapest safeguard is to fence them out and keep the gates closed. This is best done with chicken wire screen fencing, thirty inches to three feet wide, with two inch meshes. This is tightly stretched and stapled to posts set about sixteen feet apart, the lower | edge being close to the ground. Above this are put two or more barbed wires to make the fence secure against stock, and Mr. Dartt, of the Owatonna station, has discovered that by suspending another wire above these and clear of the tops of the posts, it being fastened NOVEMBER CALENDAR. to cleats about midway between hte posts, it makes a fence that will keep out boys and fruit thieves. Where there are but few trees to be protected, it may be done by winding them with cloth bands, hay or straw ropes, or fastening ubout them cornstalks or strips of lath. Sometimes smearing the trunks with blood or rubbing them with fresh meat will answer the purpose, butitis not liable to last through the whole winter. Other devices are, placing shallow boxes con- taining a mixture of corn and oats near their runways, and when they are once baited, trap them, or watch and shoot them on bright moonlight evenings. Every “up to date” orchardist will have a chart of the grounds with each tree and its kind recorded. This is a good time to make such achart. It is not safe to trust to the labels that come with the trees from the nursery. The labels get louse andare lost, or the names soon become obliterated; and when the name of a variety is unknown, half the interest in its welfare is lost. Scions for root-grafting in the winter and top-grafting next spring may be cut as soon as the leaves have fallen or any time be- fore the severest winter setsin and when not frozen, packed in sand or fresh sawdust and put into a cool cellar, and they will keep fresh until needed. Care should be taken in selecting the scions, cutting them only from thrifty and healthy trees. Blackberries and raspberries that are to be protected during the winter may now be safely laid down and covered with earth or other material. Grape vines should be pruned as soon as possible after the leaves fall and putin position for later covering. Rather early pruning is usually the best. It is an excellent plan to mulch between the rows of the strawberry beds at this time, or a little earlier, but not tocover the plants in tha rows until winter is about to set in. ARE WE KILLING OUR BIRDS?—Who has not noticed the disap- pearance of the little birds from our fields and berry bushes since the deadly Bordeaux and other similar mixtures have become so universally used. Surely our little friends are leaving us, and not only they but many of our insect friends that daily feast on the in- sects that destroy the products of our labor. The diligent and untir- ing search of these little birds in the trees set me to thinking whether or not we were not poisoning more of our friends than enemies. Sure it is that there is a rapid increase of noxious insects, and the time is already here when the chances of a paying crop hang very largely on the thoroughness with which we spread the deadly poison over the foliage of trees, vines, bushes and plants. Noth- ing escapes; everything has its enemies. It cannot be denied that the precious little songsters that so delight us are eating the poisoned insects and picking it up on foliage and bark and are rapidly sent “where the good birdies go,’ and we turn longingly to the chemists and enquire if something cannot be produced that will kill the insects and spare our feathered friends.—Mo. Hort. Soc. Rep. 1895. "en Baie ‘. <— “T have three varieties of apples, three of plums and two of pears which I imported from Denmark. The trees are doing well but have not fruited yet; I think some of them will fruit next season. Rose Creek, Minn., Oct. 19th, 1896. JENS A. JENSEN.” “My success this year with berries was phenomenal. My Early Thompson raspberries gave me a return of $1,500 per acre. I am fully aware this enormous yield will be doubted by many, even old fruit growers, yet it is substantially correct. Blanchard, N. D., Oct. 25, 1896. THOS. HARRISON.” “Brom what I have seen, I may say that this year was very favor- able for apple growing in Collegeville and neighboring towns of Stearns county. I know four or five farmers in our vicinity whose trees were loaded with fine, beautiful apples, especially Duchess and Wealthy. Crabs also were doing well. Mr. Math. Reisinger, of Collegeville, has a little Wealthy, only four inches in diameter, which bore five bushels of apples. REV. JOHN B. KATZNER.” Collegeville, Minn., Oct. 16th, 1896. “With me the Early Washington, or Sopsof Wine, is a more profitable apple than the Tetofsky, but can’t say that the tree is as hardy, and there are very few trees in this state as far as I can learn. But its flavor, together with its rich, red color, sells it any- where. “Tn regard to strawberries, will say that the Bederwood is a good fertilizer, but have found it the most subject to leaf rust and fungous diseases of all the varieties I have tried. Dresbach, Minn., Oct. 17th, 1896. W. S. WIDMOYER.” THE First NURSERY.—“‘My Dear Latham—In your October num- ber I noticed a mistake that ought to be corrected while many pioneers are still alive to verify the truth of history. Itis well known to all the old settlers that my nursery was started between St. Paul and St. Anthony long before there was a Minneapolis or Fillmore county. In the obituary of Mr, Barnett Taylor, it is said he started the first nursery in Minnesota, although he did not settle in the state until 1857, while I came in 1850, and some apple seeds were planted in the fall of that year. From that small beginning sprung the “Groveland Garden and Nursery,” which was known all over this country and in Europe until 1885, when I rented my greenhouses and nursery, on account of poor health, and came to this country, where I started “Ford’s Tropical Nursery.” Many evergreens, I learn, are still growing about the old place, which is now a little suburb of Merriam Park, on the Milwaukee road. San Diego, California, Oct. 12th, 1896. lL. M. PORDY i i a i i i i r or ‘ i Sy ame ce ae * _ Secretary's (Corner. > SET UP YOUR OWN FruIt.—Considerable fruit has been stored for the exhibit at our annual meeting, and we may expect an even better display than last year. - DESCRIPTIONS OF SKEDLING FRUITS.—Do not forget to bring or send full descriptions of any promising seedling fruits, especially apples, to the annual meeting of our society, which meets in Minne- apolis, December 1, 1896. Don’T MISS THE ANNTAL MEETING.—Our meetings are always very profitable, and we intend this shall be especially so. Especial attention will be paid at this session to the subject of “Strawber- ries” and “Apples,” and a large number of short papers presented on each eubject. THE TREE CRICKET OR THE CURRANT BORER.—If any of our readers have been in any measure successful in combating these destructive insects, that are doing so much injury in many locali- ties, will they please send their experience at once to the secretary? We need all the information obtainable on this very practical sub- ject. ARE You IRRIGATING?—If you have done any irrigating this year or last, on either a large or small scale, or experimented in that direction, will you please set down now and write a concise ac- count of your experience and send to the secretary, so it may be at hand before the annual meeting, December Ist. Information on this subject is especially needed. No Wor LD’s FAIR MEDALS YET!—A letter just received from Hon. D. A. Montfort, of St. Paul, late president of the Minnesota World’s Fair Commission, says that he has “ Had no information whatever with reference to any (medals) which were awarded either on ac- count of the fruit exhibit or to individuals,’—and these awards were made over three years ago. Comment is unnecessary. OuR ANNUAL MEETING.—The annual meeting of this society will convene in Minneapolis, December Ist, next and continue in session three days. The meeting will be held in the offices of the county commissioners in the court-house, same place as last year. The usual reduced rates have been secured. The program isin preparation and will be sent by November 15th to the mem- bers and all othera applying to the secretary. SHALL You Buy ANY NURSERY STOCK THIS YEAR?—Remember there are plenty of reliable nurserymen in the Northwest, and you are safer to place your orders near home where you know something of those you are buying of. Any cases of unfair dealing on the part of tree agents,it would be wise toreport to this office. The un- principal tree “shark” is a nuisance that needs abating badly in this part of the world; but this must not be construed as a warning against placing orders with agents of nurseries which you know to be reliable. Nursery stock must necesarily be largely sold + eNEFd poe TRS ‘ Bet si: se 3 472 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. through agents in a new country like this, where local nurseries are so scarce. STRAWBERRIES BY THE BARREL.—A novel method of growing strawberries is suggested,which is adapted to gardens of verylimited area. Takea barreland boreinch holes through the side eight inches apart and in rows four inches apart, alternating in the rows. The plan is to set a strawberry plant in each hole, roots inside, of course, The process of planting is to fill the barrel with earth level with the lowest row of holes, then put in this row of plants and fill with earth to the next row, etc. A tiling, say of three inches in diameter, is put in the center of the barrel from near the bottom to above the top, and into this is poured water and liquid manure for irrigation and fertilizing. Such a barrel would require about one hundred and thirty-five plants, and it is said it has produced as high as five bushels of berries. If anyone isinterested enough in oddities to try it, the readers of the Horticulturist would like to know the results. OUR STATE FAIR FRONTISPIECE.—The view shown at the head of this number is, probably, the most comprehensive one of Horticul- tural Hall that has ever been printed. The artist stood in the gal- lery at the west end of the hall, and the camera was located some twelve feet above the floor of the hall. It shows fairly well the three tables in the center on which the fruits are displayed, and on either hand against the wall the tiers of shelves containing the florists’ exhibits. At the left hand side, just beyond the show of plants, appears the exhibit of 175 plates of Russian apples made by the Iowa Experiment Station. The county agricultural exhibits at the farther end of the hall are obscured very completely by the fountain in the center, surrounded by the florists’ display of de- corative plants. A TROPICAL NURSERY.—Our old friend and fellow member, L. M. Ford, for so many years proprietor of a nursery and greenhouse in what is now Merriam Park (between the Twin Cities) has re- turned again to his first love, and is conducting in San Diego, Cali- fornia, what he terms a “Tropical Nursery.” Some of the speci- mens of his products came to the writer in an exaggerated cigar box lately and proved on disclosure to bea very fierce and aggres- sive looking collection of cacti. A slip at the top of the box said “handle these with a darning needle,’ and we saw the point. A lady friend visiting us from Southern California said “the horrid things,’ but then we had seen her home when they were trying to get rid of cacti to plant vines, and so understood herantipathy. We have no fear that they will take possession of our garden and drive us from the premises, and so we shall try and coax them into bud- ding out in the wonderful manner which is the fashion with this very curious and interesting family. About thirty of us walkeda considerable distance at ll p. m., lately to see a cactus in bloom, which it was said would not flower again in a hundred years. Such a vividly beautiful flower,exaggerated by the homeliness of the plant that bore it and the hour at which it must be seen! Few of us may live to see it flower again—but perhaps Mr. Ford has sent some that will blossom with less reluctance. | | . | A. ©. TUTTLE, BARABOO, WIS., ‘ FOUR YFARS OLD. and Ys tI ) TRE LD APPLI 5 A LONGFII THE MINNESOTA HORTICULTURIST. een. 4. DECEMBER, 1806. NO. 12. A LONGFIELD APPLE TREE AND ITS PLANTER, A. F. TUTTLE, BARABOO, WIS. J. S. HARRIS, LA CRESCENT. The subject of our frontispiece this month is a Longfield apple tree in the fourth year after planting in the orchard, Of course, it was not such a tree as travelling tree venders usually furnish our farmers, but was honestly grown and skillfully dug in the nursery and replanted in his orchard by the veteran and oldest horticulturist now living in his state, A. G. Tuttle, of Baraboo, Wisconsin, whose portrait is seen in the foreground. Mr. A.G. Tuttle was born at Litchfield, Conn., in 1815; consequently, is now past eighty-one years of age. Hecame to Madison, Wis., in 1846, to Portage City in 1847 and to Baraboo in 1848. He was engaged in the mercantile business about five years, but abandoned it on ac- count of failing health, and began orcharding in 1893. His first plantings were necessarily largely of untried varieties, and he early realized that the great majority of the then existing American va- rieties were not adapted to this climate, and secured through Hon. Cassius M. Clay, then consul to Russia,an importation of scions ofa considerable number of Russian varieties of the apple in 1866 and again in 1868. He has planted these varieties extensively in orchard for testing and found many of them entirely hardy with him and producers of good fruit. At the late Wisconsin state fair, he had on exhibition seventy-five varieties that for size, beauty of appearance and quality, were equal to any like number of our most popular American varieties. His favorite for a general purpose apple is the Longfield. The Longtield apple is rapidly coming to the frontas being about the most valuable of all the varieties imported from Russia, and is equal in most respects to the best of our American varieties, when well-grown. Description of the fruit: Size, four to five, or full medium; weight, four and a half to five ounces; form, smooth, round ovate: color greenish-yellow in the shade and clear, deep blush on the sun side; stalk, medium long, elastic, and set in a small, narrow cavity, show- ing a little russet at the bottom; calyx, closed,in a medium, deep wrinkled basin; flesh, white, fine grained, tender and juicy; flavor, 474 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. pleasant sub-acid, good; season, October to December; use, all pur- poses; origin, Russia. The tree is a medium strong grower in the orchard, commences to bear when very young and is inclined to bear very heavily; and pro- bably oneacre of them well cared for will produce forty barrelsin the sixth year from planting, and thereafter more fruit per year accord- ing to age than any other variety known. The tree is believed to be healthier and longer lived than the Wealthy,and to be equally as hardy. TREE GROWING ON THE COTEAUX OF SOUTHWESTERN MINNESOTA. F. F. PRATT, CAMDEN. (Mr. Pratt is at present connected with the Experiment Station at Crookston.) The Coteau Experiment Station is situated in the southwestern part of this state, in Lyon county, on the farm of Mr. O. C, Gregg, our worthy superintendent of Farmers’ Institutes. The farm gets its name “coteau” from a range of hills which extends across this portion of the country. The country adjoining those hills is rather high and rolling, especially in the western part of Lyon county. The average altitude of Lyon county, as given by Twitchel, is about 1,200 feet, and at this farm it is 1,900, having the highest altitude of any of our prairie counties, I be- lieve, except Yellow Medicine, which joins it on the north and west. The soil is a rich black loam, being from a few inches to eight- een inches thick on the prairie. The subsoil is a whitish clay which is very compact. This country for the most part is prairie, excepting the borders of the Redwood river and cther small streams and lakes, or, rather, where lakes once were, where there are quite a variety of trees and shrubs found growing, showing that both climate and soil are suitable for them. If thereis one thing more than another that this country is noted for, itis its heavy winds and the frequency with which they occur. The prevailing winds are from the southwest and the northwest, and it seems as though this country is their battle ground. These winds are partly due to the altitude of the country. G. E. Curtiss, an employe of the U.S. Weather Bureau, has made a study of the hot winds of this region and speaks of them as follows: “In rare cases hot winds may scorch and byrn vegetation while there is still moisture in the soil. It is especially apt to injure wheat when it isin the milk and also corn when it is beginning to tassel or ear; but, in general, hot winds do not affect the crops until by evapora- tion they have drained the moisture from the soil.” The causes of hot winds as noted by Mr, Curtiss are as follows: “The necessary condition is a diminishing pressure to the north- ward, producing southerly winds, which elevate the temperature above the normal. ste dnb epee monies eds 11.65 Dewain Cook, expenses as experiment station superin- RENTS Ss thay ccd v-ale’s klein p B+ n'du 0 gale dowreihe pn eeleen 5.64 Amasa Stewart, of Lemarque, Tex., was unanimously recom. mended to the society as an honorary life member. 580 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. An appropriation of $25 was made to purchase books for the library, the recommendation for the same to be submitted to the board. Adjourned sine die. A. W. LATHAM, WYMAN ELLIOT, Secretary. Chairman Executive Board. Meeting held at the Minneapolis court-house, 9 a. m., Dec. 6, 1895. Present, Messrs. Elliot, Underwood, Harris, and Latham. The treasurer’s books for 1895 were examined and found cor- rect. The following bills were audited and ordered paid: A. W. Latham, premiums paid at annual meeting Dec. 5, TECK 15 ape ame eee, PASE A CER RAE Min ees) SP AMRARE NRL Tah Nth Sy $146.00 J. O. Barrett, expenses as vice- presiiaut a hebste kate Woes S. D. Richardson, -S Sore eis te Cases hia MN. Wo yes ee 4.65 Mrs. Jennie Stager es a i Seat rari coh ea Net 2.67 Mrs. A. A.Kennedy, ‘ pe eee AL nee ees, 2.50 Adjourned sine die. A. W. LATHAM, WYMAN ELLIOT, Secretary. Chairman Executive Board. Meeting held at drill hall, Minnesota State Experiment Station, June 19, 1896. The following members were in attendance: Chairman Wyman Elliot, Pres. J. M. Underwood, Messrs. J. 8. Harris, J. P. Andrews, Clarence Wedge and Sec. A. W, Latham. On motion of J. M. Underwood, A. H. Brackett, of Long Lake, was appointed treasurer to fill the unexpired term caused by the death of F. G. Gould. Messrs. Wyman Elliot and J. S. Harris were appointed a committee to audit the semi-annual account of the secretary and the bill of the stenographer connected with reporting the summer meeting of 1896. A committee consisting of the president, secretary and chair- man of the executive board was appointed with full authority to act in relation to any matters referred to in the resolution of D. R. McGinnis, adopted by the summer meeting of 1896, as to legislation in the interests of forest protection. Adjourned to meet at the Minnesota State Fair Grounds, Thursday, Sept. 3, 1896. A. W. LATHAM, WYMAN ELLIOT, Secretary. Chairman Executive Board. ee oan i hie oe op ae i = on : : is tlh, Che ’ - ' . EXECUTIVE BOARD. 531 _ Meeting held at the Minnesota State Fair Grounds, Thurs- day, Sept. 3, 1896. Parsuant to adjournment, the board met at the horticultural department. Agricultural Building, Minnesota State Fair Grounds, at 3 p. m., Sept. 3, 1896. All the members were present except Prof. S. B. Green. It was decided to change the name of the ‘‘ experiment stations” of the society and hereafter call them ‘trial stations,” to avoid confusing them with the state experiment stations. The premium list for the next annual meeting being under consideration, it was decided to leave out the premiums on vegetables, on account of the lack of room for the display. The next annual meeting is to be held in Minneapolis, un- less later developments make it desirable to convene else- where. The secretary was instructed to prepare the program for the annual meeting after conference with the members of the board, and when prepared submit it to them for approval. The following bills were audited and allowed: Estate of F. G. Gould, for treasurer’s fees, etc...........814.00 Clarence Wedge, expenses of ex. board..............-. 9.75 J. S. Harris, ag fe a ee ete, oi 10.45 L. R. Moyer, pe Be Oe iota ihn emia 4.05 Adjourned sine die. A. W. LATHAM, WYMAN ELLIOT, Secretary Chairman Executive Board. 532 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. al ; { q j ; LIST OF MEMBERS, 1896 | ’ . fi ] Annual Members. . MAolMaAne SWIM keke ete: csleseeeeceeni-y = MLC G Miia WFR eed. cia aties oo Se eee Hamli Anderson, Brick aattubiolasie le atasslitele’s a ers exe s% Lake Park Carriiws Aca .hideeta accuee cee nee Excolalae PME S MELe ES alee es sinlocicciur ieicielerscicteletal= . Carlton Cummins, Gawald:st. occu. Eden Prairie | ROW SRS aes cee eh oes true ‘Faribault Chen Opera cicnjsre Wietaels to Ree Cen Rowland: | ANT Dsl eC eee Sa oe cisco apeoaceerioc Farmington Clow, H. Re ishobocsic Nodine Aspinwall, Nae an cdc cea ote: Harrison relay W... mlcfainisisiajoteicheie'« <) eich eee “Sac City. Lass Austin, L. E.. a ciaisid selects .Glencoe | Comee,S.§ .......... . Waseca — Aschenbeck, J. H.....0-.-.++ 731 4th Av. N., Mpls. | Crawford, Me ae + Cuyahoga Pally Ohio 4 Abbott, C. TARAS CHESS LEGO SR MTT Sth Saratoga Christian, Johmsearciea: Sutton Anderson, Nils... ........02.+022ee022 00% Lake Oity | Crandall, C.B.................2..4. Aone Red Wing — Applegate, JoO..-. .o.cjjece.e-es 168. 4th St.. Mpls, | Cuzner, E. A...... Essex and 27th Av. S. a Mpls. — PAINTS) OD G ee seins cele states siete © \eiel os Burnley, ate LD abot oc ansognocaode oe Zillah, Wash. | Ourrie, Hugh........... ...«-csssede.seena Clyde > Barrett, J. motestee clans . Browns Valley O@hurdh; Jo Gust kavses es .Lake Gity Brewster. Prof. SEL NW ha hate “St. Anthony Park Conyne, N...... Ls navn adores te sons POUlGS TURE Bussee, H. F..... wesecs soe. Station “A,’” Mpls. DOGMttER CATs wrk tveke dun eeebine Evansville, Wis. Bunnell. M. ©..... 000... see e evens tees nes Newport Decker, HO; Bea ee . Dresbach psrowpn, Mrs. Wm. R...... 2635 Pieasant Av., Mpls. DeCou, Franklin. .........c.e+- CE. 7th St.. St. Paul STA CDUTY, Grekb asec cccielstenseiels 108 lst Av. N., Mpls. Danforth, Wi. ..cosccs cob ncaceee eee Red Wing — WINES WA secklccinaeisets cee olor Sb/Asva UND MLDS: Davy Ditusiere oc deaecdocatieeeees eee Farmington — Beals, E. F MOAN ARuis i bc s sstae sae P.O. Bldg., Mpls. Douthty. di. Coles.c sec ste scree seeeeee Lake City TESA ACG RE cera do aaene Gad AOCORE Genre Red Wing 1D nl Ol OR AR ame eenC bari ise col sede oc Clinton Falls Blackwell, Mire. Da Wiscinatincsns Fort Totten, N D. Dodane, A BN i ae eS ee AS Alexandria EER GUMS ost ance vaso csceik ittesers St. Charles Dowdy Michael vaso. ccs c/-eemiesers eels New Canada ErOWene ee NGOs scram oe sajes na celeste Waconia Durkee, nis Pieces seers eceeee eens Z ... Hancock — GOMES OM Ese cere dietcinie stnciee oe /ait'ei slelare Ortonville Dedon, W.S rts! Riot neche oeteiekiots beat Falls © SVE VWaLUL em Cl or aca ha atebticrctaptis a cheleversven anya: Alexandria Denny, John.. < siejee bie we cleelale te aiehee age WC ERE Boelk, oa ek Bea ceistacins . Lansing Dane; Mrs. Hattie E ‘Janesville STU COA AVL Stic MUNIN, oc dicate w'sle mwersieteioreiere siete ‘Montevideo Dahley Ts Kea ae ikctee avecis cates Ree een SPOIL ATIG PA UIDs tare tic tin cictaici|aalslalciaieiartielan sletbls Atwater 3) Fal Coy eed Kol ah s RRC EMAC Ar scm Beardsley, Wi. Gs ..cc0c cece Camden Place, City HlTewieoa't; MA Ore cae cwies esis ce ae Buck Hon, Dan’). .c... Ar dear eae Mankato BN ESDEL RS ieieresinwteticasietet eemuamer Toronto, 8. D. Bonwell. Arthurs... sc... sees -Blue Earth City HSK ISON. Hindsewcunmanten clas ae a 4th St., Duluth — MINICOM KEL sc oieleceevelemiee essen Hatton, N. D. Eddy, W. H.... oS .- Howard Lake Ee aehton: AM ere a aero wie see 511 4th Av. 8S. E., Mpls. Eday, W. C.. Fee ciel se ae eee .. Verndale © SITS HV AMIR oo. Stes, aes eteiee hot aeeemns Dover | SBverest) Gs Avo. cace selva cee eee -Duluth Blackmarr, EF. BE Re ICE .. Duluth Engbretsen, Andrews. sseses ese. Elk River PAS EN AGRO Se nan SCeilouieiel Ja'slcresteubuiaeie slot 5 aerate Lyle Fryer, Vee! eae Generis conan -- Mantorville UPTO We kbs. ve eaicclev am eass ist Nat. Bank, Duluth Biuar beriid els. ctesacicsitoca ene rlonetacc een Madelia — Bennion. BHOD i Heb eN ; Taylorsville, Utah Flatin, G. F.. ADGRNG Sn .Spring Grove Bass, J.G... ; 1616 Taylor Avy.. Hamline Krankland, Thos..........+- .-Stonewall, Man, perverts Ueriteh- cs. bites Doce hoceue as Springfield fy rederickson, Ta Siac cca se foeditobieles cctem ane Cash, W. H. H. wees «.-e.s- NeW Lisbon, Wis. Fournelle, Nic.. Ba QC: Bae Gs a va Sie Bon ire St. Anthony Park Freeman, Jomathan. 2c swecs socceue osc eee Clark, O .. 1411 4th St. ae Mpls. Bren hs Ad oi edcisiclekc cites alee citve's.c1e os ! > decane Excelsior Little, E. O.. .3l sige a Bldg.. Duluth Lynn, Jas yor 2 orgie’ Dougias. Wis. Lord, L. P.. ule uidaca oak owincet .. Owatonna Lindesmith, Orv waccavee beekaanh ? baie alee Owatonna DIOR tice aa aan 6 ry er eee ee Harriett Miner, Julius E. ...........482 Boston Blk., Mpls. Mercalli BiiO. ve ictssses ces eth 405th St. S., Mbls. MUTA. Js Whssoretaventobcod Cae Excelsior Motley, L. F...............2444 Stevens Av., Mpls. Movenglisit, & toss a0 «os te te ade Ome Montevideo Morisse, G. F.. Moeser Frank...... te DIACHINGORN, ke. 9 des peace wpaccess Mackintosh, Wm.... ...... Mohisired’...t5., soso ek Mack, Miss Beatrice L Meleanrd, it. dlihh 2s cnce May, L. e. Coecsedaeseses Mills. Mrs. J.S.. Morrison, ae D.. Malone, Thos.. Mason, J. R...... Malberg, ae Beccte Melgaard, O. L...... Midthun, Rev. M. M Mainz, Simon........ Manahap, Chris. Misslin. A. P...>- . Alexandria .1230 Western AV.. Mpls. St. Anthony Park on f wines aeieaw ae Langdon eee ie Adrian aie eee Elk River Villa Rosa, Mpls. ceva kasdetan cares Austin -Forest Mills ws Peet Warren ....Chatfield New Market Mueller, H.C...... ..New Ulm Magnusson, Sven......... .... Stark Marli, Rudolph, ..........«. West Newton Molitor, Rev. Du icsdee in edadaatentevbens West Union Mesenburg, Prank.......0..sceses Rox B, St. Cloud MSYshall, JOG. Joss coma akahneaioeee Washington MOBGH; Ti. WV. SE. “Anthony Park Snyder, Mrs. Barty oe stay awwinin St. Anthony Park Stranchwold, Ole. ........- .....ceeLrysil, N.D. Schillinger, ae Bloomfield Sutherland, Byron.. ee “710 Phoenix 'Bldg.. Mpls. OS STE SSE G Ty Te ee aa ne Ge TOY Ane an Parker PMIEIINNGE COVE TING SS uate setccc Scukn es veces Money Creek RereG LV Gh sek olen iciepvcis by (nee enales Winnipeg, Man. MUCEENIOES PaPS. cS oe | swe oe avin we Nelson, Man. SPT ON: BES Se ae Mazomanie, Wis. peer Pa | ut cea. dood ec. cies cakes Lake City Solem, Rev. 9: ALS ei cueire mies Halstad DURPSIIOSEEU AL RI Seen cee cs ae cise *)Box 55, Mpls. Berman PM ccs ss eek o _..Charles City. Iowa SRRBSUAN MA igs Mec Ebr west ae heaton) ac Ces howe achmaeiee Mabel pelebe. RING oad, acest dncxccudon ekbiee Parker SIRENS SERIO oe pee ok xc woes xe eyw cue ones ote Ada Starks, Mrs. Helena..........--.----.--- Mariville MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 2 Scriven, D. Moc... .csck coca. coe ec ee eee SmittenG. Wc. tn, ~cewenee Smith; 'S.. Becss codccct oc teatees ese eee SLOVENES) O. I> scales aioe coe yle Seagren, John........... Leeess teen --Seoville, N. D. NLOVORS SE ssAL® < i658. cercceeenines ..Rush City Shaw, O. W... satcle Rojee eorenioteee ... Austin- Sundberg, C. A. os rsaeceebs eee ee ‘Worthington Saxson, Chas.. eb SAS .. Worthington Sireat Aci... .- aae Bais ov cater Albert Lea — Stowell, Dan’l.. BALA Sos ..Perley, Wis. Shogren, E..... es: Red Wing Schechter, J. J.- se Worthington HtLudleya ewan. oes ones S13 Hennepin Av., Mpls. Sherwood, Wm. C...... wsjeucceucies -Duluth shadbolt,, Prank... .2.c0. coccciele seen : Caledonia Spickerman, ‘OS W:....0caacce case xcelsior Sartell, Mrs. JOS..<....2..... onte ea eeeeeee St. Cloud Sampsony J Asc csaeces coon sien Excelsior | Smile il. Ws. wasaeet es seas hententors Box 23387. St Paul Smith; 0; Hoss. seeps os,sc ances ees Oe Excelsior Schiffman, Dr. .B....:--.+-.<-.. .-aeeee St. Paul Scofield... Hi... 2 .c..2 te ee eee Bloomington Tracy,G. A. . Watertown, 8S. D. Tenney, Mrs, P. Bub... cccccs.o2cus duseee tee TNarnbu ll Johns. s0..c.s5s0ce eee La Crescent hia yereVirs. by Aes oto ss hee Riverside, Cal. Theilmann, C....0...00..05 cesses sees Le LDS TINTS ENV st Bo ee acces aeleson/ ioe ee Stillwater Thompson, aioe Poise cae koe ~Grane Forks, N. D. Mrenhamin: Uiecsactece oaks .. Alexandria Da VlODy SaSs sons cncidews 2 6c..0 snc een Austin ahompson. ©. Ee... 2c. ee eee New London Turner, JOND.. 2.0.5 foc eccescs sence Shakopee TROPNPON: cA.5. cadens ccniterccen Cau TGR OES Benson Turner, Chass csiseeecs 6 des ss os ace Mazeppa Urien Wii 24 tees ee 2520 Bryant Av. N., Mpls. Wan Hoesen, Bi Bac.4.. fsb. cscs ose een Alexandria Weel) Ws Tes cs ecids | . ’ 535 Palats Mrs WG cdece ccs sen ccen ... Herse Pearce, M.... cel eaire sy Chowen Peterson, RvAvOM, @:2cscietacte cs -Waconla Peewee Ol I) Pevescuvdel «casnmatecens :’ Minneapolis Smith, rn 2 ES ine ads se aoe San Diego, Cal. Sias, A. W cure ..Harbor View, Fla, Petite 00 Na 5:5 wie: A; cccieoatarvces ton em Sargeant, Mrs. H. aaeee se : ..-Lake Clty Somerville, Wm.. A, ROPE OS. -Viola Stewart, AMAEB.. ccc. cscccesces “"Lamarque, Tex. gi a OY eR eee pe Oe Baraboo, pit et. eR ee ee oe West Salem, Wis. Van Cleve. Mrs. C.O ...003 5th St. .. Mpls. Five Year Members. J. B. Mitchell, elected 1892............. ©. H. Hamilton, elected 1892.. "ieee segs 3 One Year Members. hy oe Oia in cus tl dad anna cun Janesville, Wis. Bie RU, eas op Bee cacn on™ West Salem, Wis. Geo. Wir WHE YS. vee ssg eens. nec - Yankton, 8. D. pS ET) sa ie eae ee — hen Wis. A. F. Collman.. ee ..-Corning, Ia. DECEASED. Life Members. Died. P. A. Jewell. Lake City Sitar ahtate ee Dr. John A. Warder, South ‘Bend, ‘ut aus . 1883 = Bs Hodges, St. Pash cc 6-620 canwleceonennensate 1883 W. Humphrey, Paulbault Sy Fae AR ES 1885 Marsbell P. Wilder, Boston, — pcpttatonaee 1886 Chas. Hoag, Minneapolis... casper ae Mrs. Wealthy Gideon, Excelsior........ .-... 1889 Chas, Gibb, Abbottsford, a Liaaces naa alel ae 1890 R. L. Cotterell, Dover Center.. avvduw sdue eee E. Wilcox, Trempeleau, WiS........-..2.sss008 1804 Philip Herzog, Minneapolis........ ee Po 1804 J. M. Smith, reen Bay, Witincxcavusidananids 1804 Geo. P. Peffer, Pewaukee, Wis. 05 acnasancesuneneee D: A. Robertson, St. Paul, ... ccacus 0s ae Ayres, H. B., Native Evergreens, re en ee et ask on Barreté, J. O., Arbor Day Planting, DY..2.<.. <2 << sen ee sen gunn Coen nen n seen eee Barrett, J. O., Remarks on Forestry. by.. Boe eS ae eck a weed ane ae Barrett, J. O., Report on Forestry, by.. “ a fa jude eee Barrett, J. O., Vice-President’s Report, Sixth Omigresioaal District, t by. oes ae Barry, Patrick, Portrait of............. Ek, tee ages aa ..opposite Bee Golden, or Five-Banded, W. H. Bright. ete eet AR i ag pS ER TS Bee-Keepers’ Association, Minn., Annual Meeting of, 1895............-----..----seeeee Bee-Keepers’ Association, Annual Meeting of the Minnesota, E. K. Jaques......... Bee-Keepers’ Association, Minnesota, Officers for 1896... ..........2.---2 20.2 eee seen ee Biography of Amasa Stewart....... Be ao ee eed oe nm el a oe Biography of H. E. Van Deman... ..........--.. 2.00 soe caer e ce nn en ce cone ceases cn cnne esas Biography of Wyman Elliot... ..-- 2.220 --- ncn. co ccce cnn n de ones nnnn one ence moriseene cane Birch, H. EB. A City. Orchard, by. ...-.- .......-....:- ea ce wise eee eer ree «net ee Bird= Vo Protect Oherries from oon. oe non cn ca da ene qawenn on Sein a on aes ona an See ee Blackberries at Lake Minnetonka, Thos. Redpath....... 2.2... 2.2000 cece ee cece ee ee eens Black Walnut, Will it Pay to Grow the, J. R. Cummins... ...........2.---. 202. eee Hower Hl Nar WUGREIO® DY sc cans = nok xclcciam iP -das snereecaetace= aa <0staaes ce ecmmeiee Brackett, A. H., Report on Small Fruits, Dy... 2.20.2 2220 222s sean cans ones ween anes cess Brewster, Prof. H. W., The Ideal Horticulturist, Dy. ...... 22.00. ---20--- ee ceneee ee ceee Bright, W. H., Golden, or Five-Banded, Bee, Dy....-...-....-.c202--- -eeeeeceesee sees Bullis, 0. H. Orcharding In Minnesots, DY... ..< =. £- «22. nse so 2s nn os dae ds ncnaeeeesnnes Buttermore, R. H., Apples, DY....-.---20. 1. eee cece te cece eee nee cree eee eee e eet ee ee eee c Calendar, March to December, J.S. Harris...... 125, 163, 2(9, 253, 305, 348, 386, 427, 468, Canning of Vegetables, Mrs. Adelaide C. Prac? Sal shpat Cah vac lech as te Wika cee Celery, Transplanting, Prof. S. B. Greem.. ...... 2.0.2.2... 2 ec ccccee nverenccne scccncees Coe, EB. J., Strawberry Culture, Dy. ..-. 22. 22062265 oc) cc cee oce cons pons as cece ss cana cecces Collman, A. F., Climatic Modification of Fruit, by. Ne cuies dona onl nko Pe caeelt ts ene tae Comminsion Merchants. FRG.» 55 sas Soc woes hada a ges Saenns Hicsnces Wess socens aaa cee ‘a Page I TNS Rg SR SF am ue dagen Sb ends Cebob de sateen rane PRameteuees Cook, Dewain, Plums and Cherries, by.. FEE Pee sae Mere Pet oe tea - Seok Dewain, Plums a Source of Profit, by... Vciadet y Weaeleuraav coe i eeacwdvmee di paane 332 Dewain, Report of Experiment Station, by.............0 cece cece eee cece eee 180, 300 Ss Per PATLES SCOLOS, Mis, FD. OLOGS: 5 ius udev csc sn'snoctgs bene senwuarn soul cleus ++ 458 aemwooking and Pantry Stores, Mrs. H. BR. ReOve......cccccsccccesacsccecccscsccsvcceseces OOO = Oorp, Sidney, Getting Apples to Market. DY...........ccccececccccccsesserscccssccercee 16 Seoroes, Oapt. J. N., Address on Forestry, DY.......2.sccscccccccscrsocevsasesessesseseren SID sores, Oapt. J. N., Paper on Forestry, DY........2--sccecceccercoeestecescnscesccsscsce . 280 _ Cross, Sri aN see NaI OF OLGSUL Ys Dia. suv the ois cddde now mtnalpwede obo daucharmen aaa 321 Cross, Mrs. E., Cooking and Pantry Stores, by.. W dug e's dd np Send eae tendo Cummins, J. R., Will it 3: reals the Black Walnut, by. ES Ee rt PT 461 . PERCMOcc cee ev cease Seis on warae é Gus Valdnnat eR onde anaes aie tee * Cutler, M., Small Prdite, by. eras ann cola Mtaes dev acesMaccadct< xy Beetle sas Tuaetiaeteneag tao 220 Cutts, E. J., Grapes, by.. Mlathce «tio Cain ci tiain daa otra woowa a taecaues bee ievanicdes aus 5 seen __ Delegate Northeast Iowa Hort. Society, Report of, 0, Mi ord: wis See a oe - Discussion on Fruit List.. cee cona thes cone SN MET OINLATT HOR GIA I Ola. coc ahd cy cei ho as biindiia «a + odinw is oles esriucs luis eghu tess opposite 1 Elliot, Wyman, Report of Executive Board, oss ROE COB TS ee Te 10 Elliot, Wyman, Residence of.. Proce tcda ce a SAcW i dns Gee cee Pan ens Entomology in 1895, J. S. Haris. Be ae tex hs sae Se enitsie Cid vided ed Paarl Bea ca = Ube Res eam eees eae 448 MmLemnemoey, Haporton, Mra. A. Ax KGnned ys fi. ccvescne-c casesedeseaccednsnatasnseane (OD European Horticulture, Notes on, Prof. N. E. Hamsen.........ceeece-cccccce senses cece 498 SPROUTS TOOL 2m tae saatictees tee dok eves oxnnssdae> sais rashdc aocens at teueeaean ed seve 406 Evergreens, Native, H. B. Ayres.. : nt dee pwn 4-0 0 ad eutas sinh oleate eee ee tein Executive Board, Keport of, Wynian Elliot.. cin maw dudes bee ede eX tn quem aeil aor 4% Experiment Stations, 1895, Reports of.. hsb ase nd teal ame pd oaeiel aan est Experiment Station, Minnesota State, Prof. 's. ‘B. ‘Green.. Sacdusdeuek hun uate kone ee Experiment Station, Minnesota City, O. M. Lord.. Juntciieehud = piabde haus seen eee Pmeuemmeny station, windom, Dewain Cook... .5<) «sccoesscacscuuenuscusyccasanesutes 189 Experiment Station, Eureka, 0. W. Sampson.. ie Gammel Ini simata pha ale Sottero Experiment Station, Viola, Wm. Somerville.. «gard fo dd iss ane ai tice Experiment Station, Sauk Rapids, Mrs. Jennie ‘Stager.. ene abhiewettee tol Uhadiaacedaater eee Experiment Station, Montevideo, L. R. Moyer.......--....cseeeeeee eee cues eueeee cece 195 - Sexperimoent Station, La Orescent J. 8. Harris... .....cssseconvcvcnvase- es werseetpssegs LO Experiment Station, Excelsior, H. M. Lyman..... ....0. sce ovssecies svccnsecnsens cones 202 Experiment Stations, Midsummer Reports Of ......0.ccece secccccssccccccsecccessess 25 __, Experiment Station, Albert Lea, Clarence Wedge.............. see. cece eeeeee cn sneenees 303 7 xc periment Station; ia Crescent, J. S. Harris... ..cccccossccvssevccses -sasseccsenvnccese GUO _ Experiment Station, Minnesota City, O. M. Lord....... «x Pease eS aioe neice ich ak v ahi ea Experiment Station, Minnesota State, Prof. S. B. Green........... cece ee ceeee cere es = 205 Experiment Station, Montevideo, Lycurgus R. Moyer...........00000 ccccceeeeeeesee, 208 Experiment Station, Windom, Dewan Cook iigdtasseus ds cee tatpapvecntass does wehe ener tee < 9 538 INDEX. F Page Hair, Our Late,Agricultural, Wm. Somerville... sc swsce soe) cheese cee eneee canna Harmer, L. 1., The New Strawberry Oulture, Dy. ... .ccscc occ occecccucwccccwicclecantehtonaen Farmers’ Institute, Notes from, Olarence Wedge............... csccecccccceeces 65, 120, 158 Fernow, Prof. B. E., Comments on Forestry Plan, by...............0cceeeeecesees sons B2L Wertilization ofthe Squash, Prof./S..B. Greens... scs-nec-ceis- + ccc se see ce eeeenene 94 Notice of Summer Meeting, 1896.. be eA Hatton 263 Nutter, F. H., The Dalles of the St. sGroue ie sane a Siolaka lala 4 = : y ° a + ‘ : a) aa INDEX. . 641 Page Pum, The Tasea,

rs, J. B., Agricultural Hall, State Fair, 1896, by.. waeee Sere peer 402 Bust ve. Frost ORI CIEER WUOETION wads xy Suis clic coccinea et aac Sauk nook unnde Pace 112 ao 67 YZ Ss - ig - Sampson, Cc. W., A Delaware Vineyard, by.. Sah Blea < Cairo a Sains A tediny So vcn as - Sampson, OC. W., Report of Experiment Station, » by Pe abetn ¢ Re re eee eee 192 Sand Cherry, The New Hybrid, H. Knudson..................0.sceecceeee 132 _ Secretary's Annual Report, A. W. Latham..................00eee00- 12 _ Secretary’s Corner, A. W. Latham........... 40, 80, 127, 167, 213, 258, 308, 350, 387, 430, 471, 51 SUMREREEANNGE FF RUGS 5s RABIES 64 co Seces picmee ce shedeccucdus ous aon anys «hbk brain lan: ee ner TSODONG Ons 2s > KLOPFIG. cosa ceden thnk inde tasaesvurestdduponee dkeagle douceaditt 159 PO eee ANN BEML NE ooo 0 cca coeds Gel ere St moe eal an Wien a sled en uludatan at opposite 41 AEE ERNE ood OFGNE ROM WOT sa zaies nwdaw a aden Keeuen wey dali cwk tue cdldn godt e a aay auatek ieee hae 240 _ Small Fruits, Late Hints on, OC. L. Smith...............2ccceccces Wnt ta oe Ob, wl data Ge ae 60 Small Fruits, M. Cutler.. 2 matt eeu ie shake bus ken) okdeda ew eal 220 Small Fruits, Report on, a H. Brackett... tetas 488 _ Small Fruits, Report on, Mrs. A. A. Kennedy... RWREL deedan a0 abcde ule alah iteben de 375 | Small Fruits, Ventilation of, While in Transit.......0.cccces sccccccccccsccecasececss. 2 Saemith, O. L., Late Hints on Small Fraite, Dy... 5. ..s...ecccdescavcns saccluccavccsceccce O0 Smith, OC. L., Remarks on Forestry, by. Sant io au/Gahee i cats Sab ells aca woe see Snyder; Mrs. Adelaide C., Canning of Vegetables, by: pikhinhza ss eebomrumeke buuniae anoint 421 Somerville, Wm., Our Late Agricultural Pair, Dy ............eccccsccnncece ccs rae ante 360 Somerville, Wm., Report of Experiment Station, by.. et is aaa ried Southern Minnesota Horticultural Society, Annual Meeting of, "1805. anil diohbiiets acs 04 3 - Southern Minnesota Horticultural saa Clarence Wedge... neuNasndsacnn 4.) ce Spraying Machine, A Home-Made... PAR RE ae EE gl pen Se AE Squashes, Growing Hubbard, ©. L. Hill.. phn austen eh peta Stager, Mrs. Jennie, Vice-Pres. Report, Seventh Congreasional District, by... Pe 319 Stager, Mrs. Jennie, Report of Experiment Station, Dy.......... .ccceccsececcceeuees . 19 _ State Fair, 1896, Horticulture at the Minnesota, A. W. Latham.......... was conenensse Mt -. State Fair, 1896, Agricultural Hall, J. B. Rogers..........ccccceceseeces sccessecvseesss 42 State Fair, 1896, Horticultural Hall.. cae pias case bl Whidesh#ane QRINOENe Sane Stevens, J.H., Vice-Pres. Report, Fifth Congressional District, oe maqnese seed antl Gee Pe Wwawe, PImmese, BiOgrApay Of. 6.05 inesensedecdauvntee: Seduce stonaces sbiveseus 129 Stewart, Amasa, Portrait of.. seit wh uses saeeidy abubwh edie nhyskabwangn “-ses-0pposite 129 orage, Good, for the Orchurdist. ests ele ak Pa ox dendudibscitcihaccatuanat - ZW i oi 4 | 542 INDEX. Page Stout, Geo, ©.,,Some Thoughts on Gardening; DY... cccccecdes ccs ace selec sleerdelaneeee 378 Stra woerries; a" GisCusSlOn ss: etic, ce celecwele « ce cess t-teweis sictanieis egies cisledleeiter te cee eae eee 436 Strawberry Culture, Re JiOOs cas tac ch scenes tas caren cciee Usrsslora sisteis oisvsinels tele aeken es eee 54 Stra wherry Oulture;( het Newsies c. oc cemiece cc veitinte situceleclewieis/e'e miaseie'ce oceania’ a sleet eee 146 Strawverry Culture, The New, Lb. J. Harmer...) ss. eens cnc sce, 4.20 asccieeentee 337. 382 Strawberry Weal WB EHAGs cic cts wcionice ants cis aocic das aretlovie.c verdes orcinediblees soe cere ean 239 Strawberries, H. Bovee.. aa ioiotie Celsiaraisieieiele oie feisreale avs lanteer Eee 329 Strawberries, the Propacatine inode) ©. Pp. Gardner! Wi ates viece lal Sieve cele leraye's’ :< eS ee en 425 Strawberries without Irrigation, Growing, M. Pearce.................s:eecceeveece celeee OES SUPSOiLine with! Wy marmite Myc se rite eats ore ersiaie cles ciele tie slam laleiclers canal dc atase oul alert Ciro eeae eae Af abe Summer Meeting, 1896, A. W. Latham........ Be Si teloiae eiteicrele ole la arefe UAC o slelaisic laa et eee 265 Summer Meeting, 1896; NGtice, Ofna. co cac sca sie.cg cleleicscclaiete. icieiefeleieleis tia's a clveyelatslaieaise coleman 263 Summer Meeting, 1896, Stenographic Report Of ...... 2.2.2... cece ceccccccccvcce ccccnccs 268 Superintendents of Experiment Stations, 1896............... cece cee e ncn ce cece secs cece 2 Swanson, Age. (Si MoOuUSSYPIaNbS DY s sackuereis iota crs'accrcleptie oie wre eee rateaa alefole siclolalerstese aise eee 495 Fd T Taylor, Barnett, Obituary of.. Bs bbe Hatdn ca ciere nie. eee sco an Oasis oialeyas enisvetn ae eho elceeeeeS 393 Taylor, Barnett, Portrait of . ae SCORE ERACCORORREGBOROLA AOI Oo euie: ioh: “The New Horticulture,” Sine on M. Nien Miige tec ch acter eld arte Marek voleretite Gate tare eae 433 Nomato Horcines HousewAy Hs Wi. Weavitt ye ccs.c o..2c: cma oe. ocicle! seisicle 0 sluice nate ace neem Rreasurer’s Annual Reports: Ge Gomes 2s. oi~ cictesrecheoreie acter @ wie oyaiove.e es oeareeretaneterets 16 Tree Growing on the Coteaux of S. W. Minnesota, F. F. Pratt.................-.. 0008 474 Pam pull; John, A pic ml GUNS y oc alta ciclo ears weiersine-sle ae beleiae c: atelelese,c eres St ae ee 473 U Underwood, J. M., Experimental Horticulture with ]rrigation in South Dakota, by 363 Underwood, J. M., President’s)/Annual AdGreSS, DY: sc cclscces cea -cleu so vce cieeimaciecne eee 8 V VanDemdin, H.-A bout the Namingiot Hruit, DY, .cc-sescsscec el crccsrec culsew ecerate ates 467 Wan Denman rH. .H iBlogTap hiya Ler. seas soa een cdicute sc aareionicte seferers sista citar chee e alae cera eecens 813 Wiad iD) Sra aM le. Hi; OTD E Ab lO bisterctsemnre,clss| cis ciavelo evaiclalsiei sole merclore ste (wale aleeisiniate ais'e| eres SOD DOS ULE mares Wer etables nln Wiha tome: ass aaceee cane nate mea nate cdo aese neice at taen nice nOnrnae .. 487 Vegetable Garden, In the, Geo. H. Prescott . Sere wee 6.cyolcy “ ee A oe SEAR » oS mit ese BIS eNimot hE i $3) Bee uy : Me aa f x i : aay : a, ati gcegaly a ti i: i oe ie on _ ned js prs te << = SS = aoe foe te a . {/ SEIN , site ee phe Baie vie) es Dy Maath trae Y) ‘3 ' A 3); ia a ae he Be at GEN Ati Bean te } oy if ayy) Makan ji ey Ba Mya aay ‘ 1) ee f FAS EEA. procure 9 ee PRS LE ae wiht Os oe RS 2 4, SMH gles a is Au RS i PASE T res rath nae wt as << ta iot 2, i » 8 iS ie {see i i ie 4 fh $ Cae er xy ie Batis oo ny us RE ‘ a a a ys Bess ee to eee fy ik Kf Ae 1 ig Hee iste frye ate) ia i ee et ce a Hai Mateja ree BAe aot, ix, a) its nas ie aay Be i Hh BYar ii tae Aine ‘ts ce 7 ii . i Mavis shy Pipaicn a i V ; * ae Seems eet