The Future of Orcharding in the Prairie States. 107 



any use. That they can be grown as far north as Lake Winnepeg, in Mani- 

 toba, we do not for a moment doubt. 



Plums, approaching our Damson in quahtj', and much resembhng it in 

 size, form and color, are grown in quantity in this far northern section of the 

 steppes. That they will prove an acquisition in the extreme northwest is 

 beyond doubt, if the curculio will respect them to the extent of giving us an 

 occasional crop. 



THESE HASTY SUGGESTIONS 



as to the adaptation of the fruits of special portions of the greatest steppe 

 section of the world to special belts across the prairie States of the West, must 

 of course be of a general character. ^In practice they would be modified by 

 the varying soil and climate of the east and west portions of each belt, and 

 the belts would overlap with special changes of soil, elevation, exposure, etc. 

 The only purpose is to outline some profitable lines of work for the 



EXPERIMENTAL STATIONS, 



now in process of organization and development in all the States of the val- 

 ley. We have learned that the process of acclimation is a tediously slow one 

 with our trees, and I believe our people are about ready to encourage the 

 policy universally accepted by the European governments in the manage- 

 ment of their colonies, viz: The introduction of cereals, grasses, fruits, 

 shrubs, etc., from like climates and soils, if they can be found on the earth's 

 surface. 



With the limited pecuniary means at command, we are doing what we can 

 in the line indicated on the grounds of the 



IOWA AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE AT AMES. 



We have now growing specimen plants of the apple, pear, cherry, plum, 

 apricot, peach, juneberry, walnut, ornamental trees, shrubs, etc., from everj^ 

 part of the great east plain of Europe I have named. Their summer and 

 winter behavior for the past two years in our climate has been exactly in ac- 

 cordance with what we might expect from their relative position in their 

 natal homp. To briefly illustrate : The leaf of the Richmond cherry has 

 been defective with us for two years, and last winter the trees were killed to 

 the snow-line. On the other hand the Griottes and the Russian Glaskirke 

 varieties have maintained perfect foliage and have been unharmed by the 

 test winter. In like manner the Flemish Beauty pear has not had, during 

 the past two summers, a single leaf free from brown fungus on the under 

 surface, and last winter the trees were either wholly killed or so lowered in 

 vitality as to be really worthless. The Besi de la Motte, from the edge of the 

 great Eastern Steppe, has maintained healthy foliage, but its wood was 

 slightly colored by the test winter, yet it has made rapid and healthy growth 

 the past summer. 



