108 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



the past season. In response he said that they had been a failure. 

 Many of his varieties had died out or been dug up. He had 

 neglected them from want of time to trim and train them prop- 

 erly, and on this account they were much more subject to mildew, 

 from want of a free circulation of air. There had been more 

 mildew the past season than usual. Thrips had injured the leaves 

 so that the fruit did not ripen well. In addition to these difficul- 

 ties, the birds had become so troublesome that it was impossible 

 to secure any of the fruit. They would attack the bunches be- 

 fore they were fit to eat and completely strip the vines. To get 

 any fruit at all, it was necessary to exterminate the birds or to en- 

 close each bunch with netting or paper sacks. On account of 

 these things he had given up trying to raise grapes. 



THIED DISTEICT. — GEOEGE C. HILL, EOSENDALE. 



Counties — Jefferson, Dodge, Columbia and Fond du Lao. I 

 have had no opportunity for observation outside of my own county 

 the past season. In this vicinity, the season was noted for the 

 great abundance and fine quality of the apple crop. Having had 

 three successive mild winters, and only moderate crops for the 

 past two years, the fruit trees of all kinds were prepared to do 

 their best. Tree3 had made a good growth of well-ripened wood 

 in 1879. In 1880 they bloomed full. There were no late frosts, 

 no tent caterpillar, no codling moth, few hard winds, the season 

 was moist and the fall favorable. All these combined to produce 

 an enormous crop of large, fair and finely flavored fruit. Many 

 carloads were shipped north and west. Thousands of bushels 

 were made into cider. Many were left ungathered or fed to stock, 

 while all have had an abundance of this useful and health-giving 

 fruit. 



The only drawback so far known is the loss of a good many 

 trees from splitting apart and breaking down, occasioned by being 

 overloaded. The Golden Russet suffered most from this cause. 

 Many of our apple trees have this defect, owing to improper 

 pruning, or the failure to prune properly when young. The 

 Westfield Seek-no-Further outdid all other varieties in the abund- 

 ance and fairness of its fruit. The Duchess, Tetofsky and lied 



