STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 35 



four to five feet, as proved by digging in various places during the latter part of winter. 

 In no case or situation was it found to be less than four feet. The fall of snow during 

 the winter was light, not sufficient to afford much protection from the extreme cold. I 

 will cite another case : In the north part of the county, twenty-five miles distant from 

 the former, an orchard on the prairie sloping to the north, which had been used for the 

 same purpose, and was apparently as devoid of vegetation in the fall, showed no signs 

 of injuiy, and at the time I visited it, in August, looked vigorous and healthy, and was 

 well loaded with fruit. This orchard was about fifteen years old, and the trees branched 

 low; while with those of the other orchard it was tlie reverse. Can any one explain 

 the cause of the different condition of the two orchards ?* 



" In many orchards I have found occasionally a tree supposed to be killed by the 

 winter, irrespective of variety or location. Hardy varieties, as a general thing, have 

 suffered equally with the tencJer, and in all cases where I have made a personal examin- 

 ation I have found the damage in the roots, which had the appearance of trees that had 

 been exposed in the open air to the action of frost and heat. 



" Perhaps it would not be proper here to speak of the effects of the elements on 

 nursery trees, but I can say that I have examined them in many localities from Yankton, 

 on the Missouri River, to the Genessee Valley, in New York, and even in New Eng- 

 land, and yet while east of the lakes they are unwilling to admit it, still, facts demon- 

 strate that many are in the same boat this time. 



"Our Apple crop, while not equal to previous years, compares favorably with any 

 locality I have visited — excepting, perhaps, Niagara county, New York — and in few 

 places have I found so good a crop and so perfect fruit. 



" Fall fruit has been in fair supply, and sold on our market for from twenty-five to 

 seventy-five cents per bushel, for home consumption. 



"/Vrtrj. — There are so few pear trees growing here that no fruit of any consequence 

 of home production is offered in the market, but a few amateurs show good specimens 

 of fruit, and I have seen many trees healthy and vigorous. 



^^ Plums. — Most of the cultivateil varieties, excepting the Miner or Townsend, were 

 badly damaged by the winter. The latter produced but a light crop, and in many 

 cases was altogether barren. The Lombard showed its weak points. 



" Cherries showed no injury excepting to the fruit-buds (I speak only of the sour 

 varieties), three-fourths of which were killed, and the result was only about one-fourth 

 our usual crop of fruit. 



'♦ Grapes were very generally left unprotected on account of early setting in of 

 winter, and some of the tender varieties were more or less injured. Hartford and Con- 

 cord suffered least, and in some cases were killed root and branch ; but these were ex- 

 ceptions. Rogers' Nos. 4, 15 and 19, about one-half of them sprouted at the root, but 

 produced no fruit. I gathered my best crop from a row in the nursery of four-year-old 

 vines, untrimmed and trailing on the ground, but kept clean from grass and weeds. 



"Raspberries, as usual, have not disappointed our expectations, and we have had 

 a bountiful crop, and although the cultivation of this fruit in our midst is constantly in- 

 creasing from year to year, still there is a demand for more; and each year the demand 

 continues to increase at remunerative prices for good, fresh fruit. 



" Doolittle, Mammoth Cluster, Purple Cane, Davison's Thornless, and Philadelphia 

 stand at the head. 



" Of the Thornless, I have seen no reason yet to change my opinion in its favor. 



" Mammoth Cluster will do well to follow the Doolittle, as the first ripens a little 

 later. 



"Blackberries do not prove hardy or remunerative, unless partially protected in 

 some hedge-row or under the shade of trees. All those exposed last winter were badly 

 killed, root and branch ; yet we found roots enough left to mark the place where they 

 had grown. 



" Houghton Seedling Gooseberry never fails us. 



* The low spreading branches shading the ground under the trees prevented the excessive drying 

 of the soil, to which the other orchard was exposed. — Sec 



