EIGHTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X. 649 



We, in our county, are practically on the horizon of fruit growing. We 

 have just begun to see victory ahead. Thirty years ago some of our early 

 settlers from the east were determined to have their own fruit and to 

 many of these we are indebted for many valuable lessons both in failures 

 to be avoided and success to be made use of. 



Listen to them for a moment. They will tell you of their trials, of the 

 ravages of prairie fires, of deep snows and of the jack rabbits eating the 

 tops off the trees, of their blasted hopes when, after years of care and 

 labor, their trees turned out, in many instances, to be of worthless sorts, 

 often resulting from dealing with fake tree agents and sometimes in using 

 poor judgment in selecting. 



Coming down to the present, we are situated in one of the best counties 

 of northwestern Iowa for growing apples. If you will consider, acre for 

 acre, we have no crops that pays better returns than our apple orchard, 

 considering the amount of labor expended. Add to this the care and man- 

 agement used in the east and what are our possibilities? 



We don't grow apples here. We plant a tree and let it take care of 

 itself and expect a crop. Our friends in southern Iowa, Missouri and all 

 of the other apple-growing states are fighting the enemy of the apples 

 with profit. 



It has been repeatedly said by several different persons that the apple 

 exhibit at your state fair last fall was far superior to that at the Minne- 

 sota state fair. I believe that our lakes have something to do with our 

 fruit growing; that is, I believe many varieties can be grown near these 

 that cannot be made a success 15 or 20 miles from them on open prairie. 



It is well known that there is a location southwest of Minneapolis, near 

 Lake Minnetonka, that almost any kind of fruit that will grow in Iowa 

 will succeed, and I believe that the conditions are similar here around 

 our lakes and streams. I once asked Prof. Budd of Ames what he 

 thought of our county for growing apples and he replied something like 

 ■this : 



"I believe there is no better place in Iowa to grow fine apples of high 

 color than along the banks of the Little Sioux and in the vicinity of the 

 lakes of Dickinson county, of such varieties as are adapted to your 

 climate." 



From what I see and have learned from actual planting I am con- 

 vinced that no one need be alarmed if his land is level or nearly so if well 

 drained. However, I would prefer rolling, if handy. I would not want 

 to plant on land with any appearance of alkali or blue clay near the 

 surface. This is found in places in the southern part of the county. 

 Land that will grow good corn will grow good apples or other fruit. 



Plant with a view to the future. Aim high. It is no disgrace if you 

 do not quite reach the mark. If you wish to plant thick plant your trees 

 thicker in the rows north and south. But leave room east and west for 

 plowing and working the soil the first few years to some other crop. 

 This will give you room to get through some day to spray your trees 

 and room to drive out with your load of apples. 



Trees planted about 16 by 24 is about right to my mind. Plant less 

 crabs and more of something salable. I find I have something like 60 

 sorts in my orchard, which is about 57 or 58 too many for profit. It pays 



