16 HISTORY OF HORTICULTURE IX MINNESOTA. 



DAKOTA COUNTY. 



Marshan, Dakota Co., Feb. 13 1S66. 

 Mr. Robertson: 



Dear Sir: I received your letter yesterday requesting me to give you my experience in 

 fruit-growing. I am happy to do so. 1 emigrated from the southeast part of Vermont to 

 Michigan in 1835. I lived there nineteen years, and raised a good orchard. The spring frosts 

 there I'requenlly killed the fruit on some of the trees, and not on others. Some varieties 

 would stand, being loaded with snow and ice, and still produced good crops of fruit. 1 did 

 not then know that frost would kill the trees. I came here in the Spring of "54, and the fol- 

 lowing spring procured sprouts from the roots of my old orchard, and a lot of the s=ame kind 

 of trees grafted the year before. I set them all out on the open prairie; let them remain two 

 years. Tne sprouts killed down each winter. I then transplanted them in ground where 

 they were partially sheltered, and put them to the severest test to see if I cuuld freeze 

 them, but found them to be proof against the cold of winter and heat of summnr. T then 

 bought thirty kinds, raised here, but not one of them was perfect proof against the winter. 



I have sixty trees in all, which will probably bear during the coming season. Of these 

 kinds, one will now and then Jreeze to death, but never has a bud failed, in one of the 

 varieties. When I cut any of the limbs from this variety, the cut soon heals over, becoming 

 green and smooth and healthy. The trees of this kind head [branch':] out about five or six 

 feet from the ground, forming a handsome top. The fruit is of medium size, very fair and 

 handsome. For cooking, first quality; ripens in September: fruits yoaug, and a great 

 bearer. 



I got this variety from the White Pigeon Nursery, Michigan, but have lost the name. I 

 will send you some of the fruit next fall, and one of the trees next spring. It is of my own 

 grafting. I wish you to plant it on the coldest spot you can find, but give it good care the 

 first summer to insure a healthy growth, and then freeze it to death if you can. 



In my opinion, the cause of failures is more in fault of the people than the climate. They 

 think that if they buy trees and set them out, they are not required to do anything more. 

 But like the garden, they need attention to make them grow and prodiu-e crops. If they are 

 so treated that they have jusc the breath of life in them in the fall, they are sure to freeze 

 to death before the next season. Most people have no faith in raising orchards in Minnesota, 

 but I have no doubt of success, although the quinces, pears and cherries I planted have all 

 died. I have had peach trees growing for the last three years, and intend tjhive peaches 

 of my own raising for sale in the St. Paul market. My peach trees are planted in rows 

 sixteen feet apart. I have set two rows of posts eight feet from the trees; the posts are 

 eighteen feet long, both rows of posts standing inwards [towards the trees.] Before winter 

 I nail a board from the top of one post to the top of the other and then nail on slats, leaving 

 space between. In the spring I take off the straw from the top and south side, cover the 

 roots before winter, well with straw to keep the ground from freezing too much. This is the 

 greatest success in keeping all kinds of fruit trees from freezing in wiuter. All I know- 

 about raising fruit has been learned by accident. 



I grabbed an acre and a half of brush land on which I set out my apple trees. I found that 

 the row which I set close to the brush did best of any. I then set a row in the thick brush, 

 and found they did best of all summer and winter. I let the brush grow as thick as possible, 

 but not to overtop the fruit trees. I spaded the ground a few feet around such tree. Brush 

 land is moist and mellow\ Apple trees do not need a very hot sun, neither must we let 

 grass grow amongst them, nor weeds, or grain. Corn may be grown a few years, but not 

 near the trees. * * * 



Yours truly, 



Joseph Bell. 



[ FROM THE ST. PAUL PIONEER, MARCH 14tH, 1866. ] 



Pomological — The Pioneer Fruit Growers of Minneaota — What they have 



accomplished. 



[ COMMUNICATED BY D. A. ROBERTSON.] 



Our original proposition that apples and other standard fruits can be groAvn in Minnesota 

 with success and profit, and that our extreme cold is not the cause of failures in their 

 cultivation, has been, we think, satisfactorily demonstrated already. There has, however, 

 prevailed among our people so much doubt, unbelief and ignorance on this subject, that 



