HISTORY OF HORTICULTUEE IN MINNESOTA. 17 



much reiteration, superabiindanl proof, :iud precopl upon precept, seem to be necessary to 

 inspire confidence, and to incite among them a general spirit of enterpri<*e and emulation, in 

 the cultivation of improved fruits. 



The evidence we publish to-day ought to suffice Avithout additional facts to convince the 

 most skeptical. Examples are cited of great success, in various parts of the titate. The 

 cultivators have raised severally from 25 to 80, 40, or .50 and 75 bushels of apples in one year, 

 in young orchards, some of the varieties of which are considered tender four or live degrees 

 south of St. Paul. These are not fictions, or theories, but tacts. 



In the subjoined letters there are several suggestions of great value to our amateur fruit 

 growers. We would call particular attention to the method adopted by Mr. Faribault to 

 check the grt-wing of his trees, and force them to ripen their wood and thus prepare for 

 winter. This plan will not only arrest the growth of the trees in early autumn, but also 

 protect the roots from alternate thawing and freezing, a common cause of tree death, in 

 early spring. The blossoms on some of the trees of Mr. Faribault, and of many others, 

 were killed by the late May frost, last year which it will be remembered was very severe. 

 The well informed will not be discouraged by such an occurrence as untimely frost, to which 

 Minnesota is not more subject than the 3Iiddle States. Trees in blossom in the vicinity of 

 large bodies of water, as >it Marine, and in situations not exposed to the early morning sun 

 escaped injury. Cold water thrown upon the blossoms of exposed trees before sunrise, 

 would no doubt have saved miny of those that were blasted by that severe frost, and 

 insured a crop of fruit. 



Mr. Odell, an intelligent gentleman of Heuiiepin county, thinks it is the severe cold that 

 kills fruit trees. The reader is referred to his letter. We have not space at present to 

 review his suggestions. We can refer him in these letters and otherwise, to hundreds of 

 trees planted since 1S55. which have enjoyed the advantage of shelter and protection, that 

 are now thrifty and healthy. Shelter, artificiai or natural, from our fierce winter and spring 

 winds, is undoubtedly necessurj. Tne colder tue wind, the dryer it is.* A fruit tree, 

 especially when young, exposed to the full force of our violent winter and spring winds, is 

 in danger of being suddenly deprived of its moisture, dried up, racked, injured, perhaps 

 killed. Hence the necessity of shelter from wind. 



DAKOTA COUNTY. 



Castle Rock, Dakota Co., Minn., Feb. 12th, 1S66. 

 (Jol. D. A. Robertson : 



Dear Sir: I reply to your circular as follows : 



1. I have fifteen apple trees, which have been planted six years. • 



2. Obtained them from a pedler. 



3. Name of varieties unknown; they are grafted. 



4. Surface soil, black muck loam, subsoil, clay. 



•J. The land had been cultivated one year before planting : since then cultivated as a 

 garden. 



6. It is sheltered by trees on three sides, north, south and v.'est. 



7. Have not protected the trunks of the trees. 



8. Trees medium height. 



9. Several have fruited. 



The name of one variety that has fruited is Maiden's Blush. The names of the others are 

 unknown. Eight varieties fruited last year. Some of them have been bearing four years. 



10 Have mulched them two seasons. I think mulching important in dry seasons. 



I have also 80 trees which have been planted two years, obtained from Rochester, Xrav 

 York, the names of which were lost. They are doing finely. I have not lost one since 

 they were planted. Of these 40 are standards, and 40 are dwarfs. 



I have a few Siberian Crab trees, which do extremely well, bearing the fourth year from 

 the seed. I have two varieties red and yellow. Yours, 



, J. B. Stevens. 



WASECA COUNTY. 



Uakaman, March 2d, 1866. 

 Gol. D. A. Robertson: 



Dear Sir : * * * * * * 



I have about one hundred seedling apple trees, about fifty of which have borne some during 



[ Note by Col. Robertson. ] * Dry, sweeping, cold winds will kill unsheltered trees in our 

 lowest temperatures. 



3 



