HISTORY OF HORTICULTURE IX MINNESOTA. 9 



[ FI{OM KEY. C. H. I'OXI). j 



Bloomington. Mixn., May 3, 1873. 

 Dear Sir: — Your note dated April 23rd, is received. 



I do not count myself a fruit grower and have but little to say on the subject, which would 

 be o( interest to the public. 



After a residence of ten years, during which time I had not seen an apple tree and having 

 occasion to visit my native place. Connecticut, on my return. I brought apple seeds — very 

 feAV— to plant, I did not expect to see apples from them but did hope to see apple tree leaves 

 — the first season 100 little trees grew from those seeds; the sight paid me for my care. The 

 trees were in a row along south side of a garden fence". The snow drift of winter smothered 

 all but five of thera. The five grew rapidly another season but just before winter the pigs 

 rooted up three trees which I did not notice till snow left the next spring. The two remaining 

 trees grew on two or three years when the gophers, I suppose, cut the root of one and it died. 

 The other commenced to bear fruit at the age of 10 years and continued to bear 19 years till 

 last August the wind broke it down at the root. I have five others that I have taken from 

 the root of this tree which have beeu bearing several years and still others obtained in the 

 same waj* which are growing. All the apples that I have raised, except some crabs have 

 been produced by these trees though I have at several times during the last fifteen years 

 purchased apple trees. The purchased trees have never amounted to any thing. I think from 

 my limited experience, that if Minnesotians will save the seeds of the apples which they eat, 

 and plant them, and take care of them, in a few years Minnesota will be supplied witn good 

 apples enough, with an abundance of bad ones for the pigs. ***** 



Yours &c. 



G. H. Pond. 



[ FROM 3IR. PETER M. GIDEON. ] 



You ask me for a brief synopsis of my failures, successes and present prospects in fruit 

 culture. We began our operations 19 years ago by planting 350 apple trees, and about 50 

 pear, cherry, quince, and English plumbs; and of the lot, one cherry tree and a part of one 

 apple tree remains. And at same time planted one bushel apple seeds, a peck of peach seeds, 

 and a few grape seeds, and have as the result, one apple tree that gave us a few apples the 

 two last seasons, very inferior in quality. Of the first eight or ten thousand trees set in 

 orchard we have not 40 remaining; and of the first twelve years planting of apple seeds, all 

 grown further south, not 30 now remain; but since that time our plantings of apple seeds 

 have been of our own growing from hardy trees, the results quite satisfactory as to stand of 

 trees, but not entirely so in regard to the fruit, that mostly proving crab, whether from crab 

 or apple speeds, but little difference found either ia tree or fruit, having grown perfect crab 

 trees from apple seeds, and perfect apple trees from crab seeds, but be the trees what they 

 may in appearance, a crab is the fruit in nearly all instances though some decided improv- 

 ments on the Hyslop and Transcendent; but still hope for some satisfactory results from our 

 seedlings, of which we have several hundreds set. 



We have several seedling trees that give us quite fair fruit, but the only one really fine, 

 worthy of extensive cultivation is the Wealthy obtained from seed sent me from Albert 

 Emerson, Bangor, Maine, some 12 years ago, the parent tree I know not as he gave no name 

 of variety, other than some marked apple and others ci'ab seeds, whether any mixture or 

 not I can't say, but from the one marked crab came the Wealthy apple, a perfect apple in all 

 its parts except its outside lustrous finish, which is crab. Certain from its seeds we grow as 

 many perfect crab as perfect apple trees, none yet in bearing. In size the Wealthy apple is 

 large, form nearly round, color yellow ground, in some samples nearly covered with bright 

 red, a lighter red sometimes extendin;c quite deep into the flesh, which is white, tender, 

 juicy, quite melting and refreshing, core rather small, compact, seeds plump, dark brown, 

 stem medium and hard, season early winter, quality best. 



Our present apple prospect is quite flattering, having over 4,000 trees set in orchard 

 consisting of some 203 varieties, mostly promising near equally well with those esteemed our 

 mo?t hardy, though mostly young tree< not yet in bearing. We are top gi-afting the most of 

 our crab trees into large apples, Avhich we find to be splendid stocks, the fruit as large and 

 good as if grown on the apple stock. 



Pears bade quite fair with us till the passing winter, which has given rather a damper, 

 having killed or badly damaged every tree: but the winter was an exception, may not occur 

 again in a lifetime, and so shall not give up the pear yet. 



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