144 HISTORY OF HORTICULTURE IN MINNESOTA. 



Doolittle, Improved Kirtland, Clark, Golden Cap, Golden Thoniless, Naomi, Purple Cane, 

 and David;«on Thornless. 



This list has all proved hardy with me except the Clark; that kills to some extent. Laid 

 down the canes last fall. 



The past season the raspberry bushes were three years old. and for large yield, large fruit, 

 and fair quality, the Mammoth Cluster was the best thing I had. The pickers would, when 

 the fruit was in its prime, average a qilart each in five minutes (average diameter of the 

 berry three-fourths of an inch.i The plants are large and strong; planted six feet between 

 rows, and three and a half between hills. After first year, pinched back the new growth 

 when IS or 20 inches high. This makes the stalks grow large so that they do not require 

 stakes. I cultivated with a shovel plow enough to keep the ground clean. Mammoth Cluster, 

 with me, has not borne much till the third season. Next in order I will place Seneca Black 

 Caps This I pronounce the very best Black Cap grown. The berries are larger and sweeter 

 than the Doolittle, and if left longer on the vines than the Doolittle, they do not lose their 

 sweetness; are rank growers: better to cut back well the first year's growth, till it gets a 

 large root; must be done in the Fall or early part of the Winter, so it will not bear too much 

 till the roots get matured. The Philadelphia— this variety yielded enormously; bushes bent 

 to the ground; rather soft for market; but for canning purposes are excellent. The flavor, 

 when taken from the cans, we pronounce excellent. The berries lasted four weeks, and they 

 blossomed about that length of time; during that period the bushes were covered with the 

 honey bee at a time in the Spring when there is not much for them. I noticed that this 

 variety and the Purple Cane, which comes earlier than the Philadelphia, were the favorite 

 sorts for bees. Golden Thornless, a large, yellow raspberry, a native of Minnesota ; splendid 

 looking berry, a good yielder, but not very sweet; Purdy says, " good for canning or to dry." 

 Golden Cap has done well with me. It has to be cut back the first year; a fair yielder, very 

 sweet, and of a yellow color. Doolittle and Davison Thornless yielded well. 



I had 35 bushels of raspberries. I have decided to plant largely of the Mammoth Cluster, 

 Seneca, Philadelphia, some Doolittle, some Golden Cap, and Golden Thornless. 



For grapes I cultivate Concord, Delaware, Hartford Prolific, lona, Isabella, Catawba. The 

 Isabella I pronounce worthless; the wood is too tender. Hartford Prolific, Concord, Dela- 

 ware, yielded finely, and lona did tolerably well. The vines are three years old, grapes very 

 fine. I lay the vines down and cover Avith dirt, about November 10th. 



Perhaps a little history of my experiments with blackberries will prove interesting. 



Ten years ago I purchased a few Saxton blackberry roots. They killed down every Win- 

 ter. Three years ago, last Fall, I took up some of the roots and set out in my garden; cov- 

 ered the roots in the Fall; they came up next Spring. In the Fall I loosened the dirt, on 

 one side of the hill, bent them doAvn, covered about one or two inches dirt over them. In 

 the Spring took a pitch fork and run under the canes, raised them up, and placed a little more 

 dirt around them. That was one year ago. Last season the I'ows all lived but were not ma- 

 tured enough to grow fruit. I buried them again, and last season had as nice blackberries 

 as I have ever seen. This season the canes made enormous growth; have laid them down 

 again. I pushed down the tops with a spading fork, and stuck the fork into the ground till 

 the bashes were covered. They are quickly covered. Have some early Wilsons that I treated 

 in the same way. The fruit promised abundant but dried up. Shall mulch all of the black- 

 berries in the season. 



The berries, over and above cost, netted me about ten cents per quart. 



I feel confident that each garden can have blackberries in abuudauce by covering with soil. 



Last spring I set some cranberry vines in my garden, on dry land, and mulched with three 

 inches of sawdust. They made about three inches of growth, and bore a number of berries; 

 was not troubled with weeds; can tell better about their success another season. I shall set 

 some more next spring. Cranberry vines require moist or wet land. The sawdust kept the 

 ground moist, at the same time I got a good growth of new vines. I tried the vines without 

 sawdust and made a failure. It requires time to determine the success of this enterprise, 

 but I feel encouraged. 



I cultivate an orchard of 440 apple trees partly amongst small fruit. Varieties— Ben Davis, 

 Perry Russet, Duchess, Jonathan, Fameuse, Haas, Saxton, Autumn Strawberry, Tetofsky, 

 Wine Sap, Catharine Local, Transcendent and Hyslop Crab, Gould Crab. Part of the orchard 

 just coming into bearing; about six bushels last season. 



The above are all planted on what was timber land, sheltered from north and east. 



Respectfully yours, 



Seth H. Kinney. 



