HISTORY OP HORTICULTURE IX MINNESOTA. 14? 



Of strawberries, a speciality. He must have tried between 30 or 40 kinds, 

 and had fallen back on the Wilson, the Green Prolific, and Downer's Prolific. 

 His soil was loam, with clay subsoil. 



Of raspberries, he first tried Doolitte Black Cap and had now Purple Cane, 

 Philadelphia, the Cardinal, Mammoth Cluster, Seneca, three varieties of Ar- 

 nold's hybrids, the Clark and Davidson's. For profit, on the list, he Avouhl 

 take the Doolittle first : for later growths, the Seneca, Manmioth Cluster, and 

 Philadelphia. . For yellow berries the Golden Cap. 



Mr. Grimes, in reply to Col. Stevens, said he had never been able to supply 

 the demand for fruit in Minneapolis, and had never left any at the stores, or 

 had any left over. The demand always exceeded the supply. Of currants, 

 for profit, I would grow the old-fashioned Red Dutch, and for a white currant, 

 the White Grape ; then for exhibition, the Cherry and Versailles. 



Mr. Harris asked whether it wouldn't be better to raise wheat at 80 cents 

 and buy raspberries at 10. 



Mr. Grimes always got 25 cents for his. 



Mr. Harris said he would rather raise the fruit at five cents per quart than 

 the wheat at 80 cents per bushel. 



Mr. Grimes' orchard was protected only by trees, timber and brush on the 

 north, his locality being a high table, and uo direct slope, but rolling. For 

 orchard purposes, he believed in a high elevation. He would never select a 

 slope, and if obliged to, would never get one towards the south. His reason 

 was, that the thermometer, at his place, did not fall ])y four degrees as much 

 as further oft' in low grounds, and it did not rise so high by four degrees, or 

 so. There was a less change, by eight degrees, than in low grounds. It was 

 the sudden changes that eftected the trees. We must have an equal temper- 

 ature. He would therefore avoid a southern exposure. He read a letter from 

 a gentleman in Brunswick, JNIaine, who had an orchard on the north side of 

 the hill. He lost no trees at 40 degrees below zero in his location, whilst 

 others, wi'th a southern exposure, lost all their trees. If he selected a slope, 

 it should slope towards the north, and he would have it protected from the 

 winds as much as pos.Siil)le. His grounds were protected on the north and 

 west by timber. 



As to mulching, he did mulch, usually, late in the Fall or early in the Win- 

 ter, according as work permitted. The object of mulching was to protect 

 the roots from sudden changes of temperature. He also wrapped his trees 

 sometimes, especially the small ones. He commenced with dry hay and 

 twisted it around the tree. A boy could wrap 100 trees in a day. When 

 asked " How old a boy could do that ?" Mr. G. said " as 'old a boy' as him- 

 self." (Laughter.) It was necessary to give the tree a good depth, and they 

 would not be so likely to die out. Small trees sometimes were killed down 

 to the snow line, but finally survived, grew up and were never killed after- 

 wards. 



As to pruning, he did but little ; but save him from long-bodied trees in 

 this climate. 



Mr. Ford asked the reason for that practice. 



