144 ANNUAL KEPOET 



I have about sixty Wealthys in bearing; have not been as fortu- 

 nate with this sort of my planting of Wealthy, ranging through a 

 period seven or eight years, only about sixty per cent, are sound, 

 yet candor compels me to say my losses mostly occurred in a 

 corner of the orchard where the surface water settled and froze 

 in the winter, and on the whole I consider this a profitable 

 variety. My crop of Wealthys the past season on these young 

 trees was something: over thirty bushels. It is safe to say that in 

 my neighborhood the Wealthy is doing well in good location and 

 under good care. I think it is inclined to overbear when young 

 and needs looking to and the fruit thinned out, I will say a good 

 word for the Tetoisky also. It is a success with me, and were I to 

 replant my orchard or begin a new one, I should set about as 

 follows: 



Tetofsky 25 per cent., Duchess 25 per cent.. Wealthy 50 per cent., 

 and no other variety of the apple kind except for experimental 

 purpose. 



Yours, Very Respectfully, 



C. L. PRATT. 



Mr. Gould. I will report verbally for the Lake Minnetonka dis- 

 trict. Our fruit crop has been a success the past year. Quantity 

 larger and quality improved. Prices advancing. Frost did a little 

 damage, and but a little. The grape crop is receiving more atten- 

 tion and prices are advancing. Our section seems adopted to high 

 quality and productiveness of the grape, and we get the highest 

 market price. Our Delawares are in demand as far away as in 

 the Chicago market. Strawberry and raspberry crops are not as 

 much of a success, probably owing to lack of snow in winter. 



The Secretary. In my travels last fall through the lake shore 

 grape region in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, I took par- 

 ticular notice of the grape crop, and nowhere did I see such fine 

 Concords and Delawares as in Minnesota and northern Wisconsin. 

 On my return home I visited the vineyard of our ex-President 

 Truman M. Smith, at St. Paul, and saw him taking down clusters 

 of Delawares from his vines that would be worthy of a first pre- 

 mium anywhere ; and Mr. Gould, Mr. Latham and Mr. Eldridge 

 at Excelsior showed me samples they were taking to market that 

 would adorn any fair. It must be in grapes, as in apples and 

 crabs, that our soil and climate are particularly favorable for ex- 

 ternal finish and bloom, as well as quality of the fruit for eating. 

 As to apples, let us add — and we can get it — " a little more per- 

 sonal strength " to the tree, and we can beat the world on fruit 

 raising. 



