STATE HORTICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 125 



summer, never had any mulch left around them in the winter. They are now all 

 alive and doing well, have never lost a tree except a few broken down by cattle. 

 Last season they bore bountifully. Have never betjn troubled with the blight, ver- 

 min or any diseases. Have grown better and withstood the winters better in every 

 respect than the ash or box elder, which were planted in the same manner and at 

 the same time and equally well cared for. My trees are planted on a gentle south- 

 east slope and are as hardy as forest frees. Don't recommend planting in the na- 

 tive sod, unless a person is just opening a new farm, then would do same as I done 

 and break the sod the next year. Every land owner in southwest Minnesota, should 

 plant a small orchard of crab trees for pleasure as well as profit. 



C, E. PIERCE. 



Have five acres of young forest trees growing. Broke the land in 1875-6 and 

 sowed to grain for three years, and planted to corn the next year, and trees planted 

 in with the corn. Trees consist of Cottonwood, Box Elder, and Lombardy Poplars. 

 The Cottonwoods were "seedlings" puHed up along the Redwood river, also the 

 Box Elders ; Lombardys were cuttings. The Cottonwoods grow from three to five 

 feet the first season. The Box Elders did not make much growth the first season — 

 barely lived through. About two-thirds of the cuttings lived and made a growth of 

 two feet. The Cottonwoods have continued to keep the start and are no w from ten 

 to twenty-five feet high, and make a splendid wind-break. The Box Elders are 

 doing well now, but do not grow as Cottonwood, but make a fine shade tree. The 

 Lombardies are growing fast now. I use the plow when the trees are small ; afte_ 

 they get larger, the cultivator ; am careful not to cut the roots when cultivating. 

 Have never mulched them ; think good cultivation is better. 



UOBERT GARDNER 



Came to Lyon county in April 1878, the first of May I broke the first sod, the 

 next day I took a spade and turned back two or three furrows, dug the sub-soil up 

 for a depth of twelve to fifteen inches, breaking the lumps up fine with the back 

 of the spade, planted my apple trees and then replaced the sods around the trees. 

 About the 10th of June I took the sods away from the trees and gave the soil a 

 good stirring and replaced the sods. I planted fourteen apple trees this way, when 

 they had been planted five months they were a surprise to my neighbors and to all 

 who saw them. My neighbors were so much encouraged at my success that when 

 I ordered more for my own use they had me order some for them . I got my trees 

 from Mr. Gould, of Excelsior, he furnished them to us at cost to encourage us in 

 planting. All of my subsequent plantings have done well, and all of my neigh- 

 bors who have planted are much encouraged at their prospect of raising their own 

 apples in the near future, and those who have not planted are now sorry and say 

 they shall plant this spring. But oh! the wicked, wicked winter of 1 880-81. The 

 deep snows broke nearly all the branches off and then the settling crust b roke the 

 bodies of the trees down. My apple trees were set next to a grove of cotton wood, 

 ash and box elder, which caught the snow and lodged it on my fruit trees. Think 

 if they had not been surrounded by this grove they would have come out all right, 

 they have made a good growth the past season. The first I planted, fourteen only, 

 were so large that they came out in good shape last spring, and promise to bear 

 ome fruit this year. I have 250 apple trees now alive. 



