126 ANNUAL REPORT 



Plums do well, have a plum shoot which shows a growth of over six I'cet last 

 season. Currants with a liberal mulching do well. Gooseberries have blighted 

 badly with me, can any one tell me a remedy? My place is on the Cjteaus, a sandy 

 soil and some gravel on the ridges. 



SETU JOHNSON 



Thinks thinning out the bushes might help the blighting of gooseberries, also heavy 

 mulching so as to hold them back in the spring. 



In June 1873, I planted about five acres of cottonwood cuttings on land broke 

 the year before, also planted eighty rods of willow hedge on same kind of land, 

 two furrows from the unbroken sod. The reason I planted so late was owing to 

 failure to get my cuttings through in time as the car they were shipped in was re- 

 turned from New Ulm, east. My cuttings were in bad shape, about one-third 

 of them lived and to-day I measured cottonwood which are 36 to 40 inches in 

 circumference, willows with six branches from one cutting measured as follows: 

 14, 19, 19, 20, 20 and 22 inches in circumference. How is that for less than eight 

 years growth from one cutting a total circumference of 114 inches. I have also a 

 nice lot of soft maples, seeds sown June 1876, measuring 14 inches in circumfer- 

 ence. Black walnuts transplanted four years ago ten inches. Centennial tree, one 

 inch in diameter when planted, now measures 30 inches in circumference. Scotch 

 Pine transplanted in 1875 from O. F. Brand's nursery, 18 inches in circumference. 

 Transcendant and Hyslop planted five years, measure 14 inches in circumference. 

 Set my apple trees too near my forest trees, snow drifted over them and broke them 

 down badly last winter. In 1873 I planted two rows of currants 12 rods long on 

 sod broke that spring, the third year had an abundance of fruit from them. I 

 want to caution our farmers about setting their fruit too close to their groves, as 

 the snow is sure to lodge in and break down their trees and shrubber}'. I have 

 had good success with gooseberries, also Philadelphia raspberries. 



LEVI S. KIEL, 



I have some over 100 apple trees, most of them are crabs. Have a few of the 

 Wealthy and Duchess of Oldenburg. Commenced planting seven years ago, have 

 cultivated thoroughly, used some manure, never mulched any of them. Have 

 never been troubled with any disease ; only trouble I have had was to get trees to 

 plant; have never pruned my trees much; don't know but they would do better if 

 I did, but believe in letting well enough alone. Had over fifty bushels of apples 

 last year. They were all sound and smooth, as good quality as any apples that can 

 be bought in the market. Trees are all hardy and healthy stand the climate as 

 well as forest trees. My orchard is set on the bottom lands of the Redwood river' 

 Soil rich sandy loam, has been cultivated since 1870. 



R. D. BARNES. 



Have a fine young grove of forest trees. Have willows set in 1873 which are now 

 forty inches in circumframce, and thirty-five feet high. Maple (soft) seed planted 

 in 1877 that are eighteen feet high and five inches in diameter. Cottonwood cut- 

 tings set 1879, now from twenty to twenty- four feet high ; believe the Cottonwood 

 to be the best to plant on the prairies for both shelter and fuel. Have Cottonwood 

 that made a growth of ten feet last season. Have never given my grove any extra 



