THE MINNESOTA 



HORTICULTURIST. 



VOL. 33. AUGUST, 1905. No. 8. 



ORCHARD FRUITS IN THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 



IN JULY. 



A. W. LATHAM, SECRETARY. 



Mr. Wyman Elliot and the writer of this took a httle excursion 

 along the Mississippi river as far south as Winona, leaving Min- 

 neapolis on the morning of Wednesday, July 5th. Mr. J. M. Under- 

 wood made a third in our party, picking him up at Lake City, in 

 our visit at Winona, which point we reached a little before noon 

 on the day mentioned. Mr. Frank Yahnke met us at the Winona 

 depot and took us out to his place, a distance of about four miles, 

 and this was really the objective point of our visit, as the special 

 purpose of this trip was to visit Mr. Yahnke's cherry orchards when 

 in full fruitage. We were fortunate in getting there at the right 

 time, as we found the trees well loaded with nearly ripe fruit, the 

 harvesting of which was just beginning. Mr. Yahnke's farm is 

 truly a fruit farm, not being adapted to general farm operations, as 

 it is largely located along the north and east sides of one of the 

 bluffs that range themselves parallel to the river for hundreds of 

 miles along its course. Commencing a little above the level of the 

 valley, the gardens and orchards of this successful fruit farm cover 

 the hill-side up to a point beyond which, on account of the steepness 

 of its slope, it cannot well be cultivated. Indeed, a considerable 

 portion of the orchard and berry patches well up the hill-side are 

 reached by hand cultivation only. 



Beginning in this locality forty years ago as a vegetable gar- 

 dener, Mr. Yahnke has gradually worked into fruits until now 

 that, and growing some nursery stock, is practically his full 

 occupation during the summer. In the winter, as our readers 

 know, he talks horticulture from the platform of tfie farmers' in- 

 stitutes throughout the state. 



Raspberries, strawberries, currants, gooseberries, plums, ap- 

 ples and cherries ring the changes of the succeeding weeks through 

 the ripening season, and it is a pleasure and delight to see the fine 



