SECRETARY S CORNER. 439 



The writer has perused this little booklet with much interest and profit, and 

 believes it will be found ecjually interesting to all who care to inform them- 

 selves on this very important national sutiject. This book contains a list of 

 the various national reservations in the United States, giving a grand total 

 of 153 national forests containing altogether 147,948,685 acres. A copy of 

 this booklet can undoubtedly be obtained without expense by addressing 

 Hon. Gilford Pinchot, Forest Service, Washington, D. C. 



Some Minnesota Orohakos. The writer during the past few weeks has 

 visited (juite a number of Minnesota orchards. They are a beautiful sight 

 to see, exemplifying most satisfactorily the possibilities of orcharding in 

 this region. As I have seen these orchards one after another, it has seemed 

 surprising to me that others who have ecjually good locations — at least near by 

 these successful orchards — should not have realized their opportunities and 

 have planted similar orchards. Often these orchards stand by themselves in a 

 district apparently devoid of any other extensive interests in orcharding. 



One of the most notable of these is the orchard of Mr. Seth H. Kenney 

 on his home farm, six miles northeast of Waterville, an orchard of limited 

 extent, containing perhaps 300 trees, mostly Wealthy, though some are 

 Duchess top-worked with Malinda, and few are of other kinds. The orchard 

 stands on a high northern hillside overlooking a broad valley, and there are 

 plenty of equally good sites close at hand upon which are growing only grain 

 or grass. We found this orchard laden to the ground literally with a bounti- 

 ful showing of Wealthy apples especially. The Duchess had already been 

 gathered, but the tops of the Duchess trees were carrying a heavy yield of 

 Malinda. I understand that Mr, Kenney had contracted his apple crop to a 

 Minneapolis firm for %i3.25 a barrel delivered at the station, and his yield 

 would certainly be over 1000 bushels. 



The Lyman orchard, two miles south of Excelsior, is a much more exten- 

 sive orchard, covering probably upwards of ten acres, and the crop was con- 

 servatively estimated at 8,000 bushels. At the time of our visit the fruit 

 that was sent to market was sold at $4 and upward per barrel, commission 

 and freight to be paid out of this. Considerably better than wheat growing, 

 isn't it? This orchard contains a sprinkling of everything of value, the most 

 notable and interesting portion of it being of course the several hundred 

 Wealthy seedling trees, most of which are in bearing, and some of which are 

 of excellent quality. We know of the Evelyn, a seedling from this orchard, 

 and others will undoubtedly be heard from later. 



At Mr. Leach's place on Lake Minnewashta, four miles west of Excel- 

 .sior, we find a very thrifty orchard of moderate extent, but yielding as it has 

 for many years a very profitable crop. A point of special interest to us, 

 though of injury to Mr. Leach, was a fungous growth on the leaves of his 

 old Wealthy trees, which stand near a windbreak of red cedar. These 

 evergreens were full of cedar api)les, and their contiguity to the Wealthys 

 was the cause of the disease on the leaves of these trees, which gives promise 

 of being fatal to them. But why is it that other varieties of apples standing 

 in the immediate vicinity are not at all affected? This is a nut for some 

 of our apple growers to crack. 



Many other beautiful, thrifty and eminently successful orchards were 

 noted in the vicinity of Lake Minnetonka, which is rapidly becoming an 

 orchard region, but these cannot be spoken of in detail at the present time. 



