284 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



North America is the leading apple growing country of the 

 world because our people are alive to its value and are working in- 

 telligently in extending and multiplying the growing of trees and im- 

 proving of fruit. The apple product of the United States was stated 

 in the census returns, as far back as 1870, to be worth $47,335,189. 



More than a million acres were then in orchards, and more than 

 a million acres more of hilly and mountainous lands might be profit- 

 ably planted to apple trees, as they will thrive and produce well on 

 poor soil. 



Another writer on the subject of apples says "the rich soil of 

 the western states yields apples of unparalleled size, but the flavor is 

 inferior to those produced on eastern limestone soil or where the 

 vegetable matter in the soil is less than the red oxide of iron." A 

 large trade is carried on in the importation of apples into Great 

 Britain, chiefly from France, Belgium, Canada and the United 

 States. The United States is exporting apples and their products to 

 nearly every country with which it trades. In parts of China, Japan, 

 and India, American apples are to be purchased in as fine condition 

 as in our own market. 



New England is the principal apple exporting section of this 

 country, and the cold, rocky and poor soil of the state Maine pro- 

 duces more and better apples for export to England than any other 

 state. 



THE APPLE TREE AND ITS POSSIBILITIES IN MINNESOTA. 



Much has been written about the apple tree in Minnesota. Many 

 good and valuable things have been said, yet many foolish things 

 have also been said which have deterred many of our citizens from 

 possessing fine bearing orchards today. 



It used to be quite common to hear people say "We can't raise 

 apples in Minnesota," as the same old cry use to come and be re- 

 peated thousands of times, "We can't raise corn in Alinnesota," "We 

 can't raise clover in Minnesota." We have lived to see theory of non- 

 production of corn and clover in Minnesota exploded and are now 

 seeing this grand old state advancing to the front rank in the pro- 

 duction of not only corn and clover, but it is leading all other states in 

 the production of wheat, flour and iron ore, and some of you younger 

 members will live to see our state superseding every other state in 

 the Mississippi valley in the production of apples, and see varieties 

 that will keep over until a new crop of early ones conies again. 



We have all kinds of theories advanced and advice given as to the 

 best plans of propagating and improving apple trees and about as 

 many dififerent theories, even by old horticulturists, advanced as 

 there are propagaters. Some will advocate planting trees produced 

 by the common method of short-root grafting, another those grafted 

 on whole roots, another wants none but top-grafted on seedUngs, so 

 that a new beginner is bewildered as to how to proceed. 



