430 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



HORTICULTURAL REMINISCENCES. 



DAVID SECOR, WINNEBAGO CITY. 



The first lessons in horticulture received by the writer were 

 taught him when a boy, by his father, on a farm situated in Putnam 

 county, New York, in a lovely valley in the picturesque and beautiful 

 Highlands of the Hudson. Apple and pear trees were grown from 

 the seed, peach, plum and cherry trees were grown from the pits, in 

 nursery rows, and were there grafted or budded preparatory to plant- 

 ing in orchards and along stone fences about the farm. 



The writer assisted in this work and helped to plant three 

 orchards on that farm. It has since passed into the possession of 

 strangers, but those orchards are now living monuments of the 

 labors of the occupants of fifty years ago. On a recent visit to the 

 old home the orchards were found to be in a flourishing condition 

 and laden with such varieties as the R. I. Greening, Baldwin, New- 

 town Pippin, Talman Sweet, Perry Russet, Golden Russet, Jersey 

 Sweet, Bellflower and other improved eastern varieties. 



Moving to Iowa in the year 1856, and three years later locating 

 in the then frontier settlement at Forest City, Iowa, among strangers 

 and without money, the privations and hardships encountered were 

 not unlike those experienced by other early settlers in a new country. 



In i860 a visit was made to the old home in York State, and a 

 stage ride of 160 miles was made to Cedar Rapids to make railroad 

 connection for the eastern trip. 



Before starting on the return trip there were selected from the 

 old home some small trees and plants to start a garden and tree 

 culture in the western home. A small trunk was divided in two 

 parts by placing a partition crossways, the clothes placed in one side 

 and the other filled with plants and trees for our first horticultural 

 effort in the west. Among these were white pine, yellow pine, red 

 cedar, spruce, plum and cherry trees, currant, gooseberry, raspberry, 

 blackberry and rose bushes, strawberry plants and other plants and 

 trees. Some did well, and others were a failure. Some of the white 

 pine have developed into magnificent trees, and are among the 

 largest and best evergreen trees in northern Iowa. The yellow pine 

 lived, but did not make satisfactory trees and have been cut down. 



The strawberries, raspberries, currants, gooseberries and roses 

 did well, except that some of the rose bushes were tender and re- 

 quired winter protection. 



The eastern red cedars were injured by having the ends of the 

 limbs frozen back nearly every winter. 



_ The plum and cherry trees, and the blackberry bushes were a 

 failure. 



