462 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



a matter of fact I never earned $10.00 at any other work. Upon 

 reaching my majority in 1875, I entered into partnership with father 

 and soon after bought twenty acres more land and began to launch 

 out in small fruit growing, and a few years later he abandoned the 

 greenhouse on account of his failing health and my dislike to the 

 business. We continued vegetable growing till about 1890 and since 

 that time have been exclusively engaged in fruit growing. This 

 partnership continued in a measure during the remainder of his life- 

 time, but during his last years he retired from active business and 

 devoted all his time to literary work and experimenting in nursery 

 and trial orchard. 



E^rly in the seventies the old orchard began to succumb to the 

 hard winters, and now practically all the old trees are gone, not, 

 however, before they had many times paid for themselves. Before 

 this time I find records of selling crab apples^ by the load and apples 

 by the barrel. 



The first work done after obtaining more land was to begin 

 setting an orchard on the opposite side of the farm and on the north 

 slope. Since that time all additions have been made in this direction, 

 and the result is winter-killing has become almost unknown ; even 

 some of the tenderer varieties are doing well and beginning to give 

 returns. This, I might add, was the natural timber side. Here, too, 

 we have succeeded in ripening pears and peaches without winter 

 protection. 



And now as to results. As for my father, his life work is done, 

 and he has gone to his reward, and his achievements are well known 

 to you all. We have tried all kinds of fruit, apples, pears, plums 

 and even peaches and succeeded in a measure, and have even fruited 

 oranges and lemons (under glass, however). While this was not 

 my choice of a business career, yet circumstances have made it my 

 life work, and I have formed an attachment to the old place and after 

 nearly half a century am still doing business at the old stand. 



Does it pay to grow fruit? I have decided to keep trying, and 

 my advice to you who are co-workers in this great cause is to stick 

 to it, and success is certain. And to the beginner I say, if you are 

 in a hurry to get rich better buy stock in the Standard Oil Company 

 or open a coal mine, but if you have only a little land or small capital 

 and are willing to work, a wide field is open before you, and if you 

 take advantage of the knowledge to be gained at these meetings you 

 can make it pay to grow fruit, and that too without undergoing the 

 hardships experienced by the early settlers. 



