94 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



thing we noticed in this orchard, the trees had been mulched until 

 the ground was so loose that many of the trees were lying on the 

 ground borne down under the heavy load of fruit. At the Litch- 

 field Street Fair seventy-five varieties of apples and crab were shown. 

 One of the significant facts in regard to this display was that 

 while there were about thirty exhibitors of apples, all but three 

 had planted trees grown in the county. There was a good display 

 of apples shown at the Willmar Street Fair and thirty-three varie- 

 ties had been grown in Kandiyohi County. 



We were greatly surprised at the display made in Douglas 

 County at the Alexandria Street Fair. About seventy-five varieties 

 of apples and crabs were shown. The most numerous plates shown 

 were of Wealthy, Duchess, Peerless, Patten's Greening, Okabena, 

 Northwestern Greening and Wolf River. 



At the different fairs visited I think there were more Okabena 

 plates shown than of any other one kind. The farthest north noted 

 was a Wealthy in Wadena County bearing four bushels, and a 

 Duchess one-half mile north of Rainy Lake, on J- P. Wright's place, 

 yielding one and one -half bushels. 



VICE-PRESIDENT'S REPORT, SEVENTH CONGRESS- 

 IONAL DISTRICT. 



D. T. WHEATON, MORRIS. 



It is both interesting and profitable to gather facts from fruit 

 grown for a report to this meeting, though it is not an easy matter 

 to secure all the information wanted. Some respond promptly and 

 some not at all ; some reply briefly and some at length ; one man 

 wrote that he could write a book on the subject. 



Reports from all parts of the district are encouraging and show 

 that fruit growing is increasing from year to year. People gen- 

 erally are beginning to believe that fruit can be and is grown in 

 this part of the state. There are men who have been growing apple 

 trees for over thirty years, and some have succeeded and are rais- 

 ing apples and other fruits for sale. One man sold 300 bushels 

 of apples, besides plums and small fruits. 



Commercial orchards on a large scale are not to be found. Yet 

 the amount of fruit raised amounts to a considerable sum 

 and is increasing year by year. If there is no setback the time is 

 surely coming when the western-central part of the state will raise 

 all the fruit needed that grows in this part of the country — peaches 

 being included in the list, of which one man reports raising three 

 bushels this year. 



