284 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Minnesota apple is where it belongs, at the top, and that apple 

 orcharding in Minnesota is a subject well worth our consideration. 

 The Chairman : I will say that I visited Mr. Busse's orchard 

 this past autumn, and it was in very fine condition. It is a very 

 fine orchard. I never saw Okabena look as well as they did in that 

 orchard. It has proved very productive with him. It is the same 

 with the Patten's Greening. I think Mr. Patten has reason to 

 felicitate himself on originating that apple, and this society is fortu- 

 nate in getting it on its list. It is going to make a great record 

 in this section. I think any one may regard it as the highest honor 

 to originate an apple of that kind. 



Capt. A. H. Reed : Why do you consider a northwest slope 

 best for the apple orchard? 



Mr. Busse : I have two reasons : one is that there is more air 

 on that side, and the other is that the north side is not so much sub- 

 ject to drouth as the south side. Otherwise, we can get good trees 

 on' a south slope by mulching and keeping the ground in good con- 

 dition. 



Mr. Elliot: That is a good point; the drouth is not so severe 

 on a north slope as it is on a south slope. 



Mr. Hall : Do you set a tree out that blights ? Do you think 

 it affects the other trees? 



Mr. Busse : It depends upon the varieties. I said in the paper 

 that the Hyslop will not' do. 



Mr. Kellogg: What kind of soil have you? 

 Mr. Busse : Heavy clay subsoil. 

 Mr. Kellogg : Do you cultivate your orchard ? 

 Air. Busse : I cultivate and mulch both. 

 Mr. Taylor : How far apart did you plant your trees ? 

 Mr. Busse: I planted the old orchard 14x16, but those Duchess 

 spread out so I can hardly get through them. Then I planted the 

 next orchard 16x16. I found that sufficient for the Wealthy, but 

 it is not for the Patten's Greening, Hibernal and such varieties. 

 I set out some sixty or seventy Patten's Greening about six years 

 ago, and we have a hard time now getting through with the wagon 

 to gather the apples. They ought to be set about twenty feet apart. 

 I started a new orchard a year ago last spring, and I set those trees 

 18x18. 



Mr. Kellogg: What kind did you mostly plant? 

 Mr. Busse: They were mostly Wealthy. Sixteen by sixteen 

 would do for Wealthy and some upright trees, otherwise I would 

 set them 18x20 feet apart ; that is not too close. The more sun 

 and air you can get into the trees the better. 



Mr. Philips : Sixteen by thirty feet is still better. 

 Mr. Busse : Perhaps so, but I am not so rich in land as some 

 people. 



Mr. Barnes: Which do you prefer, a low top or a tall bodied 

 tree? 



Mr. Busse : I would take the Wealthy with as low a top as I 

 could get it, but the Patten's Greening I would not have with so low 

 a top. The Wealthy I would have with branches about two feet 

 from the ground. 



