290 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the capital invested -of three per cent compound interest, besides 

 many indirect benefits. On such waste, sandy land it will take on an 

 average about eighty years for a crop of pine trees to grow to mer- 

 chantable size. Individuals cannot wait so long for a crop, and they 

 will not engage in the business. The state, to whom time does not 

 occur, must undertake the work by purchasing waste land and plant- 

 ing it with pine. 



The forestry board is ready to go to work. Will you see that 

 the legislature provides us with the means? 



Mr. S. M. Owen : The gentleman was speaking about the in- 

 come of the state forests of Europe. What would the income be 

 from those lands if not in forest? 



Gen. Andrews : Practically nothing. The lands are mostly 

 unfit for agriculture. 



STARTING AN ORCHARD-SIX YEARS' EXPERIENCE 

 WITH 1,100 TREES. 



C. C. DIKE, WHITE BEAR LAKE. 



In starting an orchard for commercial purposes, the object is to- 

 make money, and the questions where to plant, how much to plant 

 and what to plant come in at the very first. A northeast slope, of 

 good timber soil, and well drained naturally or artificially, is gen- 

 erally considered by experts as the best. On my land I have all the 

 slopes. They are quite short ones, from one to two hundred feet, 

 and I have both apples and plums on slopes pointing north, south, 

 east and west. These slopes with me make no difference as I can 

 see — I think good soil and drainage of more importance than slopes, 

 and I think any land on any slope that will produce good crops of 

 corn, oats or potatoes can be made to bear apples and plums 

 profitably. 



About how much to plant: If it is for a home orchard and 

 pleasure, perhaps one hundred to one hundred and fifty trees, 

 selected with care from the list given in the Minnesota State Ex- 

 perimental Bulletin No. 83, edited by Prof. S. B. Green, will be as 

 well as one could do. Out of about a dozen varieties I think the 

 De Soto and Hawkeye have been the most profitable among the 

 plums. The Stoddard has also done well, and with me closely re- 

 sembles the Hawkeye. If I were to plant another orchard of i.ooo 

 or more trees, I think I should plant very few plums, and in apples 

 the Wealthy, Duchess and Patten's Greening would probably be 

 about all the varieties I would have. If we can get the best early, 

 medium and late apple with only three varieties it 'would be much 

 better than to have more. I think it will be verv hard to find for the- 



