PRACTICAL METHODS OF DEALING WITH WEEDS. 379 



We plan to cultivate the nursery at least once a week, but alas, 

 the words of Robert Burns — "The best laid plans of mice and men 

 oft gang aglee," and sometimes we are compelled by force of cir- 

 cumstances to face weeds six inches to a foot in height. Then 

 again the little plow is brought into use, weeds are rolled out of 

 sight and cultivation resumed and continued until about the first of 

 October. 



LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF PIONEER FRUIT GROWING. 



E. R. POND^ BLOOMINGTON. 



In the spring of 1844 my father brought some apple seed from 

 Connecticut and planted it on the Minnesota river bluff, about eleven 

 miles south of here. I suppose this was the first attempt to raise 

 apples in Minnesota. About 100 little trees started growing, but 

 of the 100 only two lived to bear fruit, and one of these died with- 

 out bearing a second time; the other one, at least sprouts from its 

 roots, is living yet and bears fruit every year. 



I suppose father planted these seed in about as trying a place 

 as he could have found. They were on a south slope, the hill north 

 and west being high enough to keep off the wind. The garden was 

 enclosed by a picket fence, and the seed was planted about four feet 

 from the fence, so giving a great daily variation of temperature. 



Some time during the sixties the tree was transplanted, but it 

 never amounted to anything in the new place, partly because the cat- 

 tle and sheep were occasionally allowed in the field. About ten 

 years ago my brother dug up one of the most promising sprouts and 

 set it out in his orchard, where it has had some care, and now it 

 is quite a good size and bears apples every year. 



About the year 1849 ^^ procured some currant slips or bushes 

 from Oliver Faribault, who then lived at Shakopee. They were the 

 old Red Dutch variety. Those currants did very well and bore 

 bountifully for years. I will say that I never knew what a currant 

 worm was by sight till about the year 1880. 



Up to about twenty years ago we always had plenty of wild 

 plums from the side hills and river bottoms, but now they are nearly 

 all gone, and we are raising cultivated plums. 



About 1871 I commenced farming for myself and was very 

 anxious to raise fruit enough for our own use, and when a tree agent 

 came around and showed his pictures and samples of fruit I did not 

 know any better than to give him an order. Some of the trees, per- 

 haps, would have been all right except for blight if they had been 

 on hardy roots. I also ordered a Lady grape at $2.50. I took as 

 good care of them as I knew how, but in five or six years they were 



