-<^ THE DUCHESS ORCHARD. 185 



THE DUCHESS ORCHARD. 



E. H. S. DARTT, OWATONXA. 



The Duchess orchard is now of no commercial value unless it is 

 within easy reach of a good market without shipment, or unless 

 nearby cold storage is available. Sometimes the shipper realizes a 

 profit, but on an average he ships Duchess at a loss. It will often 

 pay to change over such an orchard to \\'ealthy or Peter or other 

 valuable long-keeping varieties by top-grafting. This will require 

 considerable labor, depending largely upon the size of the trees to be 

 grafted. If trees are large, grafting must be done farther out on the 

 limbs, and many limbs must be grafted on each tree to maintain a 

 well balanced top. This work is usually delayed till it is warm 

 enough in the spring so that wax will work readily, which crowds 

 the work into a short space of time and a very busy season of the 

 year. I am working over a large orchard in this way and have in- 

 vented a wax warmer (not patented) which enables me to do the 

 work in March or April, and I incline to the opinion that it might be 

 done in late fall or midwinter just as well. Take a short length of 

 stovepipe, put on a broad flat bottom so that the thing will stand 

 up, put in a door near the bottom to admit a good sized kerosene 

 lamp, fit a tin or iron vessel in the top to hold the wax to be melted. 

 We graft a tree or two, then melt wax and apply with a small brush. 

 After the weather warms up all should be gone over carefully to see 

 that the wax covering remains in perfect condition. 



GINSENG CULTURE. 



H. SIMMONS, HOWARD LAKE. 



The mystery of growing ginseng by artificial means has been 

 revealed for some time, and, in fact, it is not at all difficult but, on 

 the contrary, is quite easy and pleasant as well as highly profitable. 

 In this connection I wish to quote the Botanist in his letter of trans- 

 mittal of report to the U. S. Department of Agriculture. 



He says : "The report brings out the facts that the wholesale 

 price of ginseng has steadily increased from 52 cents per pound 

 in 1858 to somewhat more than $3.00 per pound in 1893, and that 

 the value of the export for the past decade has amounted to between 

 $600,000 and $1,000,000 per year. The report also points out the 

 fact that the natural supply is now rapidly decreasing, and that its 

 extermination, if present conditions continue, is inevitable in a very 

 short time. At the same time there can be no doubt but that the 

 cultivation of ginseng is entirely practicable."' This report was 



