16 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



view to convenience, not crowding' them unnecessarily but without 

 an undue waste of land that is apt to be neglected and become an 

 eyesore. Of course, it will be a great many years before all the poor 

 land in the country will be turned to the best use it is capable of, 

 but we need to urge the importance of seeing how well we can cul- 

 tivate and not how much we can carelessly run over. 



It has been urged by our society ever since its formation that we 

 should plant orchards on locations most favorable for the growth 

 of trees, and until a few years ago I thought that I had given proper 

 heed to that injunction. In fact, I thought I had exhausted my re- 

 sources in selecting the best available land and so had gazed at the 

 bluffs, some four hundred feet above the level of Lake Pepin, think- 

 ing they were onl}' valuable for the beauty they gave to the scenery* 

 but that for practical purposes they were necessaril}"- useless. But 

 noticing that on the north side of them, though so steep that 

 the ground could not be plowed, there was a luxuriant growth of 

 timber, it occurred to me that there was the best place for an or- 

 chard, and, although it was two and one-half miles from home, I 

 had the ground cleared off and an orchard of 2,000 apple trees 

 planted. To do this, we commenced about half way up the bluff 

 and chopped the trees off close to the ground. Most of them were 

 ash and birch, three to six inches in diameter, although there were 

 some larger trees. After clearing the ground, we commenced on 

 the lower edge and planted trees wherever we could find a favor- 

 able place to dig a hole, first digging- out the earth on the upper 

 side and building up the ground on the lower side of where we 

 wanted the tree to stand, making a level spot four or five feet in 

 diameter; but, to use a Hibernianism, with the ground highest on 

 the lowest side, that we might catch and retain the rain that fell. 

 Occasional stones helped to build up the lower side, and, where 

 large ones cropped out by the removal of the earth, they were al- 

 lowed to remain. 



In planting the trees, we followed the plan of leaning them a little 

 to the south for the better protection of the body from the sun. 

 The first summer there sprang up rapidly a luxurient growth of 

 young trees of various kinds together with tall growing grass. In 

 August we mowed this off and, after spading the ground around 

 the trees, put it on for mulching. We find that by spading- around 

 the trees in the spring and again in the sutnmer and mowing the 

 remaining ground, we get a good, healthy growth, and we feel en- 

 couraged to think our scheme will prove a success. 



This location, no doubt, has its objections, and I had hesitated to 

 take any horticultural friends up to this orchard. First, it is hard 

 to get to it, although there is a good road running diagonally up 

 the bluff. Second, it is dangerous walking when you do get there — 

 something like the roof of a house. But m3^ enthusiastic friends, 

 Harris and Philips, were visiting me, and I ventured to mention 

 this new thing in the orchard line, and, although the day was hot 

 and sidtry, the mere mention of something new wns sufficient to ar- 

 rouse the indomitable spirit of friend Harris, and, like a road-horse 

 that holds up his head and spring's forward with action when an- 



