388 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



I plant my trees 16x16 feet, but I am inclined to think that is too 

 near for some varieties; perhaps 16x24 would be better, sixteen feet 

 between trees north and south, and twenty-four feet between rows. 

 As soon as my trees are set, I at once mulch with some coarse 

 mulching-, leaves, old hay or coarse manure. I do not use any water 

 in setting. Then keep the ground well cultivated. I grow two rows 

 of raspberries between each two rows of apple trees for four or five 

 years, then dig the bushes out and seed down. I mulch the trees 

 early each spring to get the benefit of the spring rains, which car- 

 ry the fertilizing material into the soil. 



Here are a few of the varieties that do well at my place: Tetofsky, 

 first early, an abundant bearer; the past season I sold them for 

 eighty cents per bushel. This is followed by Duchess, one of our 

 best early apples; also Early Strawberry crab and Whitney's No. 20, 

 which last is a very handsome grower and a very desirable variety. 

 It takes the place of all others in its season and is a good bearer 

 and sells well with me. Also the Minnesota bears well and gives us 

 a very good apple; we think it cannot be beaten for preserving-. 

 The Wealthy is one of the best apples on the list. It is not quite as 

 hardy as the Duchess, though I do not see much difference at my 

 place. The only fault, if we may call it such, is that they are in- 

 clined to overbear while young, and that soon destroys the vitality 

 of the tree, and it dies. I think we lose more Wealthy trees from 

 this cause than from any other. I think by better care and a judi- 

 cious thinning of the fruit, we would prolong the lives of our Weal- 

 thy trees much. The fruit is very desirable as u fall and early winter 

 variety. Coming into bearing young as it does, with its large, beau- 

 tiful red apples, no handsomer apple grows. It is fine for cooking 

 and to eat out of hand. Who ever saw a poor, ill shaped or gnarly 

 Wealthy apple. We cannot grow too many of them. 



Patten's Greening is also a very promising variety. The Hibernal 

 is hardier than the Duchess and fully equal in bearing; fruit large 

 and even sized; it will, I think, prove a good market apple for cul- 

 inary ixse for fall and early winter, but is not of inuch value for 

 dessert use. I have a number of other varieties, Russian and seed- 

 lings, that I think w^ill prove valuable in the near future. I have in 

 all some sixty odd varieties. I call it my little experimental farm. 



We have quite a number of orchards in this section, bearing the 

 past season from twenty-five to three hundred bushels each. There 

 seenas to be a marked improvement in the interest of fruit growing, 

 especially for home use, in this part of the country for the past year 

 or two. If we do not want to grow fruit for market, it will always 

 pay us to grow all kinds of fruit for home use. In conclusion, I 

 would say to the farmer in particular, let it be your aim to provide 

 for yourself and family a comfortable and happy home, and surely 

 nothing will more contribute to this than the planting and growing 

 of fruits. 



