436 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



membering' their fine forms, abundant foliage and toothsome nuts, 

 I was very desirous of succeeding with them. Out of eight planted 

 but one lives. It is a alow growing but healthy looking tree, and I 

 expect yet to get beechnuts from it, the first crop of which I shall 

 plant and give out for that purpose. 



We are achieving success in fruit raising, and we can in nut rais- 

 ing. Both will do much to make Minnesota attractive to home 

 seekers and add much to our comfort and pleasure. Every farmer 

 has the ground to spare, and it is so little trouble to plant the nuts 

 that I hope many will experiment, and I believe they will succeed. 

 Our climate is healthful, our scenery beautiful, our soil fertile; we 

 only need fruits and nuts to make our state the most delightful of 

 all for a home. 



PROTECTING THE ORCHARD FROM WIND, 

 COLD AND HEAT. 



W. L. PARKER, FARMINGTON. 



Protection of the orchard from wind, from winter's cold and sum- 

 mer's heat, is the subject the secretary has given me to work on. I 

 think proper protection and good care are very necessary in the 

 success of apple growing, and what we want are the best methods to 

 do the work. There seem to be widely diversified opinions on this 

 subject. I think one of the first things to be considered is a suit- 

 able location and soil; second, varieties that are adapted to your 

 locality; third, good and better care than we usuall}^ g^ive our orch- 

 ards. We should exercise more care in obtaining our trees to get 

 only good healthy stock and then see that they are properly set. I 

 would incline them a few degrees toward the one or two o'clock sun 

 in order to break its direct rays, and keep them in that position, for 

 that is some protection from sun-scald; though I think sun-scald is 

 caused more by neglect than by anything else. I have never seen 

 it on trees in good healthy condition that had proper care and that 

 were kept growing in good shape, with well balanced tops. I would 

 branch them low, for they then grow straighter trunks and will 

 withstand our windstorms much better than if they have long 

 bodies. 



For a tarther protection I would wrap the trees or use some other 

 protector from winter's cold and sutnmer's heat— also to protect from 

 rabbits and mice. I have used the common newspapers for the past 

 few years with good success. We should have a good windbreak of 

 some kind a proper distance from our trees, say ten rods or more. 

 I think if we took the care of our orchards as we do of our horses, 

 we would have fewer diseased and dead trees in the future. I hope 

 this subject will be freely discussed, as I am anxious to hear what 

 others have to say as to methods and remedies on the above sub- 

 ject. I do not feel that I have had experience enough in this line to 

 handle the subject with interest, for nature has done much for me 

 in the way of location, soil and protection. 



