108 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
has such a demand as forSweetRusset crab. The fruit ripens about 
September Ist, keeps from four to six weeks and is very large fora 
crab. Mr. Jacobs used the Whitney for top-working and as a wind- 
break. He says itis as hardy as an oak. The Northwestern Green- 
ing had borne well, but is now broken down and about dead. The 
fruit is very fine, but the tree seems to be very weak in the crotch. 
The trees of Plumb Cider are 26 in. in circumference, large and per- 
fect. The trees of Wealthy are 21 inches in diameter. It bears 
heavily and is valuable. He marketed about 200 bushels of apples 
of various kinds last year. He has a nice windbreak of black wal- 
nut, four inches in diameter, which is doing well. His raspberries 
have been very productive, and he does not cover them, as they are 
protected by a grove. 
After returning to Luverne, we took the Friday a. m., train to our 
homes. 
GENERAL CONCLUSIONS. 
Among the general impressions received from our visit were the 
following: 
Large areas of southwest Minnesota are admirably adapted to 
growing apples and other fruits, as shown by the remarkable vigor 
of almost all varietiesin this section. There would seem to be no 
reason why this section should set out crabs instead of large apples, 
as the latter are doing fully as well as crabs and are generally less 
disposed to blight. There seems to be less blight in this section 
than in eastern and central Minnesota. Many young orchards are 
being planted and generally look well. We did not see so many 
kinds of Russian apples as we expected. Yellow Transparent and 
Tetofsky were generally looking well, and Hibernal was vigorous 
wherever we found it. Wethink more Hibernal and Anisim should 
be planted. Plumb Cider is doing exceedingly well,and we found 
many large, thrifty trees of it,and Wealthy and Duchess are doing 
exceedingly well. Soulard crab has been widely planted and is 
also doing well. Wewere impressed with the great power of some 
varieties to withstand drouth when growing on good land. For 
instance, on Mr. Ludlow’s place, at Worthinyton, the white willow 
has been seriously injured by drouth, while the apples on adjoining 
land were doing exceedingly well. There did notseem to be so close 
a connection between altitude and freedom from frost as we have : 
noticed in some other sections. 
Windbreaks are abundant and generally in good condition, but 
cottonwood is planted too often,and willow windbreaks are too often | 
permitted to be ravaged by the larve of the saw fly. The green ash | 
seems to be doing the best of any deciduous tree that is generally 
planted in this section. The Russian mulberry is evidently very 
popular among the Mennonites for its fruit as well asa windbreak. 
The honey locust has been thoroughly tried in this section, but has 
generally failed, and only scattering trees remain. 
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