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208 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ‘ ae: 
crops from each. Hehas also had poor crops from each, and he 
can see no difference in any of the slopes. He would, however, pre- 
fer the northern slope for blackberries. He has a small patch of 
blackberries on the top of a high ridge, (about 1000 (7?) feet or more), 
protected by alight windbreak. These canes do as well as any he 
has but have to be carefully covered in winter. About the same 
thing can be said of Mr. Carson’s fruit farm farther west, and the 
same thing holds true on the small fruit patches around my home. 
Almost all the fruit farms along the Mississippi river lie on eastern 
or southern slopes. 
Almost any elevation desired may be hadinthe county. I have 
heard men remark they could not raise these two fruits on the high 
ridges, while others, whose farms are almost in sight of theirs, are 
making a success with them. This is because these men have got- 
ten the impression, in some way, that they can just sit still and the 
berries will take care of themselves. 
I think all the good varieties we have in the state can be cultivated 
in Winona County. Of the red raspberry, we have, first, the Marl- 
boro; second, the Cuthbert; and third, the Loudon, a promising 
new variety. The Golden Queen is also cultivated. Of the black 
raspberry, we have Spry’s Early, Palmer, Kansas, Gregg and 
Nemaha. Spry’s Early and Nemaha are the most susceptible to 
cane-rust. Of the blackberry we have, first, the Ancient Briton; 
second, the Snyder;and third,the Mammoth Cluster, which has been 
cultivated near my home for twenty years or more. It does’nt yield 
quite as heavily as the others. I think the Ancient Briton is far 
ahead of the other varieties in this section. 
About the same process is employed, by all the fruit growers in 
this section to bring the soilinto a proper condition for planting. 
But in some cases where we find a “Don’t care how it is done” man» 
not enough care is taken, and successis not met with. Fruit raising 
is then condemned by these men who say the climate is unfavorable 
or the soil is’nt of the right kind, while another man, possibly in the 
same locality, will be making a success of it. 
The land is plowed in the fall, very thoroughly, and then left un- 
til spring,unless a heavy coat of fertilizer is needed. In the spring, 
itis again plowed and brought into the best condition possible, 
Planting should commence as soon as the ground is prepared and 
the plants can be taken up, usually after the plants have started in- 
to growth. There are several methods employed by the growers in 
Winona County, but they all amount to the same thing in the end. 
I will mention only one way. 
First, mark out the land seven and one-half feet one way, and 
three and one-half feet the other. Eight feet by four feet will be 
better if you have the room. Plow a furrow with a small plow in 
the seven and a half feet marks, Then set a man and one or two 
boys at work. The man follows the furrow and loosens the soil at 
the three and one-half feet intervals, with a spade. The first boy 
takes two good plants, carefully spreads the roots out, places them 
where the soil has been loosened, and pulls some af the surface soil 
in on them, firming the plants in their places. The second boy com- 
