NUTS FOR MINNESOTA. 3805 
somewhat in size of nuts. Ihave gathered quantities of them in 
northern Michigan. 
The butternut is a very deliciously flavored nut, and is hardy 
farther north than any other nut tree. The hard and thick shell is 
its chief objection, but there are variations in this regard; and if the 
best varieties were saved and planted and grafting resorted to, there 
might be considerable advancement made. 
I believe that the Japanese walnuts, especially Juglans cordifor- 
mis, will prove a valuable nut tree, even astar north as Minnesota. 
It is the best of the foreign species and has a very rich but not very 
large nut. 
The wild hazel is a most common shrub nearly all over Minnesota 
and is too plentiful in some sections to be thought of asa subject © 
for cultivation. Butthere are great variations in size of nuts and 
other desirable qualities, and if these were carefully noted and per- 
petuated, and properly improved upon by the growth of seedlings, 
there might be a very decided advance made in this valuable nut. 
We are only on the edge of a great field of experiment and im- 
provement, and it is the duty of each one of us to add by word and 
act what we can to the general advancement. This is the excuse 
which I make for offering these thoughts to my fellow toilers in the 
far north. 
PROFITS OF PLUM GROWING. 
NILS ANDERSON, LAKE CITY. 
The first of the profit went to the bee-keepers, and I think it was 
quite a good deal, too, as the plum trees remained in blossom fully 
two weeks, and the bees worked on them very much. But as the 
apple trees were in blossom at the same time, and the bees worked 
on the apple blossoms as well as on the plum blossoms,I could 
not make any estimate of the profit from the plum trees. 
My plum trees bore altogether too many plums, and not tak- 
ing the trouble of thinning them out, the result was the plums were 
too small, and they did not ripen up very well, so I did not receive 
the best price for them. I sold from four trees six bushels of plums: 
at sixty cents a bushel, bringing $3.60. But Ithink there was some 
profit, considering the care that the plum trees generally receive. 
If my plums had been less in number, and double the size, the 
profit would have been a good deal larger. The plum for market 
and for profit must be a good sized plum, no matter if the quality is 
not so good. Plums are not eaten out of hand in large quantity: 
They are bought mostly for canning and for jelly, and sugar will 
make up what the plums are lacking. 
I saw some plums at the state fair of very good quality, but they 
did not have the size for a profitable plum. What we want is a large, 
meaty plum that can be peeled if desired. Avery juicy plum isnot 
a plum for profit, as it cannot be shipped in any quantity toa dis- 
tant market without wrapping in paper, and that takes some of the 
profit; if not, the profit is most likely to be gone before the plums 
reach the consumer. If we could grow a good meaty plum, the size 
and color of the Orange crab apple, the tree very hardy, we would 
then have a plum for profit, and if any one has any of that kind I 
would be very glad to hear from him. 
