APPLES. 93 



APPLES. 



K. H. BUTTERMORE, LAKE CITY. 



These thirty-four j-ears past in Xinnesota I have carefull}' pried into 

 the reason wh}' our apple trees g-et so nianj' diseases and whj- we 

 fail so often to make a success in orchard raising-. The chief trouble, 

 I believe, is the extreme drought in suiiinier and fall. Another 

 reason is, our 5-ouno- trees are to a great extent in an imperfect con- 

 dition when planted; they are injured in digging or handling. I 

 have received some trees from the nursery, some of which, after plant- 

 ing and commencing to grow, got black spots on the bark and 

 blighted and eventually died; while others of the same variet}- did 

 splendidly. There ought to be more care taken when digging. 



I believe also that we do not take care enough when cultivating 

 between the trees; a great many are injured by careless hands. 



To succeed in raising an orchard, I believe it should be cultivated 

 between the trees and manured lightly every year. The trees 

 should be planted about twentj- feet apart each way on the north- 

 west side of an inclined piece of land. I do not mean a hill, for 

 I do not believe a hill is good for apple trees. It should by all 

 means hare a "n-ind-hreak " around it; I believe evergreens are 

 best — have one and mj^ trees are doing well. 



When winter comes and the frost is in the ground, I throw some 

 mantire between the trees, which will keep the frost in the ground 

 longer in the spring- and so prevent the sap from flowing too soon, 

 which I find keeps my trees in a healthy condition. I also notice 

 that the trees that have most limbs on the south and southeast side 

 •do best. 



APPLES. 



W. L. PARKER, FARMINGTOX. 



My observations and work in the orchard the past season were 

 very limited. 1 had very little time and opportunity- to gather the 

 material for a report that would be either instructive or interest- 

 ing, as I spent the summer in Chicago at the World's Columbian 

 Exposition looking after Minnesota's fruits as Superintendent 

 Latham's assistant. The position which I filled, or tried to fill to 

 the best of my ability, gave me an excellent opportunit}' to note 

 the unusually light apple crop of 1893 (the same maj^ be said of our 

 small fruits). The majority- of specimens received were under- 

 sized and imperfect, showing- the effects of the extended drouth 

 throughout our state the past season. 



M}^ trees came through the past winter in very good condition, 

 but blossomed very little, only scattering; the result was I did not 

 have two bushels of apples, where in the year of 1892 I had twenty- 

 five bushels on the same trees, which netted me one dollar per 

 bushel at home. 



I think if we would paj' more attention to the thinning of our fruit 

 we might change the bearing of our trees, so we would have a fair 

 crop every year. My Duchess trees, fifteen years set, are thrifty and 

 in good condition, also Whitney, Strawberry and some others, set a 

 few years later, are all right; Wealthy, Tetoskfy, set at the same 



