142 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



rants, have done well the past season. Blackberries were exception- 

 ally good where covered during- the winter. There seems to be an 

 increasing demand for grapes, and there should be more and greater 

 plantings made, until every farm and garden in the land raises a 

 bountiful supply, as grapes can be as surely and easil}- raised as 

 corn or other farm crops. 



Our wild plum has been much neglected; bj' careful selection and 

 cultivation we could raise unlimited quantities of a very good sub- 

 stitute for the tame plum, which does not seem to do well in our 

 state. 



GENERAL FRUITS. 

 SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. 



S. D. RICHARDSON, VICE PRESIDENT, WINNEBAGO CITY. 



Strawberries gave promise early in the spring of being an abund- 

 ant crop, but on account of the extreme hot weather, or some otjier 

 cause, scabbed badlj- and were not more than half a crop. Currants 

 were injured by the borer in many places, and were a light crop; 

 bushes that were well cared for bore well. Gooseberries bore a light 

 crop. Black raspberries bore a good crop; red rather light. Plums 

 bore a fair crop, but the birds, or something else, were verj^ bus}' 

 picking holes in them while thej' were ripening. Blackberries, even 

 when covered, seemed to be injured bj^ the winter and were nearlj^ 

 a failure; the weather was very dry when they were ripening. 



Apples were a heavy crop in '92, and, of course, were a light crop 

 generally in '93. Some trees bore well; I never saw finer Wealthy 

 and Duchess nor trees more heavilj' loaded than they were in some 

 places this year. 



Mr. Coulter, near Winnebago City, has his orchard seeded to timo- 

 thy and clover, and pastures with horses until apples begin to ripen. 

 He manures about three inches deep every fall with strawj- manure, 

 and raises a good crop of apples every year. Orcharding, as far as 

 the Wealthy and Duchess are concerned, has passed the experi- 

 mental stage with us, and those who have good orchards find that 

 they give as good, if not better, returns for use of land, labor and 

 money expended, including all the years of waiting before the trees 

 get to bearing, than anj'thing thej^ can raise on the farm. 



Grapes, though late, were good and well ripened, but with present 

 prices will only pay for raising for home use and near market. If 

 the average farmer raises his grapes he has them, but if he depends 

 on buying them he usually goes without. The Janesville is a good 

 cooking grape, one of the best, and, if the ground is well mulched 

 and kept rich, will grow and bear without any care. While it is 

 much better to give all kinds of fruit good care, many farmers will 

 not do it and must have something that will thrive without care, or 

 go without fruit. I have lived on a farm manj' j^ears and know just 

 how a farmer feels when liis work is crowding him. 



