GENERAL FRUITS. 149 



GENERAL FRUITS. 



FIFTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. 



H. L. CRAXE, EXCELSIOR. 



My experience in general fruit culture being- quite limited it will, 

 naturally, make my report inaperfect and I do not know that I can 

 say much of fruit except of the vicinitj^ within two or three miles of 

 m}^ hoine. The weather being the principal cause of failure or suc- 

 cess, generally speaking, affects our district somewhat the same all 

 over, I believe. 



The strawberry had a fine prospect till just before ripening, and 

 then came a long season of dry weather, lasting all through the 

 ripening season, and a short crop and small berries was the result. 



Raspberries were about a half crop, owing to winter-killing and 

 drj^ weather. Currants that were well cared for and on high land 

 gave a good crop. Some of the people in this vicinity thought the 

 Snyder and Ancient Briton blackberries did not need winter protec- 

 tion, but they received no blackberries for that conclusion. Those 

 who did protect theirs received a fair crop, but dry weather affected 

 them somewhat. 



My plum trees blooined full, but fell off before they set fruit, the 

 most of them, and I killed what remained with paris green when 

 spraying to kill the caterpillar and curculio; but, otherwise, there 

 was a fair crop in this locality'. 



The apple crop was ver}' light; I do not think the}^ set full of blos; 

 soms in the spring. My own few trees had been worried so for the 

 the last two years with the caterpillars that thej^ did not blossom. 



Grapes were a good crop generallj^ and ripened up good and 

 sweet, but owing to the mildew the year before or the snow being off 

 the ground the fore part of the winter some vines were killed or 

 stunted badly. I cannot see that any vinej'ards were injured that 

 were well sprayed with the Bordeaux mixture the j^ear before. 

 Grapes are mj^ principal crop, having about 4,000 vines, consisting of 

 Concord, Delaware, Moore's Earlj^ and Brighton. I find the Delaware 

 the most profitable variety, although the Moore's Early j^ields well 

 "with me, and I get a good price for them. I think the Moore's Earlj'' 

 require richer soil than most varieties and are improved by 

 fertilizers. 



GENERAL FRUITS. 

 SIXTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. 



MRS. JEXXIE STAGER, VICE-PRESIDEXT, SAUK RAPIDS. 



Last spring we had the largest promise of strawberries in this vi- 

 cinity we have ever had, with an enormous quantity of blossoms. 

 The fruit set beautifully, but when half grown a hot, di^^ spell came; 

 our hopes were nipped in the bud; our crops were lost. All kinds of 

 currants bore well. Gooseberries were very prolific, with no mildew. 

 Red raspberries bore an exceptionally large crop. Black raspberries 

 ■were fair, while blackberries did verj^ poorlj-. 



