

Pioneer Trees. — Jacob Klein, of Houston county, Minn., had a 

 seedling- apple tree that has yielded him more profit than any one 

 acre of ground on his farm occupied by the usual farm crops. The 

 seed from which the tree was raised was brought from Ontario, Can- 

 ada, in 1854, and planted in the spring of 1855. The tree was planted 

 out in orchard in 1857, with some 50 or more of others, and is now the 

 only survivor with one single exception. The tree bore a few speci- 

 mens inl860,andhas not failed to prodvice some fruit every j^ear since; 

 previous to 1872 it was an annual and regular bearer. In 1885 it bore 

 but a few specimens, and since then has born, very heavy crops on 

 alternate years, and the other years light crops. On two years over 

 30 bushels a j^ear have been gathered froin it, and on every bearing 

 year, it produces from 20 to 25 bushels. Mr. Klein estimates that he 

 has gathered altogether 175 bushels of first-class apples, and that 

 the fruit produced has been worth $150. The girth of the tree two 

 feet above the ground is 50 inches; length of trunk to first branch is 

 four feet; height of tree about 24 feet; spread of top 33 feet. The tree 

 leans a little towards the northeast, but has never received any 

 injury from sun scald, and with the exception of the Adelaide of 

 same age is the only tree in the orchard that was not somewhat 

 injured either in the winter of 1872-3 or 1884-5. The fruit is full 

 medium in size and as perfect in form as if every speciinen had 

 been made to order. The quality is verj^ good when in season, 

 usually October, but loses flavor after the season is past. 



J. S. Harris. 



Peaches at Houston Co. Fair.— One of the greatest attractions 

 of the fair was a liberal show of home grown peaches, some of them 

 still clinging to the branches to show that they were real and not 

 raised in baskets. They were freshly picked froin the trees and were 

 raised at Spring Grove by G. F. Flatin. The variety is a seedling, of 

 which he has six six-year-old trees that this j^ear produced about 

 twenty-five one-third bushel basketfuls. The sizes of some of the 

 specimens were as follows: diameter 2^8 inches; length from stem 

 to point three inches; weight of single fruit seven ounces. The color 

 is a whitish yellow, mostly covered with deep blush on the svin side. 

 It is a freestone with small pit, thick meat and of delicious flavor. 

 We are informed that the varietj^ reproduces itself trvie from the 

 seed. J, S. Harris. 



Red Wing, Oct. 11, 1894.— "Our crops have been fair and the out- 

 look for next season is bright now. As usual I burnt over mj' old 

 strawberrj- field the 19th of July, in the dry time, and they are look- 

 ing fine — with everj'one saying 'You have done it now.' The field is 

 now worth looking it." ^ Wm. Danforth. 



