82 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



NOTES FROM THE FIELD. 



BY CLARENCE WEDGE, HORTICULTURIST OF THE MINN. FARMERS' 



INSTITUTE. 



(This I understand to be the first of a series of notes that Mr. Wedge will contri- 

 bute. They will furnish very reliable data as to the fruit growing interests in the 

 institute route and will be appreciated. Secy.) 



Thinking- that some of the explorations and observations of a trav- 

 el ing horticulturist mig-ht be of interest to the society and of some 

 value as a matter of record, I will, with our secretar3'^'s consent, make 

 some notes for publication. 



The next day after the adjournment of our winter meeting, I joined 

 the institute corps at Redwood Falls,where I was rather too late to do 

 much the first day but was able to address them on the subjects of 

 "Small Fruits" and "Orcharding" the second day. I found, that 

 while they listened with tnarked attention, the severe drouths of the 

 past seasons had discouraged those who had attempted small fruit 

 growing and that there was the usual skepticism in regard to apple 

 growing of any kind. 



I was much interested in making the acquaintance of Mr. H W. 

 Nelson, of Vernon Centre (near Mankato), who has been planting 

 apple trees in Mitinesota for forty years and who has attained quite 

 a degree of success. He has trees of Tetofsky, Wealthy, Duchess 

 and Whitney about twenty-five years old, Fameuse twenty years 

 old and trees of what naay be the Hibernal and Longfield twenty 

 years old. The latter two Russian varieties he bought of the Moul- 

 ton nursery and had no idea of their true names, as at the time of 

 purchase Mr. Moulton would not g-ive them to him. I had a few 

 specimens of the Hibernal with me, and, after examining and tast- 

 ing them, Mr. Nelson was quite sure that they were the same as his. 

 While his trees are generally doing well, he reports the Whitney as 

 the heaviest bearer and best variety he has. 



One of the leading horticulturists about here is Geo. Whittet, liv- 

 ing about one and one-half miles west of the city, who has had con- 

 siderable experience with small fruits. I was surprised to find so 

 inany good apple and crab trees scattered through the city. G. S. 

 Richardson has some seven trees of crabs and apples that have pro- 

 duced at least one hundred bushels of fruit in the past few years. 

 Some of the crab trees measure from thirty to forty inches in girth 

 of trunk and are in perfect condition. Several of the seven are 

 standard apples of the Duchess and Wealthy varieties. 



Mr. J. W. Ferris has a number of fine trees. One Wealthy, which 

 produced two and one-half barrels of fruit the season of 1892, was in 

 perfect condition, with a girth of trunk of twenty-five inches — a very 

 fine tree standing out by itself on the lawn; a Tetofsky, fifteen inch- 

 es, in good condition; a Briar Sweet, twenty-three inches, in very 

 perfect condition and a heavy bearer; a Minnesota, twenty-five in 

 ches, very high and carelessly trimmed, iti excellent condition. 



In the yard of Wm. Skinner are two fine trees of the white spruce, 

 thirty-two inches, looking very bright and healthy. In an adjoin- 

 ing yard are four trees of the Minnesota, fifteen inches, bearing 

 about a bushel of fruit each the past season, the trees being in quite 

 perfect condition. 



