THE ORCHARDS OF MINNESOTA. 85 



of tlie river and the city of La Crosse in the diHtance, makes a highly 

 artisitic and beautiful home fortius pioneer of Western horticulture. 

 We found several varieties of pears in full bearing; the Flemish 

 Beauty in particular was a rare sight. The Whitney apple is here a 

 tardy bearer of inferior fruit, although the tree is quite healthy. 

 The Utter, Price's Sweet, Fameuse and Perry Russet were found in 

 bearing, the latter a survivor of '85. The Dartt was in heavy bearing, 

 as is its habit here in alternate years. The Antonovka was looking 

 well, blighting but little. Ouite a number of Plumb Cider were in 

 bearing. The Daisy apple, originating at the same place as tlie 

 Okabena, was a tine upright tree, nearl}' free from blight and a full 

 bearer of good fall fruit. The old orchard of Chene}' plums, which 

 was just ripening at the time of our visit, was a fine sight with its 

 heavy load of bright red fruit. Mr. Harris calls it his most profita- 

 ble plum. We ought not to omit a notice of some of the fine orna- 

 mental and nut bearing trees which adorn the place. Both the 

 sweet chestnut and shellbark hickory were in bearing, and several 

 most perfect trees of white and Norway spruce were standing at 

 least forty feet high. The location of this orchard appears to be 

 quite favorable, and Mr. Harris is encouraged to start a new planta- 

 tion still higher up the bluff. 



VIOLA. 



At noon of this same day, by the aid of our wheels, we took 

 dinner with William Somerville of Viola. We were sorry to find that 

 his fine orchard had recentlj-^ been visited bj"^ a severe hailstorm, 

 destroying a large share of a fine crop of apples. Our attention was 

 first called to the Sweet Russet crab, which is a fruit of good size, 

 nearly as large as the Whitney and very choice to eat out of hand. 

 The tree is healthy and hardy and highly valued by all who have 

 tried it as a fruit for home use. Gideon's No. (i (Mary?) is his best 

 all around crab; very attractive rich red color and good size; tree 

 hardy and perfect. Malinda top-worked on Transcendent about 

 twenty years, was bearing heavily and, although severely injured 

 ten years ago, is now in good health. Brett No. 1 (the large red 

 apple) was a very perfect young tree bearing some fruit and highly 

 thought of by Mr. Somerville. Juicy Burr appears to be a close rel- 

 ative of the Hibernal, and all trees of that famil}' were looking very 

 healthy and proving early bearers. Zuzoff's Winter was looking 

 well, Longfield healthy and bearing well; Glass Green is of the 

 Duchess family, but the fruit keeps a little better and the tree 

 branches somewhat differently. 



RoUin's Prolific is here quite healthy and one of the best keeping 

 apples in the orchard. Nearly all the trees of the Anis family are 

 very healthy and extremely hardy, but shy bearers. The Russian 

 Green seems to be an exception to this rule and bears heavily on 

 alternate years. The Titus resembles the Tetofsky but is not sufti- 

 ciently productive. Red Black is a healthj' an<l i)rolific tree, bear- 

 ing a large, good fruit. Repka Malenka is a very fine, liealtliy tree 

 bearing a true winter apple of good (juality, a variety that Mr. Som- 

 erville thinks is about the safest of the late keeping varieties for our 

 climate. 



