86 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



We would not neglect to mention the famous orchard of fifty- 

 Duchess now over thirty-two j^ears old, nearlj^ every tree of which 

 is still standing- and promising to be useful for another generation; 

 or the grand tree of the Transcendent which measures over five feet 

 in girth of stem. Mr. Somerville is practicing a system of in-arch- 

 ing, or connecting the opposite branches of natural forks with a 

 living branch, and thus saving many valuable trees from danger of 

 splitting down in this weak point. The connecting branch soon 

 grows to a large size and makes a union of such strength that no 

 strain of high winds or heavy fruiting will be likel}'^ to break it. The 

 subsoil of this orchard is a retentive, yellow clay, underlaid with 

 limestone at a depth of fifteen feet. The exposure is northern, and 

 although quite sheltered has excellent air drainage from a ravine 

 that starts from a spring not far from the lower edge of the orchard 

 and which connects with deeper valleys. The spring indicates that 

 the limestone is water-bearing and that the roots of the trees have 

 not far to go for perpetual moisture. 



ROCHESTER. 



The orchards of R. C. Keel, on the old Jordan farm, near Roches- 

 ter, were visited on the afternoon of the same day. We were much 

 interested in an old jack pine, planted near the house. It was in 

 good health and must have measured a foot in diameter of trunk, 

 the only tree of its kind we have seen outside its native pineries. 

 The trees of all kinds show the effects of the severe drouth of 1894 

 and that the high bluff upon which this farm is situated does not 

 have as moist and retentive a soil as is desirable. 



A row of large white and Norway spruces was an interesting object 

 lesson as to the relative ability of the two spruces to resist drouth, 

 the former enduring far better than the latter, many of which were 

 dead and all looking brown and parched. Here, as at Mr. Parker's 

 place, we found the Virginia crab much better liked than the Tran- 

 scendent, Mr. Keel saying that it bears better, keeps better and 

 takes better on the market, and he would plant ninety-nineVirginia, 

 to one Transcendent. We noted one tree of the Virginia standing 

 alone that had developed into magnificent proportions, the grandest 

 tree of the apple kind we have seen in the West. Old trees of the 

 Malinda top-worked on the Transcendent were in good condition 

 and profitable bearers. Longfield on Orange crab were rather dwarf 

 in appearance, but healthy and exceedingly prolific. Standing, as 

 they were, in matted blue grass sod, the fruit is sometimes very 

 small, especially in dry seasons. The Wealthj^ was killed to the 

 ground in 1884, but is now bearing well from sprouts. The Gilbert 

 is a variety that is quite promising at this place and also highly 

 esteemed at Mr. Somerville's; fruit is somewhat like Duchess but 

 considerably later, and the variety is readily distinguishable from 

 the Duchess in the nursery. A large orchard of mature Duchess 

 trees, planted rather closely, were affected almost ruinously bj' the 

 drouth of 1894, although admirably mulched and altogether free 

 from sod. It would seem that some artificial supply of water was 

 in many cases almost a necessity for closely planted trees in dry 

 seasons when bearing a heavy crop. The orchards at this place, 



