THE ORCHARDS OF MINNESOTA. 8/ 



being very much scattered and occupj'ing^ in irreg^ular order a large 

 amount of ground, are difficult and expensive to care for in a lhor_ 

 ough manner. 



HAMMOND. 



We next had the pleasure of visiting the noble orchard of Sidney 

 Corp, of Haiiiinond. The main orchard at this place is situated on 

 very elevated land sloping towards the east and well protected by 

 natural groves on the south and west, somewhat protected on the 

 north but entirely open to the east. Although on a high elevation 

 in rather a broken country, a well near the orchard only sixteen feet 

 deep has. up to the present, furnished an abundant supply of water, 

 thus indicating that there is moisture present in the soil. But the 

 magnificent health of the trees and the fine crop of large apples in 

 the orchard spoke most eloquently of favorable conditions and good 

 care. 



The trees are planted a rod apart each way, and while there is 

 grass in part of the orchard it is all well mulched and enriched. 

 As at Mr. Somerville's place, the Ania family were exceedingly fine 

 trees but unprofitable bearers; fruit of excellent qualitj^ but rather 

 below medium size. Duchess unusually high trimmed but in per- 

 fect health at twenty-eight 3'ears old. Autumn Streaked, twent}'- 

 two years old, an unprofitable bearer and bad blighter but a large 

 handsome fruit. Five trees of McMahon, set twenty-two years, are 

 fine, perfect trees in profitable bearing ten years. Wealthy looking 

 very well are scattered here and there through the orchard, but, as 

 we approached a tree of Brett No. 1, Mr. Corp remarked that this 

 was, in his opinion, the best Minnesota seedling he had tried. 



The Giant Swaar is here a tardy but heavj' bearer; White Pigeon 

 a good tree bearing a particularly beautiful, earlj' fruit of fine qual- 

 ity. Several trees of the Avista were blighting badly, worse even 

 than the Autumn Streaked; Hibernal, a perfect tree, bearing well. 

 Mr. Corp showed us his tree of Anisim, twelve years set, as "his 

 best Russian." The tree is hardy, perfectly free frotn blight, a some- 

 what tardy but exceedingly prolific bearer from the time it begins 

 to bear; fruit nearly as dark as Hyslop in color and keeps rather 

 better than Wealthy. 



Some time after our visit, while at the state fair, Mr. Corp informed 

 us that he picked over sixteen bushels from this single tree, which 

 cannot measure more than six inches in diameter of stem. We noted 

 a tree of Plumb Cider in bearing, also that the Karly Strawberry 

 crab was much prized. The glory of the orchard was, however, the 

 grand apples of McMahon White, which hung in great profusion 

 from trees that would be a credit to any Eastern orchard. This loca- 

 tion is so evidently of the most favorable kind that it will not be 

 safe to reason from the behavior of a varietj' here that it will be safe 

 to plant it in the average orchard, even in this portion of the state. 



<)\VAT<>.\.N'.\. 



It was but a few hours' ride from this moat favored place to one 

 of the most trying locations in Southern Minnesota, the orchards of 

 E. H. S. Dartt, of Owatonna, where we arrived just in time to have 



