88 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



our plans spoiled again by a heavy shower. The following- day was 

 devoted to looking over the orchards as well as the tree station 

 which is under Mr. Dartt's charge. The soil here is a retentive clay 

 and the locations generally high with good air drainage, the latter 

 being one of Mr. Dartt's well known hobbies. The Duchess is by far 

 the most commonly planted but is not standing very perfectly as an 

 old tree, sunscald and stem-weakness being ver}' common. The 

 trees have, however, been quite profitable, and Mr. Dartt has sold as 

 high as 1,000 bushels in a single season, mainl}^ Duchess. The Min- 

 nesota crab is doing well, rather better than the Early Strawberry. 

 The Greenwood crab is an extra hardy, extra early bearer, very free 

 from blight, prolific, and fruit is of good size. The Whitney is a 

 tardy and moderate bearer. The Dartt makes a fine orchard tree, 

 very hardy and free from blight; fruit about the size or larger than 

 the Whitney; a seedling of the Tetofsky. 



In the tree station orchard, the Hibernal is about the finest appear- 

 ing tree and is bearing early; Avista blighting; Patten's Greening 

 bearing- some very fine fruit, showing very little blight; Florence 

 crab looking well, no blight, fruiting; Yellow Sweet a fine tree; Early 

 Strawberry crab blighting considerable. All the varieties men- 

 tioned above after the Hibernal are young trees just beginning to 

 fruit. 



We found the tree station kept in admirable order and the private 

 orchards all cultivated and highly manured. The seedlings at the 

 station nursery, were a remarkably even, fine looking lot, making a 

 far more presentable appearance than the average Northern nursery 

 of standard varieties. Careful record is kept of the position of the 

 various varieties on trial and also of the parentage and location of a 

 large share of the station seedlings. It is no flattery to report this 

 work a credit to the state and one of the most valuable auxiliaries to 

 Northern horticulture. 



WINNEBAGO CITY. 



Our next visits were made about two weeks later and occupied but 

 one day's time. We first looked over the nursery and experimental 

 grounds of S. D. Richardson, of Winnebago City. While none of 

 the orchard trees have been planted very long, and few have fruited, 

 we were surprised to find such varieties as Rawle'a Genet and Iowa 

 Blush in fair condition. Mr. Richardson received his Russian varie- 

 ties from the Minnesota Central Station some years ago, and, while 

 he happened to get a few good kinds, it was, like all sent out at that 

 time, very far from a select lot of varieties. We noted the Peerless 

 set several years and that it was not of ver^^ promising hardiness- 

 Mr. Richardson stated that it showed no indications of being har. 

 dier than Rawle's Genet. Crampton No. 3 is a very promising crab 

 and the Oligher seedlings seem worthy of quite general trial in 

 our stations. The Mankato plum is a favorite, and trees of a Ger- 

 man cherry are looking very health3\ 



The orchards about Winnebago City are in many respects the best 

 we visited. The Holly orchard, about two miles north of the city 

 comprises about one thousand trees, nearlj^ all Wealthy; it was set 

 about twenty years ago, and bore 150 bushels of apples the summer 



