92 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



plums consisted of a plate of Green Gag^es that were grown in Du- 

 luth. The show of cut flowers and decorative greenhouse plants 

 was exceptionally good. In traveling through the woods in this 

 section, the mountain ash was frequently seen growing wild and 

 seemed to be well adapted to the prevailing conditions and was 

 heavily loaded with fruit. It would seem that in any section where 

 this tree does well sonie varieties of the best apples could be 

 successfull3'^ grown. There was an abundance of water in N. E. Min- 

 nesota last summer, and the streams and lakes were full at the time 

 of our visit. 



LOXG LAKE. 



The orchard forinerly belonging to C. W. Gordon, at Long Lake 

 Hennepin county, was visited by one member of this committee in 

 company with Mr. A. H. Brackett. It is located on high land, sloping 

 inostly to the north. The land is a retentive clayey loam with clay 

 subsoil. Many of the Duchess and crab trees are old, and some 

 of them have died back and sprouted from the roots, but the sprouts 

 are generally healthy and fruiting heavily. Among the younger 

 trees, of which there are a large number, are Hibernal, Wealthy, 

 Long-field and Duchess. These are all doing well and were fruiting 

 heavily at the time of this visit. Large trees of Pride of Minneapo- 

 lis and Virginia crabs were heavily loaded with fruit. Here as in 

 some other places visited, the Virginia crab apples showed a zone 

 of a russety color near the basin, which we think due to the late 

 spring freeze. This orchard produced a large amount of apples 

 this year and, if well cared for, bids fair to last for manj'^ years. 



SUMMARY. 



Although in making up this report we have endeavored to give 

 the facts as far as possible so that each might draw his own conclu- 

 sions, we presume that a summary embodying some of the opinions 

 we have formed or had strengthened by our visits, might be of 

 interest to the society. . 



As regards orchard sites, it appears that river valleys, bottoin 

 lands or benches are the least desirable, being generally of an allu- 

 vial sandy or gravelly nature, subject to severe drouth and conse- 

 quent root injury and general debility of the trees; and in such loca- 

 tions, especially if closely hemmed in, blight seems to be particu- 

 larly prevalent. Elevated locations with a retentive subsoil and, if 

 possible, veins of water within reach of the roots of the trees, seem 

 to be most favorable. North slopes are best; even steep and bluffy 

 hillsides of little or no value for agricultural purposes, if sloping to 

 the north and possessing a clay or limestone subsoil, where forests 

 naturally thrive, are valuable orchard sites and should be more 

 generally utilized for this purpose. We find orchards doing well in 

 both open exposures and when closely sheltered, and think it likely 

 that the matter of shelter may be of less importance than many 

 suppose. 



As to varieties: We find the Hibernal quite generally planted 

 and looking extremely well everywhere; it is doubtless even hardier 



