362 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ORCHARDING IN MINNESOTA. 



OTTO L. BULLIS, WINNEBAGO CITY. 



There are twelve old apple trees on my farm planted over thirty- 

 years ag^o. One Roman Stem, two Talmon Sweet and the rest Hyslop 

 and Transcendent. Although located most unfavorably on level 

 ground and surrounded by maples and cottonwoods thirty to sixty 

 feet high, on all but the south side the apple trees have yielded fair 

 crops on each alternate year since I owned the place — the Talmon 

 Sweets a barrel to the tree, and the crabs have several times netted 

 $5.00 per tree. 



I have kept specimens of the Roman Stem until the latter part of 

 March; perhaps they would have kept longer if we had not eaten 

 them. 



Talmon Sweet, I believe, is not recommended for this locality, but 

 if these two trees can survive thirty years, much of the time among 

 weeds half their own height, why not have more of them? Perhaps, 

 you say, these are exceptions. Well, as I want more exceptions, I 

 have planted fifteen more Talmon Sweet on a bleak hillside sloping 

 north and have also included in this orchard fifty Peerless, one 

 hundred Wealthy and Hybernal, sixty Longfield, a few Duchess and 

 crabs, with a dozen plums, about three hundred trees altogether. I 

 intended to use only stock from Minnesota nurseries, but an agent 

 from an Iowa firm arrived at my house when I w^as in excellent 

 humor, having just finished a rattling good dinner. This agent had 

 with him one hundred and thirteen three year old apple trees labeled 

 Longfield, sixty Wealthy, twenty Duchess, ten Salome, &c, which I 

 told him was just six too many, but as he must have an ofifer on 

 them, the partj^ ordering being a minor and refusing thein, I inen- 

 tioned five dollars, for as before stated I was in a very liberal 

 humor — besides I admired his taste in labeling them and in arriv- 

 ing just after dinner. The price suited him so well, that, much to 

 my astonishment, he accepted at once, agreeing to replace at half 

 price,23:^c each. Whew! and in his hurry to be off, he gave me two Co- 

 lumbian half dollars in making change. Now, while these trees 

 were certainly cheap, time alone will tell how dear they were. 



I began iny orchard with the intention of planting one hundred 

 trees each spring, until the space intended for orcharding was filled. 

 This gives me more time to care for the trees than if all were 

 planted the same season. I plaut them as soon as possible after 

 receiving them — plant deep and mulch heavily with barnyard man- 

 ure, being sure to finish mulching before extreme dry weather 

 arrives. I usually plant beans between the rows, doing the plowing 

 and cultivating myself, as I consider each tree the hired man drives 

 over (and he would be sure to bungle a few)the cost of a day's labor. 

 Out of my first one hundred apple trees planted, ninety-seven are 

 alive and thrifty. Last spring's planting did not do so well, owing 

 partly to the very high winds prevailing at planting time, making 

 it difficult to get roots covered while moist, and partly to careless 

 packing for shipment. 



If I could dig the trees myself and transplant at once, I think all 

 would grow. For instance, I had a six year old apple tree that was 



