28 ANNUAL REPORT. 
My soil is rather a sandy loam and was formerly covered with 
such timber as maple, basswood, elm, butternut, hickory, iron wood, 
&e. he 
RupotpH KNAUPHEIDE. 
Reserve, Ramsey Co., January, 1875. 
REPORT FROM SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA—-BY J. S. HARRIS, LA ORES- 
CENT, HOUSTON COUNTY—-READ BY GEN. S. P. JENNISON. 
Mr. President, and Gentlemen of the Minnesota State Horticultural 
Society : 
In discharge of my duty as defined in Art. 6 of the By-Laws, I 
would submit the following very imperfect report: _ 
The season of 1874 was rather unusual for this part of Minnesota. 
The whole season averaged dry, and the heat at times was excessive. 
Several days during the summer the mercury stood for hours at 102 
in the shade, and on the 10th of September it reached 106 in the 
shade, and 130 in the sun. This kind of weather was disastrous to 
some kinds of fruit, and injurious to all, unless it was grapes, which 
are better in hot, dry seasons than cold wet ones. 
From all the information I am able to procure, the disasters of the 
winter of 1872 and ’73 were not over-estimated. The slaughter of 
apple, pear, cherry and tame plum trees was very great. Our largest 
and best orchards were mainly planted before the organization of the 
State Horticultural Society, and before any correct information had 
been collected and disseminated in relation to hardiness of varie- 
ties, and consequently each individual ordered and planted largely 
of those varieties they were familiar with in their former and more 
favored homes. As a consequence almost every variety named in 
Eastern catalogues, to the number of hundreds, had a representative 
here, and they all, with few exceptions, perished. No doubt the loss 
would not have been as extensive, if hardy roots had been used for 
grafting upon. Those who have from time to time added to their 
lists the hardier and newer varieties have trees still living and prom- 
ising fair returns, and it is a remarkable coincidence that nearly all 
of the fruit raised the past year in this district, is of the varieties 
that have been recommended by the State Horticultural Society ; 
and of all the varieties they have ever recommended for cultivation 
or trial the Ben Davis is the only total failure, and all others are re- 
covering from their injury, and promise good returns. The heaviest 
loss occurred in and around Caledonia, where but few of the newer 
varieties were grown. 
The apple crop of the last year was larger than any previous year 
except 1872. The Duchess, Tetofsky, Red Astrachan, Fameuse, 
Saxton, Tallman Sweet, and some varieties of Russetts, have done 
the best. The Red Astrachan although discarded by the Horticul- 
tural Society is redeeming itself and proving more valuable for this 
district than the best Siberians. As an illustration I sold fruit from 
six trees to the amount of $55.00 and from 25 trees of Transcend- 
ent Crab that would average much larger to amount of $60. The As- 
trachans were eagerly sought for and the crabs were hard to dispose 
