waged? Harris that apical sie iit 
health, and one of the trees has twice produced sixteen t bushels 
year 1861 several men in Houston, Winona and Wabasha’ ‘coun 
apples, Mr. Huff and Dr. Ford, of Winona, had some fine Flem’ ear 
Reports of these successes began to circulate through the papers” p 
and tree planting began to receive considerable attention. = 
The first public display of apples was made by J.S8. Hatvin of H 
and E. Rollins, of Wabasha county, at the State Fair held in Roch 
county, September 3d, 4th and 5th, 1866. The report of the fair, say 
showed nineteen varieties, mostly grafted fruit, and some pe 
weighing seventeen ounces, and Mr. Rollins seven or eight varieties 
aitecntion UF Floral Hall; and thousands of people improved the opportunity 
their eyes upon a sight which they had long yaarned for, but never 
" they left their eastern homes, and hundreds reflirned to their homes ¢ deter mine : hat 
to raise their own apples; and from this fair we may date the first’ eT 
effort in fruit growing. At this date a Fruit Growe° ’ Association was organized 
and has become the present State Horticultural Society, which usually holds two 
meetings a year, at which all kinds of fruit and the methods of cultivating them 
are discussed, and varieties recommended for trial and general cultivation; and 
although the winters of 1872-3 greatly injured the best orchards in the State, , 
‘and destroyed nursery trees by the thousands, the interest is steadily on the 
increase, and orchards are being planted in all parts of the State. 
The Duchess of Oldenburg and Tetofsky and Transcendent, and other kia: 
are succeeding nearly everywhere, and the Red and White Astrachan, Alexander, 
Fameuse, Haas, Plumb’s Cider, Walbridge, Wealthy, and Talman and Price’s 
Sweet and Utter’s Red are pretty sure to succeed in the counties bordering the 
Mississippi river, and we have a large list of supposed hybrid Siberians, many 
of them as large and fine as apples, that promise to be hardy in nearly every 
locality in the State. The interest in grape culture is growing rapidly, and 
nearly every effort in that direction has been orowued with success. Trmuan 
M. Smith and Rudolph Knaupheide, of St. Paul, are successfully growing about 
forty varieties; and we have a number of vineyards of the Concord and Dela- 
ware, where they are grown extensively for market. If we continue to advance | 
for the next ten years as we have for the past, we shall rank with many of the 
older States in growing apples, and be excelled by few in grapes and small fruits. 
At the State Fair in St. Paul, in 1876, there were on exhibition more than 120 
varieties of apples, thirty of Siberians. and fifty of grapes, all of fine quality 
and good appearance. 
REPORT OF JOHN HART ON FRUIT IN WINONA COUNTY. 
Winona, January —, 1878. 
Prof. C. Y. Lacy, Secretary of State Horticultural Society : 
Dear Srr—In our section of the state we have experienced the most severe 
season on our fruit, and one of the best as far as the growth of apple and pear 
trees was cencerned. The appearances were never better for a large crop of 
fruit, until the 29th of April we had about four inches of snow, and on the 30th 
the thermometer went down to 22°. The consequence was a severe frost for sev- 
