32 ANNUAL REPORT. 
Minnesota—Orange. 
do not feel perfectly satisfied with it. The Orange has also been slow in bearing. 
Quaker Beauty. we ia 
The Quaker Beauty top kills somewhat the first year or two, but stands well 
a year or two afterwards. I have trees nine years old, looking well but blos- 
somed for the first time last season. , One tree, six years from the graft, not trans- 
planted, blossomed full. , 
General Grant. 
The first orchard planting of General Grant failed so badly that I gave them 
up. But subsequent plantings have done better, and I find they are domg well, 
through the country, are in favor with the people, and I feel disposed to give 
them another trial. 
Sweet Russet—Hesper Blush. 
The Sweet Russets are doing well on my grounds, and gave me some of their 
honey sweet fruit last season. 
The Hesper Blush is too tender for this section. 
Crops of 1877 and 1878. 
There was but little fruit in this region in 1877. The only currants I knew of 
grew on bushes on my grounds, standing close to a row of evergreens. 
Last year was favorable for all the small fruits, and bushes of all kinds were 
loaded. It'was equally favorable for apples, excepting the hard freeze when 
most of the trees were in full blossom, which killed most of the apples and 
plums. Some trees that were later in blossoming, like the Meader’s Winter, 
being full. 
Successful Orchards. 
I know of two orchards in this county that are doing exceptionally well. They 
are situated on the north side of timber, and on very rich ground, one of them being 
planted on a former cattle yard. In this orchard, there are three Haas trees 
perfectly healthy apparently and were full of fine large apples last season. 
There is another orchard in the timber, on a sandy knoll, that bears every 
year, while other trees in the vicinity do not. In visiting this orchard this past 
fall I thought I learned the reason. These trees have been mulched every year, 
until the ground under the trees is from 12 to 18 inches higher than the general 
surface. 
Survivors of Early Plantings. 
Through the county there are many Transcendants and Hyslops, and a few 
Virginia Crabs, that were set 12 or 15 years ago, that have done well. They are 
only a few, however, left of the many of all kinds that have been sold. Some 
Duchess have stood well but most of those early plantings are dead or dying. 
