136 ANNUAL EEPORT 



state fair we were told there was a seedling tree at Worthington, 

 Nobles County that was destined to create a sensation. Nobles 

 County lies in Southwestern Minnesota, on the Iowa border, and 

 only one county between it and Dakota. The surface of the 

 county is a beautiful, rolling prairie, less than one acre in every 

 hundred having any timber upon it. The soil is exceedingly 

 fertile, being a black, sandy loam, two to four feet deep, with 

 clay and gravel subsoil. It is said to be the most elevated land 

 in the State, except a narrow ridge in Murray County; the high- 

 est point has an elevation of 1,300 feet above the sea. Okabena 

 Lake is reported to be the highest water in the State, the sur- 

 face being 1,570 feet above the sea level. J. H. Ludlow is the 

 owner of the tree that we were looking for. We found him at 

 his farm on the southeast shore of Lake Okabena, about three- 

 fourths of a mile from Worthington. He is an enthusiastic and 

 practical gardener and fruit grower. We spent the day in 

 looking over his grounds, which are well adapted to most kinds 

 of gardening. First we inspected his orchard, which is much 

 more extensive than we expected to find in this part of the State, 

 and in better condition. We found Duchess and Tetofsky in 

 very fair condition, some of the Wealthy trees looking rather 

 sickly, but carrying a heavy crop of most beautiful fruit, so 

 heavy that he had the horizontal branches supported by ropes to 

 prevent their breaking down. We found a row of Walbridge all 

 dead or dying, which had never produced any fruit; also sev- 

 eral other varieties of the reputed ironclads that were in but 

 little better condition; and a superabundance of hybrid Siberians, 

 trees generally hardy enough, but the fruit nearly worthless; 

 there were also some seedlings of more or less merit. Last of all 

 we came to the Okabena; this was the most promising seed- 

 ling of its age, so far as the tree is concerned, we found in the 

 State. The tree is more exposed than the rest of the orchard; 

 trunk diameter is seven and one-half inches, one foot above the 

 ground, stands perpendicular, and is over four feet to the first 

 branches. The top is round, symmetrical and well balanced, 

 growth strong and healthy; foliage large, thick and bears a 

 striking resemblance to the Duchess. The wood of three- year- 

 old branches was clean and white to the heart, grain firm, and 

 we can not discover that the tree has ever received any injury 

 from hard winters or blight. The fruit is of medium size, fine 

 form, color yellow, shaded and striped with red. The quality is 

 good, we thought better than the Wealthy; flesh crisp and juicy; 



