STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 363 



land of grapes and sunshine, I will say the modern style of grow- 

 ing grapes is quite an improvement. The first year's growth is 

 cut back about one foot above the ground, which is as high as 

 they are allowed to grow. The canes starting out on an angle 

 reach the ground and produce wonderfully fine bunches resting 

 on the ground, many of them, which, owing to the dryness of 

 the climate and soil, do not become gritty or injured by resting 

 on the soil and were as sweet and luscious as any that I have ever 

 tasted. Am told that some clusters grown here weigh as high 

 as eight and even twelve pounds. This is hearsay. I came 

 here for the climate and the climate I feel is doing me great good. 

 It is a mild, genial, health -giving, life-preserving climate. If it 

 could be transported to Minnesota it would be a perfect Para- 

 dise — all that heart could desire. 



I long to be with you at your winter meeting, but health will 

 not permit it. Hope your meeting will prove to be a profitable 

 one. 



EEPORT FROM WII^ONA COUNTY. 

 By Win. McHenry, St. Charles. 



Mr. President, Horticulturists and Friends: 



As it was my misfortune not to be with you at the winter 

 meeting I shall try to comply with the wishes of your secretary, 

 and in as brief a manner as possible, give you a glimpse of the 

 fruit crop and its prosj)ects in this, Winona, County. There is 

 perhaps no county in the State that has such a diversity of soils 

 and locations as this. While in the valleys and many localities 

 all the standard apple trees have succumbed to the extreme 

 colds of the past, and the croaker thinks he can truthfully say 

 apples can not be grown in Minnesota. 



On the ridges and in favorable localities we visited orchards 

 in the fall of 1886 where we found trees of Duchess, Tetofsky, 

 Wealthy, Wabasha, Rollins Russet and Pippin, loaded with fine 

 fruit; and some seedlings. Many of the trees are looking healthy. 



To prove the above it was only necessary to go on our streets 

 in September and see the wagon loads of apples, and in quality 

 such as Michigan would be proud of, such as Duchess, Tetofsky 

 and a few Wealthy. Upon interviewing our shippers we find 

 that five hundred barrels were bought and shipped and as many 

 more were offered, but there was no market for them even at 

 twenty-five cents per bushel. The biggest humbug of the past 



