STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 99 



not met with much success, and it is not to be wondered at, as 

 many of them came from a portion of Russia where the climate is 

 similar to Southern Iowa and Nebraska. 



The cherry trees have fruited, and are _ said to be hardy and fine; 

 some of the seedling pears and plums look promising. The deep snow 

 of last winter was very disastrous for them. Snow drifts formed 

 inside the shelter belts to a depth of ten to fifteen feet, and as it set- 

 tled away in the spring crushed the trees to the ground or denuded 

 them of their branches. Otherwise, I think we should have been re- 

 warded with the sight of some fruit. 



Important lessons can be learned here in regard to windbreaks and 

 shelter belts. Evidently the outer rows should be placed two hund- 

 red feet or more from the orchard, and if more shelter is needed a low 

 bolt of mulberry, or some other shruD, might be set say six'y feet out- 

 side the fruit trees. 



Some attention is being given to the cultivation of grapes, and two 

 hundred bearing vines seen on the place of Peter Goertz convince us 

 that they may be successfully grown here when i)roperly managed. 



Our next stop was at the place of Dewain Cook, about fourteen 

 miles northwest of Windom, the object being to examine his hardy 

 dewberry. It is evidently a variety of Rabun Canaiensis, and appears 

 to be more shrubby and less trailing than the varieties found native 

 in the eastern part of the State, or the Lucretia or the Bartlett. It 

 may be identical with a variety that in former years was found grow- 

 ing at St. Anthony. 



With Mr. Cook this plant is enormously productive, and a large 

 portion of the berries are perfectly filled, which would indicate that it 

 is a strong staminate; it may prove valuable for fertilizing the Bartlett 

 and other shy fruiters. We found the fruit about the size of Stone's 

 hardy blackberry, but Mr. Cook is growing them without any thin- 

 ing or pruning, and the fruit would probably be much larger if greater 

 pains were taken with the pruning and cultivation. The quality of 

 the fruit is very good. They are growing upon a deep, rich, prairie 

 soil, and if they succeed as well in other localities and soils will prove 

 a most valuable addition to our list of small fruits for farmers. We 

 liave taken steps lo have them tested in other localities, and expect 

 that another season we shall know more about them. 



Mr. Cook has a great variety of trees and plants on trial, and we 

 shall watch the result of his experiments with great interest With 

 a few such men in every county in the State our perplexing fruit ques- 

 tion would soon be settled. 



