422 ANNTJAL EEPOET 



EEPOET FEOM CHIPPEWA COUNTY. 

 By 0. E. Saunders, Granite Falls. 



The past season has been upon the whole quite favorable to 

 fruit culture. Wild fruits were not plentiful, but cultivated ones 

 did exceedingly well, in fact all the small fruits being a grand 

 success. 



Our town is well supplied with strawberries, and it appears 

 that consumption increases with the supply. Some attention is 

 given to raspberry culture. The red varieties succeed finely, 

 but in some localities the blackcaps blight so badly as to make 

 the crop a complete failure. I have not been able to raise a crop 

 of these yet. 



Grapes are proving a success, although the vines have been in 

 bearing only a few years. The vines received from Prof. Porter 

 in spring of 1887 are doing splendidly. Mr. Regest^r took some 

 of those sent me and placed them in a very favorable location, 

 and this season they bore quite a crop of fruit. Mine have not 

 yet fruited, but are making very satisfactory growth. Have 

 made a large number of cuttings from them this fall. 



Blight has been particularly severe on apple trees for two 

 years past. Nearly all of mine have succumbed. So poor suc- 

 cess has been attained in this line, that comparatively little effort 

 is being made to succeed at present. 



Of one thing we are assured, that it is a very easy matter to 

 raise the small fruits, and no farmer need fail of having his table 

 well supplied with these delicacies. My health has been so poor 

 for a few years that I have done very little in horticulture, but 

 with return of health I hope to increase my labors in this direc- 

 tion. 



My best wishes for the success of the State Society. 



