HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 83 



choice varieties of Ml and winter apples should be propagated 

 before the industry may properly be said to be successful. It is 

 indeed a difficult undertaking to find a sort that fully meets all the 

 required conditions, as, for example, hardiness, productiveness, 

 size, beauty, quality and form, with long-keeping merits to com- 

 mend it to public favor ; but such a tree we are determined to pro- 

 duce. By means of continuous experiments and careful tests with 

 seedling apples, and with grafted known varieties we hope to find 

 the looked- for tree. It may not come from Eussia, still, if it chance 

 to be of foreign blood it should not therefore be despised. We 

 must select the best that can be found, and when the apple wanted 

 is secured, then let its merits be heralded abroad, and give the 

 public all the benefit of the discovery. 



CAUSES OF FAILURE. 



We do not think the cause for failure in fruit production in 

 Minnesota lies so much in want of knowledge, or in lack of horti- 

 cultural education among the masses, as in lack of care. Misman- 

 agement of orchards, neglecting them, and failure to bestow atten- 

 tion on their needs, doubtless are the chief obstacles to growing 

 fruit. Our cattle, horses, sheep and swine need some attention ; 

 why not the apple, plum or pear ? We leave our trees to struggle 

 for a bare existence, as best they may ; the mice and rabbits have 

 free access to the trees ; we turn the cattle in to browse upon and 

 break the branches down ; we leave the orchard oftentimes ex- 

 posed to ravages of hordes of insect pests ; and then, perchance, 

 we starve our trees to death, and after all this grand array of ene- 

 mies and drawbacks, we wonder why they yield no paying crops of 

 fruit. With soil of unsurpassed fertility we ought to make a bet- 

 ter showing. 



We have much to contend with, it is true. Winters are some- 

 times long and trying ; our orchards must endure extremes of tem- 

 perature and often marked and sudden changes. Fungus diseases, 

 blight and insects must be met and overcome. Neglect in keeping 

 up fertility of soil is one chief cause of failures. Trees need to 

 make a healthy, strong and vigorous growth. Of course these 

 difficulties readily occur to every keen observer. And when we 

 understand all the required conditions we shall be better able to 

 surmount the obstacles. 



STATISTICS. 



According to a statement published in the New York Tribune, 

 the following is given as the yield of fruit last year in the several 

 states named: New York, 31 per cent of the average crop; Penn- 

 sylvania, 37 per cent.; New Jersey, 27 percent.; Ohio, 47 per cent.; 

 Vermont, 46 per cent. ; Massachusetts, 51 per cent. ; Maine, 68 per 

 cent. ; Connecticut 58 per cent. ; New Hampshire, 63 per cent. ; 

 Rhode Island, 70 per cent. ; Michigan 85 per cent. 



In the States of New York, Michigan and Ohio, five million 

 pounds of evaporated apples were made. 



In Western New York the industry of grape-growing has rapid- 

 ly increased of late. It is stated that ten million cuttings have 



