GENERAL FRUITS. 173 



In addition to these apple trees there are nine in front of the farm 

 buildings on a southern slope. Last spring 28 were loaded with blossoms, 

 and about a dozen more had some blossoms. The heavy frost during the 

 latter part of May destroyed much of the fruit; the fruit on a dozen trees 

 being entirely destroyed. Yet the few young trees that remained bore 17 

 bushels of ripe crabs and apples. If it had not been for the late frost, 

 the yield would have been three times as large. 



The extremes of temperature during the year were — 30° Farenheit, and 

 +105° Farenheit. 



Although those trees in front of the house were well loaded with fruit 

 during the early part of June, the hot, plutocratic, southwest winds ex- 

 acted for tribute all of the Duchess, most of the crabs and a good share of 

 the Wealthy before they had ripened. Of the nine trees two are Duchess, 

 four Wealthy, two Prices and one Beachs Sweet. About all the apples 

 that remained on the trees until ripe were on one Wealthy and the Beachs 

 Sweet— about 4 bushel each. 



Those protected in the orchard, at the back of the house, received far 

 less injury from the hot, southwest blasts. If they had been well pro- 

 tected on all sides the yield would haA T e been considerably larger — probably 

 40 bushels instead of 17. In southwestern Minnesota and South Dakota, 

 an orchard without protection from the hot south and southwest winds 

 is worthless. A southwest blast will create as great a havoc in an unpro- 

 tected orchard as a cyclone. The temperature of these blasts is from 

 +80° Farenheit to +98° Farenheit. 



The best trees yielded as follows: 1 Early Strawberry, 2i bushels; 3 

 Meaders Winter, 4 bushels; 2 Prices Sweet, 4 bushels; 2 Duchess, 1£ bush- 

 els; 1 Transcendent, i bushel. 



The trees that seem best adapted to Lincoln Co., and consequently for 

 southwestern Minnesota and South Dakota, are the Duchess, and among 

 crabs, I would name first, Meaders Winter and Early Strawberry, and 

 second, Prices and Beachs Sweet. The Tetofsky is worthless. Although 

 the Wealthy is hardy and healthy, it is a slow grower and a very light 

 bearer. Where the Wealthy yields one bushel, the Duchess, under similar 

 conditions, will yield five bushels. 



Before leaving home in September to teach, I planted seed of the Duch- 

 ess, Early Strawberry and a few others. The trees in my prospective or- 

 chard will be chiefly from these seeds. I have a strong faith in the apple 

 and firmly believe that apples and crabs and small fruits can be success- 

 fully grown in southwestern Minnesota and South Dakota. 



The past three years the strawberry yield has been light on account of 

 the drouths. The cultivated and native gooseberries, and of raspberries, 

 the Turner, yielded heavily in '88 and '90. Last spring I planted 30 black- 

 berries of which all but a few grew nicely and vigorously. We have 20 

 mulberry trees— red, and a few white— from 5 to 11 feet high, which were 

 well loaded with fruit the past two years, during which time but from 

 two to five buds of the ends of the branches have "winter killed." 



So comparatively few farmers take any interest in tree culture and fruit 

 growing in southwestern Minnesota as to give it a bad repute. The ma- 

 jority of them appear to think that a farmer should confine himself to 

 growing wheat, oats, flax, potatoes, some corn, and to raising stock. These 

 "grad grind" farmers are not aware that they are depriving themselves 



