GENERAL FRUITS. 183 



nated several varieties of grapes from seed. Some of the varieties are as 

 good as numbers that are found in the catalogues. One variety that he 

 has, named Medford Prolific, and believed to be a cross between the Dela- 

 ware and Northern Muscatine, he claims is two weeks earlier than the 

 Concord and fully as hardy. The berry hangs to the stem much longer 

 than the Muscatine; it is a sweet grape with foxy flavor, and may prove 

 very valuable for localities where the Concord will not ripen. Mr. W. has 

 some seedlings from Siberians that are good and prolific. Sept. 18th we 

 spent at Smith's mill, in Blue Earth county. Here we find more seed- 

 lings. Alexander Douglass has some half a dozen trees. One variety is 

 about of the size and season of the Duchess. Another variety is of me 

 dium size, a smooth apple in appearance, some like the Peerless, but not 

 so highly colored. It has the appearance of being a good keeper. Another 

 variety is much like a Siberian; the fruit would average 2£ inches in di- 

 ameter, and the tree, as I saw it, loaded to its fullest capacity with highly 

 colored fruit, was a beautiful sight. It is excellent for cooking and keeps 

 well into January, perhaps longer. Three other varieties are equally as 

 productive and beautiful, but the fruit is smaller. 



In this vicinity cranberries grow to great perfection, and it would seem 

 to me that some attention ought to be given to their cultivation. Our 

 next objective point was Worth ington, Nobles county. The Okobena 

 tree we pronounce all right. The Daisy has a patch of sun scald on the 

 southwest side. The young wood of three or four years' growth is not 

 discolored. Should these two varieties survive our next test winter, I 

 shall believe that we have got something good in them. Mr. Ludlow is 

 experimenting with the Russian Mulberry, as a hedge plant. He showed 

 us a row that had been cut back to three feet high, and is kept in a trim 

 and artistic shape by clipping the ends of the shoots twice during the 

 summer. It makes a pleasing and very efficient line or garden fence. 

 From Worthington, Sept. 25, we go to Windom. The county fair is in 

 progress at this place. The display of fruit is fine, but limited in varie- 

 ties—Duchess, Wealthy, Transcendent, Hyslop, Orange, Minnesota, and 

 two or three other varieties of crabs, and a collection of native plums. 



The Wealthy apple is reported as doing even better than the Duchess, 

 here. The greatest losses to trees, of late years, has occurred from root 

 killing. After night we drove out to Dewain Cook's place, 14 miles from 

 Windom. Mr. Cook is engaged in experimental horticulture more exten- 

 sively than any other man in western Minnesota. He has planted on his 

 grounds almost every variety of apple and crab that has gained any noto- 

 riety for hardiness or other meritorious qualities, and including a great 

 number of the newer Russians, and is keeping them labeled and recorded, 

 so that if any of them show merit, he knows the variety, and where it 

 came from. He has a fine collection of native plums and some Russian 

 seedlings that are thriving and brought some extra fine fruit this year. 

 He has also some cherry trees, and five varieties of Russian pear that are 

 looking well. He is showing true heroism on the fruit question. He 

 began the work and has continued it thus far under very discouraging 

 circumstances, but he is bound to succeed, and we trust that his name 

 will yet be enrolled among Minnesota's greatest benefactors. 



We spent about five days in our researches in Cottonwood county and 

 saw much that was interesting. It was reported a few years since that 



