APPLES. 201 



from the sun by tieingcorn stalks, hay or pigeon grass on to the trees. 

 This protected them from the sun somewhat but not so well as tarred paper 

 which I began to use in 1876. I was strongly of the opinion that a seri- 

 ous injury to a young tree would consign it to an early grave. And I re- 

 member in 1873, after having cut off more than 50,000 trees, that in con- 

 versation with an old nurseryman, now prominent as the superintendent 

 of an experimental station, he said it was a foolish thing for me to have 

 done— that such trees, although with a small amount of dead wood at 

 the heart, would make good orchard trees. Time has cured him of that 

 idea. In 1886 I became thoroughly convinced that the great destruction 

 to our iron clad list was to a great extent occasioned by improper care of 

 young trees. Among other causes that led me to this belief was the un- 

 due proportion of old Duchees trees — trees planted prior to 1870— as com- 

 pared to the number alive of trees planted since that date. Here let me 

 remark that out of the immense number of Duchess planted since 1872, 

 the per cent of those now alive is very insignificant. Now when we find 

 the true reason why these old trees lived, while millions of younger trees 

 died, will we not possess the knowledge that will aid us in completely 

 mastering the solution, in solving the knotty problem of successful apple 

 growing in Minnesota? Let us look into the history of those old trees. 

 Few, if any of them, were grown in Minnesota nurseries. They were all 

 healthy trees when planted, many of them coming from New York. Some 

 have claimed that the reason why they lived the best, but I have disproved 

 that on my own grounds. In 1876, I planted 92 Duchess in one block, 

 trees six feet high. They were eastern or Illinois trees, perfectly healthy. 

 Lacking eleven trees to fill out the block, I dug that number from my 

 own three year old trees and finished the block. All had the same care. 

 The eleven trees of my own growing are the best now. I do not think 

 the climate, in which the old trees now alive were started, was the true 

 reason of their long life. More than one thing contributed to their fav- 

 orable chances. They were healthy when planted. The seasons 

 wefe favorable to early and ample growth, and a full supply of 

 reserve food materials was stored up in the trees each year 

 year by healthy leaves The seasons were right for healthy tree growth. 

 The autumns were right for perfect maturing of the wood— the elaboration 

 of the sap into perfect woody fiber. There were no winters during that 

 time that seriously injured pear trees, consequently there was nothing to 

 prevent those young thrifty growing trees from being comparatively 

 healthy, of course they could not be in ■perfect health in this climate, but 

 approximated closely to that condition. They were in the best condition 

 when struck by the winters of 1872 and '73 and had passed the critical 

 period of their existence, which is the first five years in the orchard. To 

 substantiate this view of the subject I will mention one instance in my 

 own county. About 1860 a French gentleman planted an orchard of about 

 100 trees— being afraid of injury from rabbits he banked the trunks up 

 with earth about two and one-half or three feet and also wrapped the tops 

 with hay. This was the best protection he could have given them; the 

 trunks being banked with earth they were kept from becoming black 

 hearted. In 1865 he sold the farm and only ordinary care was given them 

 after that time. In 1873 all but seven Duchess killed; they are now the 

 most productive trees in our county and the fruit is always large and fine, 



