PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS, MCLEOD COUNTY. 291 



Minnesota, where it has been supposed apples could never be profitably 

 grown, several orchards have proven very profitable to the owners. And 

 I am pleased to say that such old veterans in the horticultural work of 

 the state as J. S. Harris, who have studied and investigated the subject 

 for more than a quarter of a century, believe that apples can be profitably 

 grown for home use and market in many portions of our state. And I 

 must confess that, although I have been a skeptic on the subject, that 

 after seeing the grand display of home grown fruit at our state fair, and 

 hearing of the large crops harvested from some of the orchards of our 

 state, I am nearly convinced that with the new seedlings and hardy Rus- 

 sians being set out and propagated, we will soon be growing quite a quan- 

 tity of apples. 



I am informed that over three thousand bushels of fine apples were 

 sold from the old Jordan farm near Rochester, and that the total fruit 

 crop of the farm amounted to over five thousand dollars, the renter hav- 

 ing bought and paid for the farm with this year's proceeds of the fruit. 

 I might give you several other instances of large and profitable yields of 

 apples and small fruits, but these have been the rare exceptions, and the 

 question which still confronts us is, how can we grow, with any degree of 

 certainty, plenty of fruit for home use? 



The first, and I think most important point, is to get kinds adapted to 

 our climate and different kinds of soil. 



The second is, how to cultivate and manage the different kinds after 

 we get them. In considering the first, we must look for earliness and 

 hardiness. One of the best of the small fruits is the grape, which is sel- 

 dom found in the yards of our farmers or villagers. It is easily cared for. 

 and should be found in every garden. 



To succeed with grapes buy good two year old vines of the following 

 kinds: Worden, Moores Early, Brighton and Janesville. Set in rows 

 eight feet apart each way. Cultivate well; keep ground well fertilized, 

 and as cold weather approaches trim, lay down, and cover, and you will 

 seldom fail to have nice fruit. 



STRAWBERRIES. 



After testing many kinds I find the Crescent and Glendale the most 

 profitable. The Jessie is good but has not proven profitable thus far. I 

 set the plants the last of April or first of May in rows four feet apart and 

 one to two feet in the row. Wood ashes scattered over the soil and har- 

 rowed in I have found the best and only needed fertilizer on our rich soil. 



The plants should be well cultivated with a fine tooth cultivator, and 

 when the ground freezes, well covered with corn stalks or slough hay. 



By following these few simple directions I have not failed to have a fam- 

 ily supply of this delicious fruit in fifteen years. But I have not time to 

 give details in regard to growing of all the different kinds of small fruits 

 that can be successfully grown here. Our annual report gives instructions 

 in detail by the best experts in the state, and you can obtain it by paying 

 the small sum of fifty cents to our secretary. 



Thus far I have given you the bright side of horticultural work. I will 

 now notice some things that will discourage the ambitious grower of 

 fruit. To succeed in growing fruit for the market, you must have the 

 finest and most productive kinds, so you send for the catalogues of the 

 various dealers, and instead of selecting the old and tried kinds, you go 



