Doo MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
REPORT ON GENERAL FRUITS. 
CLARENCE WEDGE, ALBERT LEE. 
The crop of apples the past season in our section was very light, and 
the price offered for summer home grown fruit unusually high; which, 
taken in connection with the heavy crop and low prices of the preceding 
year is a strong argument against allowing trees to overbear. A mode- 
rate crop each year, which might have been secured by thinning the 
fruit on the over-laden trees of ’90, would have been of double the value 
for home use or market. Thecrop of ’90, if thinned, would have been 
enough larger and more saleable to have made up for the loss in quantity; 
and every bushel offered on the market this year would have brought at 
least a dollar. The Wealthy, wherever bearing, is giving great satisfac- 
tion as a fruit; as a tree it is doing finely in some places: Was much sur- 
prised to find in an orchard near Geneva Lake two Wealthys, 19 years 
old, and measuring 22 inches around the trunk, that were perfectly 
healthy trees; their location did not seem particularly favorable, and the 
trees had been liberally manured. The Briar Sweet crab is much prized - 
wherever it is fruiting, and seems to be very free from blight, and hardy. 
The Early Strawberry crab is also about as well regarded. The Malinda 
is beginning to fruit in a number of places in our county, and is attract- 
ing considerable attention. Ihave not had time to look up the state of the — 
trees with care enough to make a fair report of their condition. 
Plum trees, both wild and cultivated, bore an extra heavy erop. 
Thinned the fruit on my Desotas to about half the amount set, and 
still the trees were much overloaded, the fruit undersized, and all pros- 
pects for a crop next season ruined. These undersized Desotas were, 
however, so much superior to the wild plum, that they readily brought 25 
cents per peck. when the wild were going slowly at 25 cents per bushel. 
Grapes are a great, success with the few who cultivate them. It was 
one of the few seasons that ripen the Concord to perfection; sold my Con- 
cords to the dealers at 5 cents, when New York grapes were retailing at 
same price. For a table grape and for market I am inclined to prefer 
Moore’s Early. Its fine size and quality always command a quick sale. It 
is the only variety that has never failed to ripen with me. Buta grape 
of its quality and earliness, that bears as well as Concord is greatly to be 
desired. The Lindley has always been a good grape with me, and this 
year did unusually well. We put away some twelve baskets of this varie- 
ty for winter use. The method tried had the merit of simplicity, and the 
fruit, although shriveling some, retains much of its excellent flavor. 
Common grape and market baskets were used, a layer of excelsior put in 
the bottom, then a layer of grapes, a layer of excelsior, and a layer of 
grapes, until the baskets were full; over the baskets was tied a newspaper 
to keep out dust, and the baskets hung on nails in the cellar ceiling. 
Next time we shall try wrapping each bunch in tissue paper, hoping 
thereby to save evaporation and flavor. 
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