274 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



from becoming bruised in their shipping. They always 

 brought a good price because they opened up so well when 

 they got to market. 



Mr. Keel: A barrel must be more than full when it is headed 

 up; then the apples will not shake around and come into mar- 

 ket in bad condition. I have a press that I force the head of 

 the barrel down into place with. In my arrangement a man 

 can head up a good many barrels in a day. 



Mr. Sampson: I am very glad that the subject of handling 

 and shipping fruit has been brought up, for there is nobody 

 more annoyed than the growers of small fruits in getting their 

 fruit to market. I have often shipped cases of strawberries in 

 splendid order, that were unlit for sale when they arrived at 

 their destination because of the rough handling they had re- 

 ceived on the way. I think the growers of small fruits should 

 take concerted action in this matter and insist upon the differ- 

 ent transportation companies giving proper attention to the 

 careful handling of their fruit. 



APPLE TREES FROM SEED. 



J. B. MITCHELL, CRESCO, IOWA. 



Members of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society: 



At your last winter's meeting I made a few remarks on farmers growing 

 orchards from seed, and as it appears in your report it places me in a false 

 position which I desire to correct. My remarks must have been so dis- 

 connected that the reporter could not make out what I said, or else I did 

 not say what I intended to. 



The idea, there carried, that all apple trees from seed will bear sooner 

 and better crops of apples than when root grafted, I do not believe. That 

 a tree hardy enough to stand the transfer and bear fruit will fruit sooner 

 from the root graft than the original tree did from seed cannot be denied. 



That many seedling trees will be long-lived and bear good crops of 

 apples while on their own roots, that cannot be made a success when 

 grown as root grafts is also true. 



While we have such varieties as the Duchess, Lieby and other Russians, 

 and a few seedlings that are hardy, on which we must rely for the pres- 

 ent, yet we are looking far something equally as hardy in trees but better 

 in some other respects. This, I believe, will soonest come from home-grown 

 seedlings from home-grown seed, and that there should be more seed 

 planting done. And, perhaps, the quickest way to accomplish this desired 

 result in Minnesota and northern Iowa would be for farmers to plant 

 seed largely, and when one or two years old transplant them thick in 

 orchard rows, trees about four feet apart in the row (for he must expect 

 to lose the greater part of them), and cultivate well a few years, and 

 from the survival of the fittest he would get trees that would soon come 



