280 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



Pleased with his success, some years later he enlarged his orchard and 

 set six more rows of apple trees. His hired men set three rows, but did 

 not set them deep enough to suit him, so he set the three remaining rows 

 himself. The trees set by Mr. Derby are sound and healthy, while those 

 set by the hired men are either dead or dying. In the spring of 1884, Mr. 



of nJakota, set an orchard, digging large holes 



two and one-half feet in depth, giving the roots of the trees plenty of 

 room and using the top soil to All the holes. The result has been that 

 the trees have survived drouth that killed our native forest trees, and 

 are, perhaps, the only apple trees left in the county. 



What is there in the nature of the apple tree to lead us to expect the 

 same results, if we follow the same methods? First, the roots used by all 

 nurserymen for grafting are seedlings, and but very few are hardy. By 

 deep setting the tender root is buried so deep as to escape injury by thaw- 

 ing and freezing, and the top will throw out so many roots of its own that 

 the tree is practically on its own roots. Second, the deep setting brings 

 the limbs down where they ought to be, viz: at or near the surface of tho 

 ground, keeping the tree from sun-scald and preventing it being so easily 

 shaken by the wind. Mr. Somerville mulches his orchard every year with 

 strawy manure, some thirty or thirty-flve loads to the acre, and lets his 

 hogs do the cultivating with their snouts, and as a result his trees make 

 a good growth every year and bear an annual crop of fruit. He is not 

 troubled with blight. It seems to be a well established fact that heavy 

 mulching, keeping the ground moist and cool, will prevent any serious 

 injury from blight. 



Let us recapitulate: Dry ground, so the tree can be set deep, causing 

 new roots to grow from the body,so the tree is practically on its own roots. 

 Low tops; limbs starting out at or near the surface of the ground to 

 avoid sun-scald and keep the tree from being easily shaken by the wind. 

 Protection of the ground from the direct rays of the sun by heavy 

 mulching, giving our apple trees essentially the same conditions enjoyed 

 by our native forest trees. I believe if any one will do this, also read 

 and practice the many useful thoughts scattered through the pages of 

 our horticultural reports, he will not find any serious difficulty in raising 

 plenty of apples— apples equal both in flavor and color, if not superior, to 

 those any where else in the United States. 



SOME NOTES ON OUR OBSERVATIONS IN 1892. 



J. S. HARRIS, LA CRESCENT. 



(Special Agent Division of Pomology.) 

 Mr. President and friends of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society: 



Through the influence of yourself and other members of this society, and 

 of our U. S. Senator, Hon. C. K. Davis, and of Congressman, Hon. John Lind, 

 I received an appointment from the U. S. Department of Agriculture as 

 a special field agent of the Division of Pomology for the term of three 

 months, beginning August 1st, 1892. 



In discharging the duties of this position, I was enabled to visit the 

 Inter-State Fair at La Crosse, Wis.; the Wisconsin State Fair at Milwau- 

 kee, Wis.; the Minnesota State Fair at Hamline, and the Houston and 



