426 ANNUAL REPORT. » 



There are also extensive orchards of apples at Vladimir, which is 

 famed in Russia as a fruit region. 



There are other continental or interior localities much further 

 south of the places named, where from climatic conditions, the 

 winters are intensely cold, and the summers dry and hot, from 

 which we may procure varieties of fruit trees adapted to our 

 climate. Of these I may mention Astrachaii, and Russian Armenia, 

 in which Erivan is the most celebrated for its numerous and exten- 

 sive orchards and vineyards. The summers are hot, and I judge 

 much like our own, but the winters so cold that it is necessary to 

 cover the grape vines with earth to preserve them. My informa. 

 tion on this subject is derived from the voluminous work of Mont- 

 pereux, who visited that region in 1838. He states that there are 

 there 1,470 gardens planted in vines, apple and pear trees, the sale 

 of the fruit of which constitutes the principal revenue of the place. 

 The same author mentions other places in the Caucasus mountain 

 range between the Black Sea and the Caspian, where the fruits 

 named are extensively cultivated, and where some varieties of wild 

 grapes are equal to the cultivated varieties of France. 



In Dr. Clark's Travels in Norway and Sweden, published in 1833? 

 there is frequent reference to the excellent apples, pears and cher- 

 ries found by the author growing in those countries. 



He was much surprised and delighted with the horticultural 

 improvements at Trondhjem in Norway, 63 deg. 25 min. north. 

 He says, speaking of the town: "The houses are handsome, reg- 

 ular, large and airy, with pleasant gardens full of fruit and flowers, 

 worth}' of note in such a northern latitude, apples, pears, plums, 

 cherries, strawberries," etc. 



Surely these facts ought to encourage us to persevere in our 

 efforts to obtain varieties of standard fruits adapted io our climate. 



We must, I think, for entire success in our day and generation, 

 procure by some means, for naturalization in Minnesota, varieties 

 which thrive in the cold countries referred to, and especially from 

 the continental or interior parts of Russia and Northern China, 

 where the climate is like ours, not only intensely cold in winter, 

 but also dry, as compared with maritime or lake coasts, and hot in 

 summer, and the growing seasons of which are short like ours. 



Apples are successfully cultivated, in climates where the winters 

 are far moi^ severe than ours. Sir George Simpson, the late 

 Governor of Hudson Bay Territories, gives in his Voyage Round 

 the World, an account of his visit to Burnaul, Siberia, which is 



