STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 116 



point of view, but in the better health and the more wholesome food 

 it will bring, and in the aesthetic feature o the cause, it will elevate 

 the sentiments of our people by surrounding their homes with fruits 

 and flowers. 



Col. Stevens. I would state that I was at Granite Falls a year ago 

 last September, I think it was, and I saw some very thrifty gardens 

 there, and I saw some pretty good apples there too; I saw the Duchess 

 and one or two other varieties that I didn't know, and the names 

 were something new to me, and they were apples that were apparently- 

 comparing well with any that we had. Another thing I noticed in 

 the neighborhood of Granite Falls, and that was their timber lands. 

 I saw trees that had made a mammoth growth in one or two years. I 

 was very much surprised to see the enterprise displayed by the people 

 of that part of the State. 



Mr. Saunders. You would have seen a better display there this fall. 



Mr. Edson Gaylord, of ora Springs, Iowa, delegate from the Iowa 

 State Horticultural Society, was then introduced, and presented the 

 following paper : 



RCHARDING IN^ THE^NORTflWEBT. 

 By Edson Gaylord, Nora Springs, Iowa. 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: 



We will use our best endeavors to confine our remarks to sucli points as we have 

 proved to be of the most particular value in growing an orchard for home use dur- 

 ing the past thirty years, leaving the commercial orchardist to care- for himself. In 

 touching so many points as we are seemingly obliged to, we hope to be excused if 

 we appear to be dogmatical m our statements, for noone more than ourselves 

 would more cheerfully stop, and give with the greatest pleasure the thousand and 

 one reasons why we practice and advise others to try the following methods in 

 growing an orchard here in the Northwest. The first apple trees set in Northern 

 Iowa, so far as we have be'en able to learn, were set on our present orchard site in 

 Floyd county. We then considered this site the best that could be found. After 

 years of persistent efforts in setting and resetting we have been most thoroughly 

 convinced that our site is one of the most difficult to successfully grow an orchard, 

 that can be found in the Northwest. 



Our soil is aspen, white and jack oak, elm, hickory, and black walnut, the first 

 three proving best, the last three poorest. It was not till after many years of 

 repeated failures that we could be convinced that our worst troubles came from a 

 source we had so little thought of. Our orchard was so completely shut in and pro- 

 tected by thick, tall timber embracing some over five acres. The first twenty years 

 we set and reset a few of all the leading kinds that came well recommended. Suc- 

 ceeded partially now and then, but more often failed entirely with many kinds. 



