134 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
more hammering. Orchards may do well without a windbreak for 
a few years, but there will winters and seasonscome,with unusual 
severity, and terrific cruel windstorms,which will impair the vital- 
ity of the trees and soon terminate their existence. Young trees 
should be lightly cultivated or hoed as soon as the ground can be 
worked in the spring—at least, twice a week. By this means I have 
succeeded in raising evergreens and apple trees,almost without 
losing atree. I have found light cultivation of the soil the best 
means of keeping the moistureinthe ground. Moisture is retained 
in the soil by very frequent but shallow tillage,by means of which 
the surface of the land becomes a mulch for the soil beneath. After 
a rain do not let the ground crust over,but commence cultivation as 
soon as the land is fit to work. Tillage should begin as soon as the 
ground is dry enough inthe spring and should not beextended after 
the month of July. The greatest careshould be taken of apple trees 
when digging in the nursery and storing in the cellar, &c., and also 
by the purchaser on the way to where they are to be planted. The 
roots should be protected from the sun and drying winds and be 
kept moist. I believe there are more losses sustained in this way 
than most people are aware of. 
We should by all means, if possible, prevent “sunscald.” I believe 
the most damage is done in the early spring. The effects will not 
be seen till in the summer or, probably, the summer after. I 
believe it is effected by a thaw and an unusual mild and warm spring 
producing a too early flow of ‘sap and then a freeze, after which the 
first warm rays of the sun from the southeast thaw out the trees 
and,thereby,hurt them materially. I have a great many soft maples 
that the bark burst open near the ground from the above cause; some 
of them will never recover. The appletrees do not produce so much 
sap, consequently the bark does not burst,but they are,nevertheless, 
hurt. 
I believe by patience and perserverance we shall succeed iu apple 
raising in Minnesota. There are important possibilities in future 
developments. Thirty years ago Iwas glad to be able to raise 
little Siberians, now wecan raise hundreds of barrels of delic- 
ious Standard apples. 
GENERAL FRUITS, FIRST CONG: DIST. 
J. C. WALKER, ROSE CREEK, MINN. 
My remarks will be chiefly upon the apple crop of 1894. It has 
been an off year for this fruit with me, on account of the late frosts 
in spring time. I have always mulched my trees late in the winter, 
while the ground is covered with snow, for the purpose of keeping 
them as late as possible, to avoid late spring frosts. Have never 
failed of a good stand of fruit when kept from blossoming until 
the first week in June; last winter I was on the sick list and could 
not attend to the mulching. A warm March hastened the season and 
apples were in full bloom in the middle of May, being two weeks 
ahead of the proper time, consequently, they were caught with frost 
