GENERAL FRUITS. 135 
on the eighteenth and twenty-eighthof May, cutting off largely the 
crop. But for these two frosts,my apple crop would have been very 
great. We do not feel discouraged, but hope and work. Two years 
ago my wife gathered three barrels from one small tree, that my 
ha nds clasped round the butt could justreach around. The kinds 
of apples that are doing well are Duchess, Ben Davis, Pewaukee, 
Wealthy, Haas, Plumbs Cider, Early Strawberry and a Duchess 
seedling; pears, Early Wilder and Idaho. 
What I am now going to say may help some tree grower. Years 
ago several of my apple trees were troubled with loss of bark some 
half-way round, and I supposed they would soon die, but they 
did’nt. I just gave the bare places a good coating of raw linseed 
oil, preserving the wood hard and lengthening the life of the tree. 
Iam encouraging all to work, to bring out of the earth some of 
the good things there are in it. 
GENERAL FRUITS, SECOND CONG. DIST. 
C. F. BROWN, ST, PETER. 
I regret that I cannot favor you with a complete report on general 
fruits for 1894 for this section of the second congressional district, 
but I will give an outline of my observations on the subject. In 
general, it is the same story that, probably, all the localities in this 
state will have to report on the subject of fruits—the drouth was too 
severe for favorable results. It has been so dry for several years 
past that the trees and vines have had a struggle for existence with- 
out the additional task of producing fruits. It has even been diffi- 
cult to keep shade trees thrifty. I do not think that the prospects 
for 1895 can be very promising for the reasons mentioned above. 
An additional problem besides the cold seems to confront the fruit 
raisers, the one of drouth, with these adverse circumstances; it can- 
not be considered a promising future. Apples were ina very limited 
supply, but more Duchess were in the market than Transcendents. 
The latter were only offered in small quantities, partially froin the 
fact that in previous years they were produced in such an abund- 
ance that there was little sale and no profit in raising them; conse- 
quently, orchards that gradually killed out were not replanted, 
but the few that did replant had substantial evidence of their wis- 
dom. Transcendents sold for more money per bushel than Duchess. 
Strawberries promised well but the drought cut them short, and 
the supply was less than for many years past. Raspberries had the 
same history as strawberries, except that the drouth overtook them 
before they gave promise of future greatness. Currants, a fair crop. 
‘Grapes did fairly well but, I think, not up to the average yield. 
Plums were a large crop and of good quality, and in this fruit I 
noticed what seemed to me a remarkable feature, in the fact that 
they were of good flavor and size, yet in 1893 they were a failure in 
quality and quantity and seemed to be withered and off flavor. It 
may be that owiny to the light crops produced for the few years 
past, the trees became vigorous enough to produce the crop in per- 
fection or, possibly, the spring rains were sufficient for this fruit. 
