136 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
GENERAL FRUITS. FOURTH CONG. DIST. 
R. KNAPHEIDE, ST. PAUL. 
I am sorry that my three score and ten years rest so heavily that I 
cannot be with you and enjoy the profit of the exchange of views, 
thoughts and experiences of this session. My report on fruits must 
necessarily for the same reason be brief. 1884 was in some lines an 
exceptional fruit year in our experience in the fourth congres- 
sional district; we had no late spring nor early autumn frosts and 
no special plague of insects or caterpillars. The dry spring and 
summer season made good breeding weather for the birds,and they 
were much more numerous than usual, which,in part, probably, 
accounts for the freedom from caterpillars and insects. 
I believe that nowhere in the United States can there be fruit 
grown with such fragrant bouquet as in our own state, nor am [alone 
in this belief. I read with interest an article in one of our dailieslast 
summer,where in the writer, an old soldier, gives his recollection of 
a controversy as to who was in command of a certain expedition 
against the Indians in 1862, near New Ulm. After telling of the 
devastation committed by the Indians along the route and how 
noticeable the presence of Indians was in the vicinity in which they 
were traveling and what a sharp lookout they were keeping,he says, 
“Captain and myself got orders to go along up the river to see about 
a fording place. Itis the only time I ever disobeyed orders. Weran 
across a grove of plum trees and could not resist the temptation of 
regaling ourselves on the delicious fruit.” Gentlemen! Just think 
of it! What an argument in favor of the superiority of the flavor of 
our fruits! Anold soldier, who has enjoyed the fi uit season of the in 
sunny south, although ina dangerous position, Indians to the right 
of him, Indians to the left of him, yes, Indians all around hin, still 
plums must be had by him! It reminds one of a pre-historical event 
where fruit also played a temptational part. 
While we do not exactly want to lay claim to a fruit paradise, ora 
garden of Eden, for ourstate, we do claim that what fruit we do grow 
has a flavor superior to any of similar kind grown elsewhere—and 
1894 was exceptional in that respect. The grapes were specially fine 
ard brought twice the price that the imported fruit brought, and 
sold easily. The plumcrop was fair, as to price,quantity and quality, 
though the fruit was smaller than usual. The apples for some 
reason, which I cannot explain, blossomed beautifully and looked 
healthy but bore a light crop. Our strawberries were not a suc- 
cess. Raspberries were a success and are proving to be a good pay- 
ing fruit. I notice a tendency of a number of the fruit growers in 
our district to go largely into tomato growing and,although we have 
no cannery,they were not a drug in the market; on the contrary,they 
brought good prices. 
Now a last word as to our wild fruits, which irresponsible parties 
are vandalising. Take,for instance,the grape. How many will we 
have left in a few years? Howmany have weeven now? In order to 
gather the fruit, the vines are cut off and the whole plant is torn 
down and annihilated. Soit is with our other fruits. We have a 
game law and gume wardens; why not make it the duty of the same 
parties, and give them the supervision and have them look after our 
wild fruits? It would add no extra cost to the state and would be an 
act of justice to posterity. 
