Your orner. 
THE PRESENT STATUS OF THE MINNESOTA FRUIT 
CROP. 
In reply to an inquiry of President Underwood he sent mea box 
containing branches of various kinds of fruit, and, if sign language 
can be safely interpreted, it means that apples are blossoming and 
setting fruit fairly well; grapes are somewhat injured by the frost 
and will produce about one-third of a crop; gooseberries and cur- 
rants have set well, especially the North Star currant, which shows 
extraordinary development, ‘SECRETARY. 
(The following letter came later.—Secretary.) 
There seems to be a good show for all kinds of fruits at 
present writing. The greatest injury was done to strawberries, 
grapes and plums. The first three frosts did it, the others being 
light. They got hit worse out in the country—that is, harder frosts, 
—but they were not so far advanced as here. Two men from south 
of Rushford were here Saturday, and say that apples are a good 
crop there, and, yet, frost killed the oaks. 
The damage to strawberries by frost this spring will average at 
least one-half of the fruit, the Jessie, Sharpless, and Princess being 
hurt the worst, and the Michel’s Karly is not in very good condition. 
The Warfield seems to be in better condition than any other variety, 
and Haverland next. Parker's Earle seems to be in pretty good 
order for a staminate variety, and Mt. Vernon, Capt. Jack, and 
Wilson are pretty fair. 
We think that straw covering is a good protection against frost. 
Some of our plants were uncovered early and some late, and we find 
that these that were uncovered latest are in the best condition. In 
regard to location, we consider ground that is high and dry very 
good for this purpose, as where the ground is low and damp the 
frost has injured the plants more. 
Lake City, Minn., May 27, 1895. J. M. UNDERWOOD. 
Owing to the last season’s drouth andthe cold, dry winter,the most 
of the blackberries and red raspberries were so badly injured that 
they have been cut off to the ground; consequently, no fruit this 
year. Black raspberries not quite so badly injured, but will be 
a very light crop; strawberries wintered fairly well, but the late 
frosts have destroyed one-third to one-half of all blossoms and 
buds that were out; fortunately, only a part were far enough along 
to be destroyed, and we hope, if nothing farther overtakes them to 
injure, to have one-half to three-fourths of an average crop of straw- 
berries. . M. W. CooK. 
Rochester, May 24, 1895. 
