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340 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
a pasture for the hogs, which loosen the ground and keep down the 
grass as wellas add to the fertility of the soil. 
From here we visited the old seedling orchard of Mr. Peter M. 
Gideon, especially to see the original tree of the Martha crab. We 
also found there the original trees of the Florence and Mary crabs, 
which were of interest, all three of these trees being evidently of 
the same age, about twenty-five or, perhaps, more years, judging by 
appearance. The Mary was notable especially for the large size of 
its fruit,as large or larger than the Canada Red, and the Florence 
is a beautiful crab of high color; both varieties were bearing fairly 
goodcrops. The Marthacrab was by far the handsomest and most 
noticeable variety of crab exhibited at the World’s Fair. It is of 
a beautiful, deep blush pink and covered with a heavy bloom. Itis 
somewhat larger than the Transcendent. Further description is 
scarcely necessary, as itis quite well known to the fruit growers of 
the state. The original tree, I understand, is an annual and a heavy 
bearer, carrying this year an enormous quantity of fruit. Its beauty, 
high color and comparative freedom from blight, make it appar- 
ently a valuable addition to our list of crabs, and perhaps it may be 
found of especial use as astock for double-working. There were 
here and there a dead twig or a short inside branch dead, but noth- 
ing that upon close examination seemed to be blight, and judging 
by the appearance and what we could learn, it is proof against this 
disease. 
The only other place visited after this was an orchard planted by 
Mr. M. Perry some eight years ago, and now owned by Mr. Alfred 
Sherlock. This is on a very high and steep hillside facing the east. 
Several hundred trees are making a rapid growth and bearing for 
their size a great deal of fruit. The ground is cultivated one way 
and set to currants and goosberries. Besides the usual varieties we 
found several Longfield,heavily loaded anda half dozen or more trees 
of the Excelsior and October crabs, which were an especially beau- 
tiful sight. These crabs are almostas large as an average Wealthy, 
very highly colored and with a most beautiful bloom. There was 
another noteable variety bearing a large white apple, of which we 
could not learn the name. 
There are some lessons to be learned from these short excursions. 
The successful orchards are all standing on high ground. They 
were all on some slope, either north, south or east. The cultivated 
orchards, either by hog power or by horse power, were apparently 
the most healthy and vigorous and produced the finest fruit, that 
used as a hog yard being, as regards results, the best of all. A 
pertinent query is, Why people who have similar locations—and 
there are plenty of them all about the country—don’t plant orchards 
by the ten acres, instead of raising grain at a profit of a few dollars 
an acre. Thousands of acres about the lake region might produce 
in their season all the apples needed for this section and the country 
north and west of usata great margin of profit for the grower. 
This is evidently the northern limit of profitable apple culture, and 
the time will surely come when these hillsides will be used for this 
purpose. Why they don’t do it now is a hard thing to understand. 
Minneapolis, August 17, 1895. 
