HORTICULTURE IN MINNESOTAS 



T. G. RAYNOR, ROSE HILL, ONT. 



THE conditions under which apples are 

 grown are quite different in Minne- 

 sota to what they are in Ontario. Through 

 many ups and downs some of the old set- 

 tlers have persevered until they have origi- 

 nated varieties that can be grown in this 

 northwestern country. The old fruit grow- 

 ers learned from their many failures with 

 eastern and southern grown fruit trees, that 

 very few varieties were hardy enough to 

 stand the Minnesota conditions. 



Men like Charles Gideon, who originated 

 the Wealthy and Gideon apples ; Mr. Harris 

 and Mr. Yahnke, who has a seedling which 

 stands equal to our Spy and King in quality 



:■• A 



A Busy Day in the Berry Field. 



Pickers at work in the strawberry plantation of Davidson &; Co., Meyersburg, Ont , are 

 here shown. Mr. Davidson has two acres of strawberries this seascn and says that Corsi-, 

 can, Cook and Brandywine are the most profitable varieties for that section. There is no 

 difficulty getting pickers at one cent per box, as farmers come miles to pick and many are 

 turned away. 



and which bears the name of its originator, 

 are great benefactors to their race. There 

 are now varieties which bridge over the sea- 

 son pretty well, in Duchess for summer, 

 Wealthy for fall and early winter, and 

 Northwestern Greening, Melinda and 

 Yahnke for winter varieties. 



There are a number of imrseries in the 

 state which are extending their trade even 



across the line into our Canadian Northwest. 

 The most satisfactory locations for an apple 

 orchard here, as with us, are found to be 

 northern or eastern slopes. However, in 

 most parts of the state there is no choice of 

 slope, and fruit growers are compelled to 

 make these conditions by setting out wind 

 break plantations around their farm build- 

 ings and planting their trees on the north 

 side. These catch most of the snow and 

 protect the trees more or less from sun scald 

 and warm winds from the south. 



Until recently the wind-breaks have been 

 for the most part of willows, cotton woods 

 and box alders. These break the winds 

 very well in summer, but 

 not so well in win- 

 ter. In many cases they 

 have been placed so close to 

 the buildings that as Mr. 

 Yahnke puts it, " they have 

 the snow banks in their 

 kitchens." 



The coming wind break is 

 the evergreen, one which 

 breaks the winds in the win- 

 ter time. Many tried these 

 but failed to get them to 

 grow, because they did not 

 know that the sap of an ever- 

 green contains resin, and five 

 minutes' exposure of the roots 

 to sun or wind means dead 

 evergreens. Then many 

 farmers didn't know that in 

 setting them a mud bath was 

 necessary, and as soon as they were planted 

 the roots should be covered. 



As Ontario is already over cleared in the 

 older parts more of our farmers should pay 

 attention to the value of evergreen v/ind 

 breaks about their farm buildings. 





No money can be made by holding grapes. 

 When the .season for grapes is past, the demand 

 Is over. — (Robert Thompson, St. Catharines. 



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