2190 NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



The Wisconsin State Horticultural Society, organized 

 in 1865, and chartered by the state in 1871, maintains 

 a bureau of information and answers all questions 

 on fruit-growing submitted to the secretary. In addi- 

 tion, the Society maintains ten trial orchards or 

 demonstration stations for the purpose of testing the 

 adaptability of varieties to the soils and climates of 

 these particular regions. In addition to its annual 

 report, it issues a monthly magazine "Wisconsin Hor- 

 ticulture." This Society is purely an educational 

 institution and its purpose is the advancement of 

 every branch of horticulture in the state. 



Statistics (Thirteenth Census). 



The approximate land area of Wisconsin in 1910 was 

 35,363,840 acres. The land in farms was 59.6 per cent 

 of this area, or 21,060,066 acres. Of this land in farms, 

 the improved land numbered 11,907,606 acres; the 

 woodland, 5,377,580 acres; and other unimproved land 

 in farms, 3,774,880 acres. The number of all the farms 

 in 1910 was 177,127, and the average acreage to a farm, 

 118.9. [The total area is 56,066 square miles.] 



The leading agricultural crops grown in Wisconsin 

 are cereals, hay and forage, and tobacco. Cereals 

 decreased in acreage from 5,376,944 in 1899 to 4,951,066 

 in 1909, when the production was valued at $73,141,919. 

 or 49.3 per cent of the total value of all crops. Hay and 

 forage increased in acreage from 2,397,982 in 1899 to 

 3,079,102 in 1909, when the production was valued at 

 $40,866,396, or 27.5 per cent of the total value of all 

 crops. Tobacco increased in acreage from 33,830 in 

 1899 to 40,458 in 1909, when the production was valued 

 at $3,855,033. The value of the forest products of the 

 farms in 1909 was $9,559,428, as compared with 

 $6,116,033 in 1899. 



Horticultural crops grown in Wisconsin are fruits 

 and nuts, small-fruits, potatoes arid other vegetables, 

 and flowers and plants and nursery products. The 

 value of the fruits and nuts produced in 1909 was 

 $2,130,935, as compared with $284,024 in 1899. Small- 

 fruits decreased in acreage from 12,389 in 1899 to 

 6,305 in 1909. when the production was 9,782,779 

 quarts, valued at $765,437. The total acreage of 

 potatoes and other vegetables in 1909 was 360,312, 

 and their value, $12,511,816. Excluding potatoes, the 

 acreage of other vegetables increased from 39,578 in 

 1899 to 70,123 in 1909, when the production was valued 

 at $4,593,865. Flowers and plants and nursery prod- 

 ucts increased in acreage from 930 in 1899 to 1,007 in 

 1909, when the production was valued at $893,866. 



The total quantity of orchard - fruits produced in 

 1909 was 2,343,517 bushels, valued at $2,087,202. 

 Apples contributed about 95 per cent of this quantity, 

 and cherries most of the remainder. Apple trees of 

 bearing age in 1910 numbered 2,430,232; those not of 

 bearing age, 1,408,726. The production in 1909 was 

 2,232,112 bushels, valued at $1,896,681. The number of 

 cherry trees of bearing age in 1910 numbered 290,495; 

 those not of bearing age, 148,775. .The production in 

 1909 was 81,340 bushels, valued at $152,119. The pro- 

 duction of other orchard -fruits in 1909 was: 15,907 

 bushels of plums and prunes, valued at $20,944; 12,992 

 bushels of pears, valued at $16,551; 956 bushels of 

 peaches and nectarines, valued at $552; 100 bushels of 

 apricots, valued at $211 ; and minor quantities of quinces 

 and mulberries. 



The production of grapes in 1909 was 701,329 pounds, 

 valued at $25,537. The vines of bearing age in 1910 

 numbered 148,348; those not 'of bearing age, 63,098. 



The total production of nuts in 1909 was 609,428 

 pounds, valued at $18,196. The nuts contributing to 

 this production were: 496,722 pounds of hickory-nuts, 

 valued at $15,954; 86,086 pounds of black walnuts, 

 valued at $1,617; and 20,310 pounds of butternuts, 

 Valued at $450. 



Strawberries are the most important of the small- 



fruits produced in Wisconsin, with cranberries second 

 in importance. The acreage of strawberries decreased 

 from 3,508 in 1899 to 2,863 in 1909, when the pro- 

 duction was 5,188,117 quarts, valued at $434,971. 

 Cranberries decreased in acreage from 5,821 in 1899 to 

 1,689 in U 1909, when the production was 2,549,344 

 quarts, valued at $127,212. Raspberries and loganber- 

 ries decreased in acreage from 1,616 in 1899 to 964 in 

 1909, when the production was 1,053,889 quarts, valued 

 at $114,578. Other small-fruits produced were: 498,- 

 119 quarts of blackberries and dewberries, valued at 

 $48,707; 383,982 quarts of currants, valued at $31,078; 

 and 107,708 quarts of gooseberries, valued at $8,751. 



Potatoes, the most important of the vegetables in 

 Wisconsin, increased in acreage from 256,931 in 1899 to 

 290,185 in 1909, when the production was 31,968,195 

 bushels, valued at $7,917,754. The production of the 

 most important of the other vegetables was: 10,506 

 acres of cabbage, valued at $686,296; 11,182 acres of 

 green peas, valued at $321,324; 650 acres of onions, 

 valued at $95,595; 3,789 acres of sweet corn, valued 

 at $83,502; 1,563 acres of cucumbers, valued at $82,735; 

 363 acres of tomatoes, valued at $42,300; 137 acres of 

 celery, valued at $36,570; 187 acres of cantaloupes and 

 muskmelons, valued at $25,591; 685 acres of turnips, 

 valued at $19,888; 497 acres of green beans, valued at 

 $16,067; 87 acres of asparagus, valued at $11,498; and 

 168 acres of watermelons, valued at $11,355. Vegetables 

 of less importance are beets, carrots, cauliflower, pop- 

 corn, horse-radish, radishes, rutabagas, and spinach. 



The acreage devoted to the production of flowers 

 and plants increased from 194 in 1899 to 252 in 1909. 

 The total area under glass in 1909 was 2,007,310 square 

 feet, of which 1,875,858 were covered by greenhouses 

 and 131,452 by sashes and frames. The value of the 

 flowers and plants produced in 1909 was $592,839, as 

 compared with $270,872 in 1899. 



Nursery products increased in acreage from 736 in 

 1899 to 755 in 1909, when the products were valued 

 at $301,027, as compared with $85,087 in 1899. 



FREDERIC CRANEFIELD. 



WEST NORTH CENTRAL STATES. 

 Minnesota. 



The surface of Minnesota (Fig. 2501) is gently undu- 

 lating, except in the extreme northwestern part, where, 

 in the Red River Valley, are large, fertile, level prairies. 

 Its roughest agricultural land is found in the eastern 

 part, along the Mississippi River, and in many places 

 the bluffs reach a height of 400 feet above the valley. 

 About one-half the state, embracing the northeastern 

 and eastern parts, was originally heavily timbered, 

 and much timber still remains in the northeast, while 

 many scattered groves of timber will be found else- 

 where, especially along the rivers. 



There are many lakes, the number of which has been 

 estimated at 10,000. These lakes and the timber in the 

 northern part of the state afford excellent camping- 

 grounds and are visited by thousands of people from the 

 cities of the state and from many states farther south. 

 They are especially numerous in the central and north- 

 ern parts, where they greatly modify the climate of 

 lands in their vicinity. There are great variations of 

 climate between the extreme northern half, where the 

 summers are very short, and the southern half, where 

 killing frosts seldom occur before the first of October. 

 The winters are generally pleasant, but occasionally 

 severe, and 40 below zero is sometimes experienced. 



The soil is generally rich and well adapted to a variety 

 of crops, but it is very variable, and there are some 

 extended areas in the northern part where there is much 

 sandy land that should never be used for agriculture, 

 but should rather be devoted to forestry or turned into 

 forest and game preserves. The undulating surface, 



