NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



NORTH AMERICAN STATES 2201 



chiefly of rapidly growing trees for shelter and wind- 

 break purposes. The common white willow and its 

 variety, the golden Russian willow, the laurel-leaf wil- 

 low and a variety of the cottonwood, commercially 

 known as Norway poplar, are the trees in greatest 

 demand. The native ash and the box elder are also 

 bought freely. The trade in fruit-trees and ornamentals 

 is considerably less and is still largely furnished by out- 

 side nurseries. However, some of the local nurseries 

 have blocks of hardy varieties of apples and plums run- 

 ning into thousands with business increasing rapidly. 



Within the past ten years a few floral establishments 

 have been built up in the larger towns and in all cases 

 have met with marked commercial success. While 

 none of them has over 50,000 square feet under glass, 

 yet with the quality of stock produced and the high 

 prices readily obtained the business is decidedly profit- 

 able. The growers claim a certain advantage in the 

 bright, clear weather of autumn that gives them car- 

 nations and chrysanthemums of unsurpassed color and 

 quality. The same applies to roses, except during 

 December and January, when the short days do not 

 furnish enough hours of daylight for the best results. 



While the wild fruits occupy an inconsiderable part 

 of the total area of the state, yet they are important 

 in that they furnish thousands of families with their 

 yearly supply of jellies and other fruit products. A 

 list of the wild fruits in order of their importance would 

 be about as follows: plum, buffalo berry (Shepherdia 

 argentea), cherry (Prunus demissa), grape (Vitis vul- 

 pina) and juneberry (Amelanchier alnifolia). The red 

 raspberry and strawberry are also found sparingly. 

 The only plum in the state is Prunus americana, and 

 this is found wherever other trees or shrubs grow. It is 

 strongly variable in almost every character except 

 fruitfulness, all forms being decidedly prolific. The 

 fruit generally is of good quality, sweet and rich when 

 ripe, but top soft to keep well. In a domestic way, 

 wild plum jelly is recognized as a staple article of 

 superior merit, and though the plums are abundant in 

 most seasons, yet they readily bring $2 a bushel in the 

 local markets. The unproved strains of this plum, like 

 the DeSoto, Weaver and Surprise, are being intro- 

 duced and successfully cultivated. The buffalo berry is 

 found from the James River westward, growing in 

 thickets along streams and coulees. The bright red 

 acid fruit is borne in the greatest profusion, but is 

 rather difficult to gather, as it is sessile and thorns are 

 plenty. It makes a clear jelly of reddish amber-color 

 and delicate flavor. Prunus pumila is widely scattered 

 but not abundant, and the fruit is used but little. In 

 the western part of the state the juneberry produces 

 abundantly a large fruit of rich flavor, but is more 

 often used fresh from the bushes than in a culinary 

 way. The rapid settling of the state has increased the 

 demand for native fruits to such an extent that their 

 value is being appreciated, and private ownership even 

 in wild fruits is being insisted upon and recognized. 

 This, of course, leads directly to the development and 

 preservation of the better strains. 



Among those influential in developing fruit-growing 

 in North Dakota were Andrew McHench of Fargo and 

 Col. R. H. Hankinson, of Hankinson. 



Public-service agencies far horticulture. 



The land-grant college of North Dakota was estab- 

 lished at Fargo in 1890. There are three members of 

 the horticultural staff. 



The Experiment Station is also located at Fargo. 

 There are two horticulturists on the staff. Several 

 regular bulletins and also press bulletins have been 

 issued on horticultural subjects. Within the last twelve 

 years, there have been established from time to time 

 five sub-experiment stations in the different parts of 

 the state, where trials are being made to a limited 

 extent with trees and fruits. At most of these stations, 



more or less encouraging results with both tree- and 

 small-fruits have been obtained, and in some cases the 

 yield has been such as to indicate commercial success, 

 particularly with the Patten Greening apple and some 

 of the varieties of the American plum. 



In addition to these state experiment stations, there 

 was established at Mandan, in 1912, a federal station 

 known as the Northern Great Plains Experiment Sta- 

 tion. One of the prominent objects of this station is to 

 carry on trials with horticultural plants of all classes, 

 and to develop fruits suited to the Great Plains region. 



There are two special schools in the state teaching 

 horticulture, the School of Forestry at Bottinean and 

 the State Normal School at Valley City. Two terms of 

 horticulture are also taught in most of the high schools. 



The nursery inspection is conducted by the state. 



Statistics (Thirteenth Census). 



The approximate land area of North Dakota is 44,- 

 917,120 acres. The land in farms in 1910 was 63.3 per 

 cent of the land area or 28,426,650 acres. Of this land 

 in farms, the improved land numbered 20,445,092 

 acres; the woodland, 421,877 acres; and other unim- 

 proved land in farms 7,549,681 acres. The total num- 

 ber of farms of the state in 1910 was 74,360 and the 

 average acreage to the farm was 382.3. [The total area 

 of the state is 70,837 square miles.] 



The leading agricultural crops produced in the state 

 are cereals, flaxseed, and hay and forage. The acreage 

 of cereals increased from 5,610,374 in 1899 to 11,887,141 

 in 1909, when the production was valued at $149,133,- 

 451, which was 82.6 per cent of the total value of all 

 crops. Flaxseed increased in acreage from 773,999 in 

 1899 to 1,068,049 in 1909, when the production was 

 10,245,684 bushels, valued at $15,488,016. Hay and 

 forage increased in acreage from 1,4.10,534 in 1899 to 

 2,864,218 in 1909, when the production was valued at 

 $12,368,014. The forest products of the farms in 1909 

 were valued at $235,386, as compared with $112,807, 

 in 1899. 



Horticultural crops grown in North Dakota are 

 fruits and nuts, small-fruits, potatoes and other vege- 

 tables, and flowers and plants and nursery products. 

 The value of the fruits and nuts produced in 1909 was 

 $9,702, as compared with $1,177 in 1899. Small- 

 fruits increased in acreage from 67 in 1899 to 399 in 

 1909, when the production was 285,696 quarts, valued 

 at $39,641. In 1909 the total acreage of potatoes and 

 other vegetables was 67,450 and their value $3,148,304. 

 Excluding potatoes, the acreage of other vegetables 

 increased from 4,289 in 1899 to 13,383 in 1909, when 

 the production was valued at $1,069,125. Flowers and 

 plants and nursery products increased in acreage from 

 133 in 1899 to 476 in 1909, when the products were 

 valued at $78,218. 



The total quantity of orchard fruits produced in 

 1909 was 5,685 bushels, valued at $9,688, while that 

 of grapes and nuts was entirely insignificant. The apple 

 trees of bearing age in 1910 numbered 15,941 ; those not 

 o* bearing age 70,023, and the production in 1909 was 

 4,374 bushels, valued at $7,270. The plum and prune 

 trees of bearing age in 1910 were 19,147; those not of 

 bearing age 35,459, and the production in 1909 was 

 1,048 bushels, valued at $1,866. The cherry trees of 

 bearing age hi 1910 numbered 5,076; those not of bear- 

 ing age, 21,484. The production in 1909 was 209 bushels, 

 valued at $445. The production of peaches and nectar- 

 ines, pears, apricots, and quinces was insignificant. 



Currants are the most important of the small-fruits 

 raised in North Dakota. The acreage of currants 

 increased from 36 in 1899 to 138 in 1909, when the pro- 

 duction was 97,598 quarts, valued at $12,128. Straw- 

 berries increased in acreage from 3 in 1899 to 88 in 

 1909, when the production was 66,028 quarts, valued at 

 $10,445. Raspberries and loganberries increased in 

 acreage from 12 in 1899 to 85 in 1909, when the produc- 



