62 



THE POMOLOGIST. 



For the Western Pomologist. 

 Frmt Growing in Minnesota — Seedling 

 Apples. 



A few items from Minnesota may not be 

 uninteresting to some of your readers; es- 

 pecially to those who think fruit-growing a 

 hazardous business in Iowa. A history of 

 our trials, disasters, final success, and future 

 hopes may serve to buoy them up, to urge 

 them on to greater efibrts in future. In the 

 start we tried old favorite varieties. Eastern 

 and Southern modes of culture — nearly all 

 failed, whether hardy or not, as the culture 

 was at fault, and so great that not one tree in 

 five hundred now stands that was planted 

 prior to 1863, of old named varieties, and a 

 far less proportion of seedlings. All that 

 planted seeds lost the most of them, whilst 

 the majority lost all. The ruin was so great 

 that the majority lost hope for a while, until 

 the more persevering solved the problem, 

 were raising fruit, and there bj' roused the 

 faltering, till now we are all moving on at a 

 strong pace, in full fbith of ultimate plenty 

 of good fruit the 3'ear round. But one great 

 draw-back with many new beginners is, they 

 know it all, and will do it just as it is done in 

 the East ; and ultimately find they are of the 

 class that can only learu in a dear school. 

 Eastern and Southern culture won't do here, 

 and the sooner learned the better — our soil 

 and climate diflers from all other parts of the 

 world, and consequently a diflfereiit mode of 

 culture. And to an extent sufficient to en- 

 sure success to an encouraging degree, a 

 mode of culture and a list of varieties have 

 been searched out, so that all may grow a 

 full home suj^ply for the year round, if they 

 will but try, and have ground on which they 

 can grow wheat and corn. Though it is not 

 all who can grow the common apple, all can 

 grow the crab, which is the best for all culinary 

 purposes, and nearly of medium sized apples, 

 many of fair quality for eating from hand, 

 and in season nearly" the entire year — the 

 intermediate being filled up with small fruits. 

 Small fruits all do well here, though grapes 

 require winter covering, but pay well, as we 

 get a good crop every year, and retain health 

 and vigor of tlie vine. Any variety not later 

 than the Isabella will pay here, though it 

 does not ripen up fully every year. The 

 pear is not yet sulficieatlj- tested here, yet I 

 don't despair of success, am still trying with 

 a prospect somewhat flattering. The peach 

 prospect is not so flattering as might be 

 hoped, yet the effort is not abandoned, as I 

 have found some almost perfectly hardy, hav- 

 ing stood unharmed through fnir winters, 

 but died in the fifth. But had they been 

 mulched, as I now treat my apple trees, I 

 think they would have gone through safe. 

 But those few were a few out of hundreds, 

 and against I try as many pcnch pits as I did 

 apple seeds I may succeed in getting a per- 

 fectly hardy tree. Of the first twelve years 

 planting of apple seeds, I have not twenty 

 remaining, though at one time I planted a 



bushel, all put to the test of hardiness, and 

 one only remains ; another time a quart, and 

 three remain ; and no season less than a 

 thousand seeds ; but, for the last four years, 

 I have planted only of my own raising of 

 seeds, and the results are quite different, the 

 majority bid fair to succeed, thus making the 

 future more hopeful. 



Peter M. GroBON, 

 Excelsior, 3Miin., March 10, 1870. 



For the Western Pomologist. 

 The "Western Slope-Its Fruits and Soil. 



That our upland soil, which is composed 

 of the blufl" or drift deposit, is especially 

 adapted to the healthy growth of trees, none 

 can doubt who are acquainted with the 

 nature and habits of the tree, and make an 

 examination of the soil and compare it with 

 soils of other sections that are known to be 

 most favorable to fruit growing, also from 

 observing the comparative freedom from dis- 

 ease of all varieties of trees, vines, and plants 

 now growing upon it. This drift soil on the 

 higher blutts near the river, extends to a depth 

 ot two hundred feet, gi'adually lessening in 

 depth as we go eastward to the head waters 

 of the streams emptying into the Missouri. 



This soil is uniform in color and texture 

 from the top to the bottom, excepting the 

 surface soil which Is darker, caused by the 

 decaying vegetation. On the higher and 

 steeper points where most exposed to wash- 

 ing, there is no surface soil, as we usually 

 use the term ; still, even where so steep 

 that it is impossible with ordinary finger and 

 toe-nails to climb, the grass grows abundant- 

 ly, whicli conclusively proves that there is 

 a fair quantity of nutrition in this drift, also 

 that it is far better underdraincd naturally 

 than it is possible for wearing to do it. 



This deposit is of a yellowish ash color, and 

 in texture is highly comminuted, composed 

 of a perfect mixture of clay and very fine sand, 

 in such proportions that it is neither adhesive 

 or leachy. It is easily dug with the spadei 

 while strange it is, wells dug fifty or sev" 

 enty-flve feet are not walled up only so far 

 as the water rises, and the wells so made are 

 reliable for a life time. In such soil the roots 

 of trees can and do luxuriate. Wo fear of cold 

 or wet feet, and down, down they may go. 

 still finding appropriate nourishment. Con- 

 cretions of lime are found in the soil varying 

 in size from a Tom Thumb pea to a well-fed 

 grasshopper, (by the wa}', if you are ignorant 

 in regard to the size of this excruciatingly, 

 interesting, entomological specimen, enquire 

 of a "Sloper,'') while sand and gravel banks 

 and limestone ledges are occasionally found- 



The adaptability of the soil for a healthy 

 development of the roots is partly counter- 

 baliinced by the ineongeniality of the climate 

 above it. We have very high winds, drying 

 in their nature, which it would be to our 

 Ijrofit, as well as it is our duty, to lessen, as 

 far as lies in our power, by planting timber 

 and screens. This is all we need to have to 



April and May 



be possessed of the finest fruit growing sec- 

 tion in the United States. I have not seen or 

 heard of a case of pear blight the past season 

 in this vicinity ; this I think is due to the fa- 

 vorable soil ; the roots of the standard pear, 

 especially, are prone to run downward, and 

 where they meet with saturated soil, it has a 

 tendency to cause the tree to become diseased, 

 and then is more liable to be attacked by the 

 blight. 



If we can keep our trees healthy, is not the 

 horticulturist on the highway to happinessaud 

 wealth ? Yes, and better yet, Jieulih. Grape 

 rot was almost unknown here the past season? 

 except where the vines and fruit were allowed' 

 or rather forced to lay upon the ground. We 

 want men to come and settle among us 

 who are alive to the importance of ])lanting 

 timber for their own profit and the benefit of 

 others. We isin figure up the profit for you 

 if you wish, and in figures that won't lie, but 

 that has often heretofore been done. We 

 don't want men to come here who are anxious 

 to strip off what little timber we now have ; 

 we have plenty of such already. But I have 

 forgotten my subject. One question I ask to 

 be answered by those who have a reason for 

 the faith that is within them. In selecting 

 pear seedlings, to plant in orchards, is there 

 any more chance of obtaining good fruit from 

 smooth limbed trees than from thorny ones ? 

 Is there any difl'erence in value or hardiness, 

 of light or dark barked pear trees ? I have 

 iust been looking over a lot of four hundred,, 

 two-year pear seedlings, and I was astonished 

 at the diflereut appearance in color and habit 

 of growth; no Kvo were alike; there is as 

 much diflereuce as there is in the same num- 

 ber of persons. Well, laugh if j'ou want to- 

 People call me crazy on the tree question but 

 I don't believe it. Still I know that most 

 crazy people believe themselves sane. 



I suppose, Mr. Pomologist, that you will be 

 glad to hear that we have had dclightfu' 

 weather for the past six weeks — not a rain or 

 a snow ; have not had over ten inches of snow 

 in the aggregate this winter. Trees mostly 

 in good condition, yet the tops of peaches and 

 some plums considerably killed back ; the 

 injury was done by the October freeze ; a 

 few applc'S bark burst. H. C. R. 



Council Blufs. 



-^ «-»-*^ 



■ Foreign Grapes. — Gen. Capron, the Com- 

 missioner of Agriculture, says in the last Ag- 

 ricultural Re])ort : 



"Vast sums of money, and much valuable 

 time and labor have b-en expended in the 

 endeavor to make the fon-ign grape a success, 

 but without exception it has proved a failure 

 in open air culture. These failures, liowever, 

 have had a salutary effect in directing atten- 

 tion to the improvement of our indigenous 

 species, and the progress of amelioration is 

 both marked and rapid. The fact will be 

 learned, sooner or later, that east of the range 

 of the Rocky mountains, no climate has yet 

 been found suitable fir the continued healthy 

 growth of the foreign grape. On the Pacific 

 coast the plant seems to find a perfectly con- 

 genial climate." 



Agriculturists in Ciilifornia are turning their 

 attention to the raising of opium. 



