FRUIT REPORTS. 
189 
We need greater enlightenment among consumers. The buyer should know 
a good thing when he sees it, and the demand will be a stimulus that will 
bring the supply. So I hail with delight the forming of horticultural societies 
that are formed of growers, consumers and handlers. Through them I have 
a large hope for the future or fruit culture. 
MINNESOTA. 
.A. W, LATHAM, MINNEAPOLIS, CHAIRMAN. BY J. S. HARRIS, LA 
CRESCENT, 
The best fruit sections, so far, are found to be the somewhat broken 
country extending, some forty miles wide, along the Mississippi river, up to 
latitude 45, the two southern tiers of counties across the state and the more 
elevated lands in the region generally known as the “Big Woods,’’ west of 
the twin cities. 
The fruits most generally grown are apples, native plums, grapes, rasp- 
berries and strawberries. Apples are generally found to succeed best on clay 
loam or limestone soils, at an elevation of 1,000 to 1,200 feet above the sea 
level, and from 50 to 400 feet above valleys along rivers and streams or 
smaller water courses; but some very good orchards are found in the 
broader valleys. The native plum succeeds almost everywhere. Grapes 
generally do the best on southern slopes of bluffs and southern shores of 
lakes, in a sandy, loam soil, at an elevation of 50 to 200 feet above the 
water level of the rivers and lakes. All varieties as early as the Concord 
usually produce good crops of excellent fruit that ripens before the autumn 
frosts. 
Strawberries and raspberries succeed remarkably well over a large portion 
of the State, and are being grown extensively in many localities for com- 
mercial purposes, but in most sections the raspberries require being laid 
down and given some winter protection. Blackberries have been planted 
quite extensively in the southeastern part of the State, but are not found 
very profitable and are losing favor. 
Pears and domestica plums have not, so far, been produced with any en- 
couraging degree of success. The difficulty with pears seems to arise from 
blight, the trees seldom living to reach a bearing age, and those that do 
perishing after producing the first or second crop. The Russian varieties 
endure little, if any, better than the others. With the domestica plum the 
difficulty appears to be from a lack of hardiness. 
In the southeastern part of the State a few varieties of the sour, or pie, 
eherry are succeeding very well, but the fruit buds were injured by the 
■cold of last winter. 
■Varieties: Apples — Antonovka*, Borovinka**, Gideon*, Russian Graven- 
stein*, Hibernal**, Longfieid**, McMahon*, Northwestern Greening *, Olden- 
burg Duchess of **, Peach Montreal** , Switzer—, Tetofski**, Wealthy**, Wolf 
River*, Yellow Transparent*. 
Grabs or Siberian Hybrids.— Beecher**, Brier**, Gibb*, Hyslop**, Martha*, 
Minnesota**, Orange*, Transcendent*, Whitney*. 
