FEUITS IN NORTHEEN IOWA. 
579 
BY D. W. ADAMS, WAUKON, ALAMAKEE COUNTY. 
* * * I send some items of my experience in fruit growing in this 
northeastern county of Iowa. My grounds are dry rolling prairie, fully ex¬ 
posed to all winds and situated eighteen miles from and 650 feet above the 
Mississippi river, in latitude 43° 20'. The soil is a friable black loam, 
about twenty inches deep, resting on a well drained yellow, sandy, dry sub¬ 
soil, underlaid with limestone. I have had most experience with apples, and 
my collection embraces one hundred varieties. (Here Mr. Adams gives his 
list, divided into five classes, among his list of hardy are those of this Society.) 
My plan of setting is on top of the ground, twenty-two feet apart, and ridge 
the land until the roots are covered four inches deeper than in the nursery, 
then cultivate with com. I have 1400 trees growing under this treatment and 
they leave me nothing more to ask in the way of health, beautyand vigor. All 
are branched about twelve or sixteen inches high, and have been planted five 
years. They commenced bearing last year. With pears, my experience has 
been disastrous. Forty varieties have had their day on my premises. A few 
arrived at bearing size, and gave some fruit, and then they succumbed to the 
rigors of our winters. I have not now a single healthy pear tree. I have 
never been troubled with blight. The Great Dispenser of events did not 
find it necessary to add that to winter desolations in order to thoroughly ac¬ 
complish the destruction of my pear trees. 
With grapes my success is all than I can ask. I have the following varie¬ 
ties, and esteem them in the following order: Delaware, Concord, Diana, 
Rogers No. 3, Creveling, Hartford, Clinton, Catawba, Rogers No. 19, Con¬ 
necticut, Tokalon, Northern Muscadine, Union Village, Rebecca and Isabella. 
Small fruits succeed well. Of strawberries, Wilson’s I rely on for a main 
crop, though I cultivate others. Houghton is the only sure gooseberry. The 
Cherry, Victoria, and White Grape are by far the best three currants, being 
thrifty, productive and large. 
January 15, 1866. 
