422 
STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Iowa, all the vast country west and north-west of us, including 
a scope of territory large enough for a score of States, within 
our own limits, and British America, must have some hardier 
varieties of the fruits named above. 
In time, this large and fertile tract of country is sure to be 
densely populated, from the fact that its soil is rich, and the 
climate healthy, to say nothing of the mineral wealth of the 
Lake Superior region. 
The subject, therefore, of fruit culture, as will be readily in¬ 
ferred, is one of the greatest importance, not to us only, but 
also to the many millions soon to inherit this vast empire of 
the American Continent. 
Indeed there is nothing of importance wanting in this great 
central tract of North America, except the fruits of those re¬ 
gions nearer the oceans or great lakes. They are a great 
luxury, and not easily dispensed with; nor do we think they 
will be, for we are strong in the faith that varieties of fruits 
will be originated, well suited to this singular climate ; or, at 
least, improvements made on the native kinds. The wild plum 
of this region is already a very good substitute for the more 
uncertain cultivated sorts of the East. And we do not see "why 
the Siberian Crab may not be vastly improved in the course of 
time by raising from seed, or by a system of hybridizing. 
Something, perhaps, may be done with the common wild crab. 
In this State the small fruits flourish remarkably well, includ¬ 
ing Currants, Gooseberries, Strawberries and Raspberries. The 
Grape matures finely on our warm soils, and we have no doubt 
that our Upper Mississippi bluffs will be more renowned at 
some day for the production of wine than the Ohio of the 
present time. As far as we have had experience in grape cul¬ 
ture, the vines in our climate are less subject to mildew and 
other diseases, than they are farther south. They ripen much 
better than they do in Wisconsin and farther east. It is seldom 
that the Catawba fails to ripen here, unless planted on a 
very poor soil. All vines, however, should be covered in the 
fall, which is also needed much farther south, to ensure healthy 
vines and a certain crop. 
