The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-06-02
d sore, mo-, MOP, 1870.

novs-Fruit Growing Grape Exoite-
D1 soro, Mo-, Msx q, 1870.
ED1roR JOURNAL. Old Missouri
S this is called, is not i miinomcr, for
elatively the grst Iroa State is old.
While the forests Of Ohio were known
My to indians, and Keutuoky's cane
,rakes had never echoed to the crack
# Booue's rifle, tho Spaniard in his
,ver. eager. search Tor gold ~ silver
had sought among the Oak hills, mot
70 find the object Of his search, but the
scarcely Less valuable mines of lead and
The more valuable ores Of iron. aI..
The Frenchman came to make his
fortune by trade with the natives, and
the American was not far, behind him.
There are men in this county, born
here, who are now over sixty years old 2;
and there are. apple trees that were
growing at the beginning Of this CEN
tury yet there is much here 10 make
one feel that he is in a new country.
For miles together not house OF clear.
Ing is to be seen-all being of prim-
alive wilderness. Most of the villages
are new IN appearance. In fact nearly
all the latter class of buildings and i'm
provements have been made by those
who have recently come to the State.
The "new order of things. has dis
turbed the QUOT of the old times. The
country is now owned. 1t is no longer
lawful to cut timber everywhere. The
range is falling, and many Of tho old
settlers are anxious to sell ont and move
to some quiet retreat where things may
be as they once were here.
Your paper is an ever welcome visi-
tor at our house. It is pleasant to read
Of many things that recall the memo
| ries of ont-west days, when, the
writer had stock in the expected good
time coming for Minnesota. Long
years have gone since he heard the
! jingle of. sleigh bells or even saw SNOW
enough to make, shedding At al. .Thi,
is horseback country, for tho road
are too rough to admit Of much use o
buggies. Mud and rain We have some
: times, but We always comfort ourselve
! with the hope Of better weather in tw,
j or three days. For hsslthfuluess on
; county is not inferior to yours.
This is fruit-growing country. O
q ridge Of land beginning where I: mo-
write, there are within one mile of th
railroad about. $4,000 fruit trees-h,
:of: them owned by one man. Peac
buds have been thinned, but if 20
don't lot Boreas loose again, We shs
3 have, abundance yet. Apples Of Il
best quality now retail at fifty cen
3 per bushel. There has been conside
} able excitement in this vicinity abo,
grape raising. Those who first g
r vineyards into bearing realized vel
}. large pro6ts-sometimss a high
s 81 900 per acre for q single crop. Th
> Of course could not continue. La
7 year was an uufavorable season, but Il
q gross receipts Of some Of our graz
. tgrowers amounted to nearly $500 p
acre. Perhaps $500. per acre is !,
t much as can DO reasonably counted {
Q as an average. One man can tai
= care of about five acres. To prepa
+ the ground and properly plant an &C
o costs about $100. The fruit grow
% however has drawbacks and anxietit
. Intelligence, industry, and consta
y vigilance are the price Of fine fru
Trees bear very early here. One ye
> ago I planted peach trees which We
p Of the usual age, one year from t
s. bud, They will bloom this year, a
y bear fruit next year, if not killed
u frost. Apple trees two years old Y
" bear about four years. after plantir
t Grapes bear about the third year,
20 planted at one year old.
y By the time my little apple orcha1
$, Of one thousand trees, is Of beari
g. age, 7 hope you may be all rich a
m prosperous and afford an Unlimited M
I ket for such fruit at St. Cloud.
D. SUB