The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-09-28
Fruit at the Centennial.

of the Centennial show is now open. Cali
fornia sends two car loads of apples, pears,
peaches, grapes, figs and plums. They
are all in good order, and the show is
made by the California grangers at a heavy
expense, previous shipment having de-
cayed on the road. The quality of the
grapes and pears is excellent. California
apples are second and third rate, and the
peaches arc not extra. All the fine sorts
OF grapes are shown, especially the raisn
grape, which is creating new industry.
No State cxcels Kansas in the size and
general appearance of apples. 1t is to be
noted that, growing on young trees in
rich soil, the specimens are finer than they
are likely to be hereafter. The quality of
such large apples is never high. Ne
braska has fine show Of really good APP
pies and of pears and grapes. Iowa also
has large show of great many varieties
Not many years ago it was thought ex-
tremely doubtful whether fruit could be
grown in the prairie States, for the trees
died year after year, or blew over in high
winds; but after wedding out tender sorts
and giving better culture, success has been
achieved. The best general crop of ap-
pies grown this year in the United States
is on prairies between thirty-nine and
forty degrees of latitude. Wisconsin
shows nice apples and fair grapes. Ten
years ago grapes would not ripen in this
State; now, in many places, they are
grown at great profit.
The most interesting and instructive
display of apples is from Minnesota, en-
bracing sixty varieties, though only few
are to be commended. A new sort known
as the "Wealthy'' is exhibited, which is
said to have as high quality as the Bald
win, while the tree is more hardy than
any other known variety. The fruit is of
good size and of high color. The process
OF overcoming the many difficulties pre-
sented to fruit growers, where the winters
are so cold as in Minnesota, is to grow,
first from the seed, then, from year to
year, select the hardest, and then to Sc
lect the quality. The success attending
this method has, during the last twenty
years. had remarkably favorable result
al: through the Northwest.
Ohio has a good exhibit of pears, APP
pies and grapes and other fruit. The
Ohio Horticultural Society makes high
ly creditable display. Several new grapes
are shown which are likely to develop
merit: A cross between the Concord and
Delaware gives grape smaller than the
Concord and of the same color, and of a
character inferior to the Delaware.
Pennsylvania has fair show of pears :;
that of apples is not large New Jersey
has a few individual exhibits which are
scattered here and there. A new rasp-
berry is presented as being harder than
any other. 1t looks like the Philadelphia.
Massachusetts presents 800 varieties of
pears, probably the best in quality of all
in the exhibition. The attention paid to
pear culture in this State, especially in
the vicinity of Boston, has produced many
sorts much superior to the Bartlett. It is
likely that the soil is favorable. Con-
necticut has a good show of pears and ap-
pies, and samples of the best Delaware
grapes in the Exhibition. The District
of Columbia has afirst-rate show of pears
From New York Elewanger& Barry pre-
sent full variety of all kinds of apples
and pears. Michigan has the best show of
winter apples, as it we'll may, for it has
the most extensive apple orchards in the
world, though Western New York might
dispute with her.
consideration variety, quality, number and
gion where the fruit exhibited is grown
is along the northern shores of Lake On
-tario, Niagara River, and of Lake Erie :;
and receiving the influence of southwest
ern winds from over those waters, it has a
.'water climate peculiarly favorable to
fruit.
From this brief review it will be seen
that only small part of the States are
represented at this great Centennial show.
If there were not heavy duplicates of va
rieties the Exhibition would be extremely
meager, even for State fair Perhaps
there was not sufficient advertising to the
fruit growers of the country; or, perhaps,
the deficiency arises from the fact that
none of the pomologists of the country
appear among the managers.-Phizadel-
phia Letter.