Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1880-10-14

pccially spples-to other states asa Terri
tories.
1t was my privilege, Il few years ago, to
stand on the observatory of MIR. Whitney's !
fruit store house, Franklin Grove, ILL.,, and
view the immense orchard Of bearing trees
planted by himself. which has made his
name so famous as a fruit grower in the
West. In every direction was mass of
green foliage, ntermingled with golden
fruit and rare shrubhery-a sort Of earthly
paradise OH All Illinois prairie. Said he, a
he pointed out one object OF interest after
another, when brought the first apple
seed to this place to plant, people laughed
at the idea Of raising fruit on the prairie;
yet had faith to believe that it could be
done, and after years of trial and some dss-
appointments, yeu see the result. | have
large bearing orchard, which each year is
yielding handsome income, ans, will to the
end Of my life.''
The same croaking, to which Mr. Whit
ney paid nc attention, was early practiced
i'll Iowa. But how is it there now9 A re-
cent report Of the secretary of the AgrNul-
tural Society gives the following informa-
on this subject:
Almost every variety OF fruit is produced
in abundance. In apples, Iowa so fully
supplies its home demands, that
the best Of tr il has been a drug in the mar
ket, selling in some towns as low as ten
cents per bushel. In 1876 there were g.
446934 bearing apple trees yielding 1921
OBJ bushels Of bearing pear trees, thele
there are 30,507, yielding 10,06l bushels.
OF cherries, plums and other fruits, there
are about 1000.
The statistical report of Minnesota is pub
lished tor 1875, shows 3,742 ,479 apple trees
growing in orchards. with 114,254 in bear
ing, on which was raised 36,Os2 bushels.
OF this amount, six counties, viz, Winona,
Hennepin, Washington. Dakota, Olmsted
and Fillmore, raised 1928 bushels-more
than one-half raised in the entire State. not
that they were nore tavorably situated than
the Others, but because more attention was
paid to fruit growing. From the above ex-
hibit-whlch is official, having been taken
the returns OF the different town assessors,
so provided by law-it will be seen how fast
the northwest is becoming fruit growing
States.
Coming to our ever famous Red River
Valley, which can scarcely be considered 10
have yet put off its swadling clothes, we
find that apples were raised the past season
in the vicinity of Grand Forks. MIR. Sulli-
van, living about one mile east of the Forks
on the Fishers Landing road, lin Polk Co.,
Minn.) Mrs. Lima Limblum and Mr.. Andrew
Kemble, in the same neighborhood, have
orchards in bearing from which picked ap-
pies the past season, ate some and carried
some away. About one mle east from the
neighborhood mentioned, understand,
Though I did lot see, Mr. Hunt and others
also raised apples the past season. have
also been informed that MIR. Reeves at the
South end of Grand Forks village raised
apples the past season. Need we wonder ut
this, when it is stated, that at Winnipeg and
Manitoba, about one hundred and fifty miles
noHh of Grand Forks, apples have been
raised in instances quite successfully.
The question, therefore. as to our ability
to raise apples in the Red River Valley, be-
ing settled by practical tests. it only re-
mains for farmers, and others, to benefit by
the experience and example of the early
pioneers,