The Worthington advance., 1880-09-23
Fruit In Northern Minnesota and
Dakota.

Dakota
The following interesting communica-
tion on fruit culture in northern Mime
sofa and Dakota, from the pen of Nr. T.
F. Cooper, Grafton, Pembina Co., 3. T.,
will be found of interest at this time. It
was formerly published in the Grand
Forks Plaindedler
II am often asked the question "can
We raise fruit in this country9'' This has
been the query in the first settlement of
all the country northwest Of Ohio. He
who advocated fruit growing in the early
settlement Of Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa
or Minnesota, was considered ut SUBJ
ject for an insane asylum. Time has
changed all this, and now the States
named, supply to large extent, not on
~ the inhabitants thereof, but have q
large trade in exporting fruit especially
apples-to other States and Territories.
1t was my privilege, few years since,
to stand on the observatory OF Mr.. Whit.
ney's fruit store house, Franklin Grove,
ILL.,, and view the immense orchard of
bearing trees planted by himself, which
has made his name so famons as q fruit
grower, in the Wes:. In every direction
was mass Of green foliage, intermingled
with golden fruit and rare shrubbery-a
sort of earthly paradise on an Illinois
prairie. Said he, as he pointed out one
object OF interest after another. "When
I brought the first apple seed 10 this
place to plant, people laughed at the
idea Of raising trult on the prairie; yet I
had faith to believe that it could be done,
and after years Of trial and some disap-
pointments, you sec the result. I have a
large bearing orchard, which each year is
yielding me handsome income, and will
to the end of my hfe."
The same croaking, to which Mr.. Whit.
ney paid no attention, was early practiced
IN Iowa. But how is it there now9 A
recent report of the secretary Of the Ag-
rcultural Society gives the following in
formation on this subject:
| "Almost every variety of fruit is pro-
duced IN abundance. In Apples, Iowa so
fully supplies its home demands, that
the best Of fruit has been q drug in the
market. selling IN some towns as low as
ten cents per bushel. In 1876 there were
s.440. .934 bearing apple trees, yielding
1881 ,O37 bushels. OF bearing pear trees,
there arc S0,507 yielding 10,061 bushels.
OF cherries, plums and other fruits, there
a1e about 1000.
The statistical report of Minnesota is
published for 1875, shows 3,742,47 ap-
pie trees growing in orchards, with ia, ;
254 in bearing, on which was raised SO,
| O85 bushels. Of this amount, six coun-
ties viz; Winona, Hennep,p, Washington,
Dakota, Olmsted and Fillmore, raised
| 19, ,233 bushels-more than one-half raised
IN the entire State. not that they were
more favorably situated than the others,
but because more attention was paid to
fruit growing. From the above exhibit -
which is official, having been taken from
the returns of the different town assessors,
so provided by law,-it will be seen how
fast the northwest is becoming fruit grow
ing States.
Coming to our ever famous Red River
Valley, which can scarcely be consider
ed to have yet put on its swadling
clothes, we find that apples were raised
the past season In the vicinity of Grand
Forks. Mr.. Sullivan, living about one
mile east of The Forks. on the Fishers
Landing road, (in Polk County, Minn.)
| Mrs. Lima Limblum and Mr.. Andrew
Kemble, in the same ne,ghborhood have
orchards in bearing from which picked
9bples the past season, ate some and car
Tried some away. About mile east from
the neighborhood mentioned I under.
stand-though did not see-Mr. Hunt
and others also raised apples the past
season. I have also been Informed that
Mr.. Reeves at the South end of Grand
Forks village raised apples the past sea-
son. Need we wonder at this. when 1t is
stated, that at Winnipeg and Manitoba,
about one hundred aud fifty miles north
Of Grand Forks, apples have been raised
In instances quite successfully.
The question, therefore. as to our abil-
ity tc raise apples in the Red River Val.
Icy, being settled by practical tests, it
only remains for farmers, and others, to
benefit by the experience and example OF
the early pioneers.