Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-11-22
Minnesota Fruit Farm.

I0OOC1AOlJJ a. uhIIIuSd pulls IrlDunG
reporter visited the ranch of Peter
Gideon, who is employed by the state
to experiment in fruit-growing, and
IN this he has been engaged for a
score of years, with some good results.
The farm, which is situated on the
shore of MinnetOnka, comprises 100
acres, on which are growing many
different varieties of fruit, including
apples, pears, peaches, grapes, etc.
OF apples, there are many varieties.
and much attention has been given to
this fruit. On the hillside, enclosed on
three sides by a growth of timber and
bushes, is the apple orchard, com
manding fine view of the upper
lake. Here are several rows of trees.
planted tive years ago, and some of
the harder specimens are over fifteen
feet IN height something remarkable,
considering the length of time they
have had to grow. It was noticed.
however, that every other tree had
succumbed to the frost and cold, and
died.
'Iset theroots down in the ground"
said Mr.. Gideon, alternating iron
clad trees with long keepers. By an
1rOn-clad tree, | mean one that is able
to endure our extreme winter weather.
There are several varieties that have
this endurance, and which produce
fruit of good quality. But apples from
this stock are not good keepers, that
is, they are at their best in November
and December; they can be kept some
time longer, but they become dry and
lose their flavor. Every alternate tree
planted is of some long-keeping va
riety, the fruit of which does not ma
ture come to the stage when it is mel
low and fit for use) for several months
after it is picked"
'What is the object in placing these
two varieties in juxtapositions?" said
the reporter
Therein lies the secret of the whole
It is done with a view
to bring about a marriage between
the hardy apple tree, which bear fruit
that natures early-that is, does not
keep long-and the trees that bear
fruit of good keeping-quality, but
which are not hardy. You see that
where trees or plants are adjacent to
each other, mixture of the pollin oc-
ours, from which results new varieties
of fruits, combining the qualities of
both.
The qualities of both varieties
combine in varying proportions, so
that no two seeds from the same an
pie, or from the fruitage of the same
tree will produce the same variety of
fruit. L have taken a seed from a crab
apple and produced tree entirely
distinct from the parent stock. and
which bore fruit of an entirely differ
ent character. 55There is one quality.
however, which fruit invariably
derives from the parent stock, and
that is It's time of coming to maturity.
or Ia other words, its keeping quality.
1t is IN this fact that we have hope of
at last producing an apple that will
be hardy enough to thrive in Mime
sofa, and that will also bear fruit that
will be as late in maturing as those
grown III other parts of the country"
Of the long-keeping varieties with
which Mr.. Gideon has experimental,
forty out of eighty have died. The
specimens were obtained from all
PoA 70 VI IIO Ccu1Iry, duu one or GWO
varieties from France, and none of
these have been selected thus far with
reference to their hardness. In
answer to the question will the com
mon apple grown in this climate?"
the repl y was:
"A very few varieties of the com
mon apples, which have 40 qualities |
Of the crab in their composition, can |
be made to live long. | have found, |
in fact, that unless a tree partakes
somewhat of the nature of the crab it |
cannot thrive in this climate. In |
Maine, Michigan, Canada, and other
cold countries, they have found vari-
aties of the common apple that could |
be grown; but here all efforts have
been unavailing. While those coun-
tries experience as cold temperature.
there are some conditions which are
not present with us"
Mr.. Gideon first produced the
apple, he having started that
variety about fourteen years ago. 1t
was produced from crab seed, which