Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1885-12-05
Frnttin Dakota,

NfW GE
Farm. Field. and Stockman: The
writer we'll remembers in the early set
Element of northern Illinois the assei-
ton that 1t would not pay to SOW tame
grass seed and clover on prairie soil, and
thatthe planting Of fruit trees was abb
soluteiy throwing money away. Never
theless, the grass. and the clover were
sown, q portionof the permanent grasses
sown on prairie sod are still growing in
that prairie pasture, and of an apple
orchard planted in 1889, in Cook
county, near Chicago the trees
having been wagoned from Ohio
some of the trees are yet in bearing.
It seem the same feeling of I'M
belief has existed in Dakota. In fact, it
seems q not uncommon belief that
stane" fruits will not grow in a wild
country. Here and there q man in a
neighbnrheod does not take to the her
esy. In fact, any soil that will raise
wheat and red clover and corn will raise
fruit. One who believes in fruit in q
prairie country is Mr.. Peter De Land.
His experience il valuable, as occurring
in Dakota. He has been successful, but
not, OF course, with all the varieties
tried. He is fully satisfied. however,
and the Farm, Field and Stockman gives
his experience in his own words:
When / commenced the fruit plant
ing and nursery business here seven
years ago, I was laughed at. by my
neighbors, who called me a ~lunatic,
mailman, fool, etc. / had come tt Da-
kota, however, prepared and determined
to grow trees, vines and plants, n to
raise fruit il within the range Of posi-
bility. None of my neighbors call me q
fool to-day-the evidence of complete
SUCCESS is before their eyes-and they
cannot dispute the incontrovertible
argument Of healthy trees and vines
laden with fruit"
..Uorning to Dakota in early spring, |
had o large quantity of root gratis,
small fruit plants, and grape cuttings
with me. These l planted in o enltivat-
ed field owned by another man. While
they were growing l prepared some OF
my W land, first breaking and back
setting, then blowing and snbsoiling to
the depth. of eighteen inches. On the
land thus prepared / planted my fruit
trees, vines and plants, and they all
made q splendid growth the first season.
Then came the winter, and the hard
frost Trimmed them out badly, to the
merrimant Of all my neigbors. Some yss
rieties were killed outright,others sprout-
ed from the collar, and others again from
roots. I replanted with the varieties
that had stood the winter best. Then
came = long and lever drought which
was as bad as the winter on my BALDWIN
and Swaar, apples. 9Isresorted to mulch.
ing with straw and old hay, and found
it to be q good plan. The next year
the blight was doing some mischief.
One sort, the Sp~itzenberg, ell died, also
several trees oil other sorts; but many
varieties we're not effected at all. Out
OF one hundred and four varieties to be-
gin with / have only retained twenty
six varieties, all Of which thrive splen-
didly and ere hardy and reproductive for
their age.
Deep cultivation, m%ulching, close
P~lantingsand having the trees branch out
near the ground, ia my mode OF orchard
ing and ! consider it the best way. Our.
rants and g~ooseberries have done best
IN places where they have been shelter.
ed on the south side, our hot south wind
in July and August hurting them &C.
verely. Strawberries have done we'll
when grown IN hills or stools, runners
eue u anu euo &touuu hept neaVlly
mnlched. When grown in mat
ted rows they do not yield we'll
and the plants are scorched, both
by the sun and the hot ground. Rasp-
berries aud, ~blaokberries lind Themselves
ut home here, and have done we'll; some
varieties, however, have to be covered in
winter. The grape also is q success
here. yielding splendid crops of fruit of
the best quality, free from rust, rot and
miliew. Our calcarsous soil and pure,
dry atmosphere are most excellent for
agriculture. Grapes ripen earlier here
than in Illinois. / have eight varieties
of grapes and they have all done we'll
but the Worden grape is the hos o
them all, in every respect"
A.. w. Tomnkina NJ n 177 CI;nfon