St. Paul daily globe., 1891-12-04
MINNESOTA APPLE TREES.
Suggestion as to How They May
Be Made to Live.

Be Made to Live.
To the Editor of the Globe.
In recent issue of the GLOBE show
ing the productions and capabilities of
our state, the statement is made that
there are not at this time as many bear
ing trees in the state as at some
previous time. The inferences de-
duced are to the effect that the business
will be discontinued. Is that correct?
Let us look at the facts and probabill-
ties. Up to 1872 apple trees were freely
planted. More than 100 varieties of
Eastern-grafted apples, and thousands
of seedlings had began to bear. People
were hopeful that we had an apple
state. The spring of 1878 found all the
orchards dead, except in the southeast
corner of the state, the Duchess of
Oldenburg being about the only variety
among our old bearing trees that sur
vlyed. Young trees of a number of
varieties were not killed, and there were
also few seedlings that escaped injury.
Such general destruction had never be-
fore occurred in the history of the state,
and people generally concluded that it
might never occur again. With that
belief they continued to plant. An effcrt
was made to obtain a harder class of
called new Russian apple trees were
planted. and up to 1884 the outlook was
very promising. A heavy crop of fruit
was produced that year. The fall was
warm and wet-an unfayOrable condi-
tion for trees. The winter following
was one of unusual severity, and the
spring of 1885 found all the bearing
trees except Duchess and a few seed
lIngs dead, not only in our state, but
the destruction extended through
out Wisconsin,, Iowa and Northern
Illinois. All courage and faith
were now gone. Farmers said, 1--WE will
plant 10 more-thls is no country for
apple trees" They reckoned without
their host. The nurSerymen with their
usual persistence determined that an
other effort should be made Apple
trees have been very extensively
planted since 1885. Now the question is
will they live through such winters as
1872 and 1884 without serious injury.
The probabilities are that they will not.
The varieties that have been planted
lately have net got the right leaf for
climate with so little atmospheric hui
midity as ours. They can grow till
they begin to bear. but after having
is not enough reserve food material left
in the tree to carry it safely through
one of our test winters.
Why is this so? The reason is plain.
The environments attending the deVel-
Opment of an apple tree fixes for it
certain type of leaf. The type OF char
acteI of the leaf is determined before
the tree is created, and can never be
| changed. Now the trees that have
killed out had leaf adapting them to
the climate of the land of their nativity,
hrrf lnnf fn. Il rolis
| Have we got an apple tree with the
| right leaf for this state? Undoubtedly
| we have. Among the few seedlings
! above mentioned there is one in Rice
! county now twenty-four years old
! i'll heavy bearing for seventeen
| years. 1t has the best leaf
| L have ever seen Oh an
! apple tree. 1t could not have produced
| the crops it has unless it was adapted TO
the climate. IT is claimed that it pro-
duced about four barrels of apples in
1884.
Such crop would put a tree in the
right condition to be killed unless it
had stored up within itself the material
to carry it through the winter. Bearing
heavy crops of fruit for long term of
years is more than anything else the
proof of its adaptation to the climate.
The leaf OF tree is the motive power
the laboratory, the workshop. With
out suitable leaf we shall fail. with a
suitable leaf we can grow apples in
Minnesota with as much certainty and
profit as the people of New
Jersey can grow peaches. The name
of this Rice county seeding is
Peerless. 1t was produced from the
seed of the Duchess of Oldenburg by
John g. Miller. The seed from which
it was grown was also grown there.
This points to us the line of work to
follow in order to be successful. Select
seeds from the best varieties to be
found growing in the state. These
grown on the dry, windy praires, away
from any body of water, will be likely
to produce the best results. If the seed
is taken from Duchess, and has been
fertlliZed by some variety of good quail
ity and approaching nearly to the latter
in hardness, something valuable may
be expected. ID. Y. ARBFo.
Fairfax, MINI, Dec. 8, 1891.