Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-07-29
and also a new fruit, the strawberry

raspberry, resembling n large straw
( berry on u raspberry vine.
AS most of our readers are doubt
less aware, their small fruit business
has grown to large prorpotions and
brief statement of this years business
may be of interest as well demon
strate the fact that the fruit business
can be made a success if one has the
proper varieties, and their success
proves them to know and have the
varieties; and just for clincher the
fact developed at the convention of
small fruit growers in Cresco about
the first of July, that with one ex-
ception, the plants and vines of all
present had been bought of Bents &
Upton. This season thar strawberry
beds yielded 934 bushels, and thus far
about 500 bushels of raspb rites have
been picked. About $50 different
persons, some of the coming from
Preston and Maple Leaf, picked dur
ing the season, and in one day 1872
bushels of Strawberries We're picked,
1000 boxes being in the patch at oue
time; about $500 was paid utto pick
ers this season. The strawberr, beds
cover about seven acres; black ber
ries, three; and black ard red raer-
berries, eight acres
Tie feature in which Messrs Bsnts
s. Upton take a just pride is Ntheir
experimental orchard OF nearly 1909
trees, comprising every variety.
American, Russian and seeding, which
they deem worthy of trial. Many OF
these trees are in fne bearing con.
dition, small trees of five years being
almost bent to the ground with fruit.
They say that most nurservmen's
orchards are like the way the chi.-
dren of shoemakers a, e supplied with
shoes-without any-and they pro-
pose to have All orchard where their
patrons may go and determine for
themselves the merits of the trees for
hardness, growth and fruit as they
actually stand in an orchard when
they are given proper care. This
orchard, in very few years, will be
the finest in the northwest. and is
now worthy Of inspection by any
who doubt whether Iowa can raise
apples.
But if this orchard would not CON
vince you, take trip to the home
farm of the senior member of the firm,
few miles north of the nursery. He
has always maintained that planting
of the proper varieties of fruits ia
this locality would be attended by
success and here stands an orchard,
many of the trees planted 81 years
ago, and now large, thrifty and filled
with fine apples, among them being
Wealthy which was planted the
first year this variety was offered for
sale. Here also are grapes planted
q years ago, left uncovered winters
for 10 years, and today alive and load
ed with what promises to be fine
fruit. On this farm also is IL young
orchard put out 10 years ago in stony
soil in what every one pronounced a
most unfavorable situation, in spite
of which they have thriven and borne
and are doing so this season. Their
success would seem to Indicate that
these nurserymen have knowledge
and experience both in the selection
of proper varieties for this climate
and of the care and attention neces-
sary for their successful growth. At
| this orchard is where MIR. Bents com
menced his experiments 10 top graft
ing. one tree having been top grated
and bore IA different kind of apples,
and on a wild crab apple near the
nursery orchard is a top graft bear
Ing tame apples.
Some time is spent by the propri-
etors every year in travelling about
the county, visiting the orchards and
nurseries in search of varieties which
seem possessed of merit, especially
seedlings which have stood the test
of time and winters, and now are
propagating scions FROM tree over
40 years old, a seeding grown near
kendal.ville, which bears the largest
apples ever grown in this locality.
This is only one incident showing the
alertness they display in their look.
out for the interests of their patrons
and Of the fruit industry of Iowa.
In addition to their nursery stock
they grow u complete line of orna-
mental shrubs, plants, bulbs and
flower and garden seeds, and in
buying any of them you are sure to
get goods true to name and of varie-
ties which of their own experience
they can recommend.
The financial value of this institu
ton to Cresco and vicinity is con-
siderable, while its value to the fruit
interest is far reaching and difficult
to estimate. The amount paid to
pickers annually is no small sum, and
it is all paid to class whose earnings
elsewhere would ne little or nothing.
while the amount paid for the
immense amount of fruit produced is
kept at home and used in the
channels of trade, which heretofore
has been paid out to foreign fruit
raisers and transportation companies;
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