The Dickinson press., 1912-11-09
NATIVE FRUIT IS BEST
FOR NORTH DAKOTA

Nun u OANV IL
In a recent issue of the Farm. Stock
and Home. Supt. l.. r. Waldron had
the following to say of fruit growing in
Western North Dakota:
Considering the north central and
the north Atlantic states. the early his
tory of fruit growing shows that very
often efforts were made to introduce
fruits from foreign sources before trial
was made of the native stock. The ex-
ample of the Euopean grape is a nota-
BILE one. For over 100 years persistent
and determined efforts. backed by
abundant means and the highest skill
attainable, were made to introduce the
European grape into our country. But
without exception all attempts were
failures. Within the memory of living
persons. many introductions of Rus
sian apples have been made into our
middle northwest states. notably Iowa.
in an effort to bring about immediate
successful apple culture. The decisive
failures of the attempts will make them
long remembered. 1t is evident that it
would be easy to make history repeat
itself in the case of North Dakota, and
in fact that has largely been so up to
the present time. with certain fruits.
A thing that characterizes North Oa-
kota soil is its lack of mellowness.
There is not natural forest covering, the
winters are severe. the summers are not
and apt to be drouthy and the wind
blows. There are plenty of good points
to the state, but one should not be
considered a sinner if some attempt is
made to ameliorate the conditions as
they exist. If one is living in North
Dakota the growing of trees and the
! cultivation of fruit are factors which
60 to make North Dakota life more en-
joyable. Even granting that fruit may
be purchased as cheaply in the market
as it would cost to grow, the growing of
fruit for home use would still be a pay
ing proposition. 1t affords a home ele-
ment that is necessary to contentment.
In growing fruit, the amateur should
start with the easier sorts, provided
they are desirable.
Many cases of failure in the growing
of fruit in North Dakota has been due
to the using of sorts unadapted to our
conditions. The case of the cherry tree
is an outstanding one. While in GER
tain cases it has been possible to ripen
such varieties as the EARLY Richmond,
yet their lack of dependence for our con-
ditions is we'll known. In general,
where failure has been experienced.
two general causes may be assigned.
In the first place. the plants have not
proven sufficiently hardy, as in the case
of the Early Richmond or the condi-
tions during the summer time have
been injurious. Very often. if it is
not too dry. there is some other factor
| cutting into the success.
The relative abundance of our native
fruits is prima facie proof that fruit
growing here ought to be successful.
If strawberries. raspberries, c%urrants,
red, black and Missouri, -gooseber-
rise, cherries. several kinds, and
plums all grow wild within the state.
the successful culture of fruits ought to
he a matter of comparatively short time.
In certain cases our native fruits are
not desirable as they exist. Our native
plum, for instance, consists of a bitter
skin containing juice. A plum of this
nature is neither desirable for market
nor for eating out Of hand. Therefore
our native plum must be improved upon
in some manner. In this case it may
be necessary to obtain a half native
fruit.
This plant is native practically to
the entire state, but has not command
ed the attention that it deserves. The
native plant is found generally upon
sides and SUBMITS of rocky and often of
sterile buttes. 1t may attain a height
of 20 inches or ever more. but perhaps
more commonly is very dwarf, even so
dwarf that it merely creeps upon the
ground. In the wild state its fruiting
capacity is small and it seems of little
promise. If one takes a wild sand
| cherry and %transplants it giving it good
care, what happens3 1t makes a rapid
growth. becoming vastly larger than it
was in its native state. Instead of
producing 3 or 4, perhaps a half dozen
fruits, it will increase its fruitage WON