New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1916-02-02
MINNESOTA FRUIT CULTURE.
Interesting Paper Read at Horti
cultural Meeting by New Ulmite.

The following paper on fruit culture in
Minnesota read at the meeting of the
South Dakota Horticultural society
recently by VIM. Pfaender, Jr., of this
city will be of interest to those who have
experimental along like lines: 49, -. y
Most all of you who are present at
this meeting have come from some part.
of this, or a foreign country where you
or your forefathers have grown fruit
trees and naturally found the Northwest
very much wanting along this line. But
we must take in consideration the fact
that it took centuries in most parts OF
Europe, and also this country to select
varieties of fruit trees that were adapted
to the climatic conditions prevailing in
the respective locality; while this great
Northwest has only been developed since
a half century and: less. :. :. .,
Considering the short time since which
Minnesota, the Dakotas and the North
west generally have been inhabited by
the white race, horticulturists have done
remarkably well.
The early, pioneers of Minnesota,
coming from such parts where they had
fruit, were naturally anxious to grow
fruit trees in Minnesota. ~.
I remember we'll when nurseryman
called at our farm in the early sixties
and told my father of the good apple,
peach and other fruit trees he had. Being
anxious to raise apples; peaches etc. for
the family, anything that was offered
was ordered and planted, only to find
it winter killed the following spring..
At In those days all fruit trees were sent
into Minnesota from the South and
East, where the nurserymen had no
knowledge Of our severe winters. This
even holds good to this day, as we find
many nurserymen of the South and
East sending their catalogs into the
Northwest with the statement that GER
tain things are perfectly hardy, and
upon trial are often found to be of no
value for our climate.
The early horticulturist soon dis
covered that in order to have fruit trees
that would be of any value for our
climatic conditions, we must originate
new varieties by planting seeds from
the hardest varieties that we know of,
and select from these the desired varie-
ties for future propagation. Prominent
among these horticultural pioneers was
P. M. Gideon of Excelsior, Minnesota,
who produced the Wealthy apple from
seed from Bangor, Maine, which now has
has become standard all over the
United States.
Among the less known horticulturists
was L. Suelter of Carver Co., MINI. who
originated four hardy grapes by crossing
wild white grape with Concord. One
of these being the we'll known Beta grape,
the others are Dakota, Suelter- and
Monitor. These grapes are hardy with
out winter protection, they are not
exactly what we want, but are the best
we have at the present and the most
reliable that can be planted in the North
west.
Necessity is the mother Of inven-
tions," and this holds good in horticul-
ture of the Northwest. A number OF
horticu1turists and nurserymen took up
the work Of producing new varieties OF
fruit-producing trees and plants and now
we have a fairly good list of reliable
varieties.
The U. S. Department of Agriculture
has also assisted us in the early days by
importing hardy varieties Of apples from
Russia and the first apple trees Of any
value for our state, of these importations
was the Duchess of Oldenburg. Later
followed the Anisim, Longfeld, Repka
Malenka, Liveland Raspberry, Tetofsky,
Charlamoff, Yellow. Transparent and
Hibernal. All are summer apples except
Longfeld, Anisim and Hibernal, which
keep we'll into December and January,
the Repka Malenka being an all winter
keeper of small size.
All of these Russian varieties are per-
fectly hardy in the Northwest, provided
they are grated on hardy roots or have
become own-rooted. (To any one in
terested in the term Gown rooted" I
will gladly hand or send small circular
explaining this).
Tie horticulturists Of Minnesota rea-
lizing the Importance of producing new
varieties of all fruit-producing trees and
plants, have been working along this
line, and with the assistance of our
State Horticultural Society, we now have
quite a number Of apple, plum and other
fruits that are superior to many OF the
former varieties, and the less desirable
varieties are gradually dropped as the
better ones appear, altho such varieties
of annles as the mentioned Russians,