Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-09-19
Fine Farm Home and Big Orchard
One of the Beauty Spots OF Nir.-
neshiCk COUNTY.

the trees covered. we were under the
impression that he inadvertently left
off cipher, and meant to say 10000
trees. Nearly every one of the trees
was loaded with the finest looking
apples one would want to see. The
leading varieties are the Wealthies,
Northwestern Greetings, Patten
Greetings and Melindas.
The orchard is entirely surround
ed by fine, large evergreens, set out
fifteen years ago. These trees aver
age about % feet in height, and not
only look nice, but make a fine wind
break.
We asked Mr. Lomen how many
different varieties of apples he grew.
and he answered Il showed fifty var
ieties at the Iowa state fair this year
and had about two dozen more TO
spare" So that is evidence that he is
growing about 70 different varieties
of apples. The crop this year is ex-
ceptionally good and he estimates
that he willhave over 900 barrels, and
possibly 400. Mr.. Lomen ships a
great many apples to st. Paul every
year. and will ship in the neighbor-
hood of 200 barrels this fall. The ap-
piles shipped are for immediate con
sumption, the kind that don't keep
only month or two.
| Besides shipping SO many apples
out Mr.. Lomen generally sells more
than hundred barrels about Decor
ah, and by the looks of his crop, the
people of this city should not want for
Iapples this winter. His prices are al
ways reasonable, and it is a pretty
nice thing to have such fine orchard
so near the city to help supply the
people
There is always more or less talk
that local grown apples do not keep,
but this is all Imagination, and a man
who has grown them here for a quart
/ r OF century, as Mr.. Lomen has,
surely knows what he is talking
about, when he says that many of the
varieties he grows will keep as long
as any apple, or as loag as anyone
would want to keep apples. II these
days most foodstuffs don't last any
longer than the law allows anyway.
With the many fine orchards about
this county we all should be able to
enjoy our apple cobbler most every
day IL the year.
Besides apples Mr.. Lomen has
about two acres of luscious plums,
and showed eighteen varieties at the
state fair this year, and walked off
with many first prizes, both on apples
and plums.
Taken all in all he has about one of
the finest orchards one would want
to see and located in one of the most
beautiful spots of the county. He has
fine, modermhome, with large spa
cious lawn, well kept, with beautiful
flower beds that lend an air of beauty
to the surroundings. Mr.. Lomen's
better half takes care of the beauti-
full flowers just for her own pleasure
She also, by the way, presides over a
home that she can well feel proud Of,
as she takes great pride in her home
baking, dairy butter, canned fruits
and preserves of all kinds, and makes
an immense lot Of it every year. This
year at the state fair at Des Moines
her dairy butter won second prize,
but judging from the samples Of it we
had at her home Sunday, if we were
the judge we know that she would
have been awarded the very first prize
of ALL
With a farm home like Mr.
Lomen has, the life of a farmer
should be happy one. He has near
ly every convenience that his city
brothers have His buildings are all
modern and up-to-date. We observed
la nice ice house, where he keeps a
supply Of ice all summer, which keeps
his milk, cream and butter in fine
shape His cattle are the Holstein
breed and he has a fine herd. And
when it comes to chickens he has one
of the finest AID largest flocks of
any one in the county. The fact of the
matter is Mr.. Lomen's farm is up to
the minute in every respect, and he
conducts it like merchant would a
big mercantile establishment. A visit
to it is well worth anyone's time. The