The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1918-02-01

thus far is merely incidental, and can
hardly be dignified TO the extent OF
calling it an industry.
In the fall of 1915 the first fair held
in Grant county for more than twenty
five years, if we except two or three
street carnivals, a held at Big Stone
City. by a local organization OF farm
ers and business men. incorporated
as the MILESTONE Valley Corn and
Livestock Fair association. We knew
before this that a good many OF our
farmers we're producing apples. The
stores Of Big Stone City supplied their
trade in fall apples from the farmers,
but DO one really knew what we haG
in that line.
We we're fortunate in getting for
the superintendent of the fruit depart
ment a farmer who had a good orch
ard of his own, planted by himself on
q farm he bought only twelve years
previous. Mr.. Ben }. Tippet. who prov.
ed to be just the sort Of q hustler need.
ed to get in the fruit.
To state it briefly, fifty seven varie
ties of standard apples and crabs
were shown, the Wealthys, Northwe II.
ern Greetings and Pattans Greenings
being shown ia the greatest numbers,
Among the varieties shown were be
sides those mentioned, MaIinda, An
isim, Mcmahon White, Hibernal
Longfield, Okabena, Duchess, Peer.
less. Walbridge, Prices Sweet, Blush
ed Colville, SCOTS Winter, Jewell !
Winter. Whitney, Dudley, Christmas,
Repka, Malenka. Forsberg. Brett,
Orange Crab, Hyslop, Transceddent,
Sweet Russell, sEarly0 Strawberry,
Bliar Sweet, Pride of Minneapolis.
Florence, General Grant, Virginia,
Manka, Faribault and Lyman's Pro-
life.
Twenty-three plates Of Northwestern
Greetings and txenty-four plates OF
Patterns Greetings, from as many
exhibitors, were shown. but the big
show which caused the apple judges
to throw up their hands and wire al
S. @. S.. call To Professor Hansen a,
Brookings. was a display Of fifty-twc
plates of Wea thys from fifty-t
growers, and all beauties.
Our home grown Wealthys seem to
be etter e ,pers than the same varie-
ty grown in the west or even farther
Outh in our own state. Last year We
had some pretty good Wealthys al
the Watertown meeting IN January
and we have a few here, butthi- years
crop OF apples, with us, are all below
the average in keeping quality.
The influence Of this fine exhibit a,
the MILESTONE Valley fair at Big
Stone City, has had very gratifying
effect in promoting the planting OF
apple trees in our vicinity. | suppose
that very few farmers who saw it.
failed to buy and plant a few more
trees the following spring. | myself,
planted two acres Of apple trees in
1917 on farms which are occupied 10y
renters, but good men who will take
care OF the trees, and who are likely
to he there to enjoy the fruit.
Now, what interests you is to know
how we do it, and what sort Of a coun-
try we have owe in eastern Grant
county. IT you are familiar with the
topography of the state GU know that
over in the northeast corner we have
the only part OF the state that does
not drain into the Missouri or one Of
its tr. butaries. Our drainage is into
the Minnesota river OF its tributaries.
Big Stone Lake is $50 feet above
sea level. This is lower than the Mis-.
souri, river at Sioux City by q few feet,
Twin Brooks. twenty miles west OF us,
is about 1900 feet above s%-alevel.
The western part of Grant and Rob-
| erts counties are much higher. Sum
nit being 2,Ol6 feet above seaieyel.
The coteaus passing through the west
ern part Of these counties are full OF
ravin s containing springs and little
brooks. Some of these lose them
selves lat the fool of the hills and
others unite to form larger streams,
the MILESTONE, the Yellow Bank and
their branches. This condition gives
that part Of the county east OF the
foot of the coteaus plenty of water
supply.
Some people have a theory that Big
Stone Lake, which is 81 miles long.
and averages about a mile wide. has
| some subtle influence on the atmos-
phere which renders it moister than II
lss.elsewhere in this vicinity. While
it is true that we have same very fine
and thrifty orchards along the lake,
it is also true that we have ONE just
as good twenty miles west of it. as the
Johnston and Ziegler and other or
chards and many that are ten or
twelve miles from the lake, as the
Hicks and S,en.le orchards, all west
OF it.
My own notion is that if we have
any special advantage at all, it lies
in the low altitude, and in the we'll
watered condition Of the country,
generally.
Most Of our orchards are not very
old, but we have a few small! ones
that have BEEN set thirty years or
more
In the spring Of 1882, thirtysix years
ago, q tree peddler came along TO my
fathers homestead and stayed all
night. Father had been an enthusiast
tic orchardist in his former home in
southern Minnesota, but he refused to
take any chances by buying trees for
this new paririe soil. In the morning
as father had refused any pay for his
entertainment, the tree man left five
Transcendents, by the way OF recon-
pense. Two Of these father threw
away. as not being very good speci-
mems, and three OF them he planted.
but he said they were bIack.hearied
and wouldn't live long. However