here. The cultivation of native grapes is now attracting considerable attention, and all varieties that will ripen early enough to escape the autumn frosts produce the most perfect fruit that can be found in the Union. The varieties most extensively grown are Concord, Delaware and Worden. Many others are doing equally well and the future of grape culture is very promising.

Among the fruits indigenous to this region there are none giving a promise of greater possibilities than the Canada plum (Prunus Americana). Several varieties, as the DeSoto, Rollingstone, Cheney, Forest Garden, and Weaver, have taken their places among our popular fruits, and steps are being taken to ameliorate and improve them by cultivation and selection of seedlings.

Floriculture is receiving its share of attention, and the displays of flowers and plants at our state and other fairs could hardly be excelled by those of the older states. No country in the world of like extent surpasses this in the quality and quantity of its vegetables with which all our markets are abundantly supplied.

From Farm, Stock and Home.

HORTICULTURE AT THE SOUTHERN MINNESOTA

FAIR.

Rochester will always hold a prominent place in the history of horticulture in Minnesota. It was here, at the state fair in the fall of 1866, that the first exhibit of the larger apples was ever made at any state fair in the State. The principal exhibitors on that occasion were J. W. Rollins, of Elgin, and J. S. Harris, of La Crescent; Rollins showing 6 or 8 varieties and Harris 18, all of their own growing in the State. At that memorable fair the State Horticultural Society was first organized, with but twelve members, and has not only continued its existence down to the present time but has increased in numbers, strength and usefulness until it now has over two hundred earnest, working members, and ranks as one of the first and best societies in the Northwest. But three of the original members were present this year, A. W. Sias, J. W. Rollins and J. S. Harris. Mr. Cotterell would have been present but for sickness. The wonderful growth of the Society and the advance in horticulture, as shown by the exhibits, was very gratifying to these old pioneers, and

repays them well for the twenty years spent in working for the advancement of the Society.

This fair has a magnitude second only to the state fair. In most departments the exhibits were full and good. The fruit department was attractive, instructive, and only lacked the Minnetonka grapes to make it excel that of the late state fair. The leading exhibitor was A. W. Sias, who made an entry for a general display and showed a great variety of American, Russian and hybrids, securing the first prize as a professional. William Somerville, of Viola, had a general display of winter and autumn varieties and a large collection of Siberians and hybrids. He took the first prize on general collection as an amateur. His collection had in it several fine varieties of Russians and a few of the Rollins seedlings. His orchard has fruited abundantly this year and we are informed that he has already marketed four hundred bushels. Next came Sidney Corp, of Hammond, and every entry he made took a prize, every ribbon blue but one, and it only lacked three varieties in the collection to decorate that with the same popular color. He showed the largest and best Wealthies ever grown in this or any other state; had several plates of McMahan's White, a seedling from Richmond County, Wisconsin. This fruit is very large, perfect in form, of pleasing appearance, season said to be December or January. This apple stood the winter of 1884-5 about as well as the Duchess, and promises to be well adapted to Southeastern Minnesota. Mr. C. also showed some varieties of the Rollins seedlings and a few of the Russians, one of which, the Autumn Streaked, promises to be a valuable variety, its season closely following the Duchess. Twenty years ago Mr. Corp could show nothing better than Siberian crabs. R. L. Cotterell, of Dover Centre, showed a great variety of apples and grapes. J. W. Hart, of the same place, had a collection of seedlings, two of which are remarkably fine. Wm. McHenry, of St. Charles, had a general exhibit of apples and plums; of the latter there were seven or eight varieties, most conspicuous among them a variety named the Weaver, a free-stone of excellent quality. W. O. Crittendon, of Dover Centre, had a large display, mostly hybrids; and a farmer from Viola made a splendid showing of Wealthy, Duchess and Hybrids. O. M. Lord, of Minnesota City, showed ten varieties of cultivated native plums in glass jars; conspicuous among them was the Rollingstone. There were four or five exhibitors of grapes, and several of single plates of fruit, whose names we did not learn.

The show of flowers and ornamental plants was fine and chiefly made by Mrs. Nesbet, of Rochester, John Wonder, and Smith & Darling, of Winona. The display of vegetables was much better than at the state fair, and the first prizes were sharply contested for. The great variety and superior quality of the corn exhibit would convince the most skeptical that this has been a remarkable corn year, and that this country is peculiarly adapted to perfecting this valuable grain.

LA CRESCENT, MINN.

J. S. H.

RUSSIAN APPLES.

Wm. Toole, one of the substantial farmers of Sauk county, Wis., writing to The Farmer, St. Paul, on the subject of "Russian Apples," says:

In the Russian orchard of A. G. Tuttle, Baraboo, Wisconsin, there are more than eighty varieties set apart by themselves, and the greater part are now bearing. We have dropped the term "Ironclad" in this part of the world, and hardy as the Duchess is now our degree of comparison, though hardy as the Wealthy, if proved, is enough to make a variety acceptable here on the scale of hardiness. That Mr. Tuttle has dozens of varieties here as hardy as the Duchess, no one can doubt after seeing the healthy foliage, smooth, glossy trunks, and making comparison on the same grounds with all of the leading ironclads in various stages of age and growth. Mr. Tuttle said that he would have been well satisfied to have found amongst them a dozen varieties worthy of keeping, but there are so many good ones that it would be difficult to cut down the list of best to less than twice that number. While we were passing through the orchard, some notes of varieties were jotted down at random as follows:

Lord's Apple or Arabsko, a great bearer, fine showy apple, good quality, will keep till May. Glass Green, a late Duchess, very handsome tree, heavy bearer, but not as soon as Duchess to ripen. Lone Turnip, a sweet apple, ripe early in August. Lowland Raspberry, a medium sized, very handsome apple, the best of quality, ripens middle of Angust. Tetofsky, a very large showy apple ripening in autumn. Barloff, a sweet variety of good quality; early winter. Juicy White, not quite as early as Transparent, very juicy. Golden White, medium, large and hand

Enormous,

some, good bearer, sub acid, keeps well into winter. ripens middle of August, very large and showy and of fair quality. Omensk, first year bearing; evidently a good keeper and promises to be a heavy bearer. Vargle, quite large, green, pronounced by Gibb one of the best of winter Russians. Blue Anis; also four others of the Anis class, all early winter. Antonovka, a heavy bearing, long-keeping variety, of good quality. Early Champaign, a heavy bearer, red streaked, tart, juicy, mellow and sprightly, and is three weeks earlier than Red Astrachan. Hibernal, a heavy bearer, hardy and healthy; season from November to February; kept at New Orleans until spring. Switzer, juicy, fine grain, sub acid; it ripens in September and holds in season twice as long as Duchess. Zolatoref, very large and showy, sub acid, ripens in October. Zuzoff's Winter, an early winter variety of medium size and fit for use early in winter; it is very fine flavored. Longfield, one of the best; fair size, very hardy; it keeps longer and is better than Fameuse. Arabian, a late Duchess. Transparent, a clear, waxy, white skinned apple, of good quality, juicy and very early. It is hardy, a constant and enormous bearer.

PRUNING AND PROTECTING GRAPE VINES.

The season for doing this work is in the fall. When the vines have shed their leaves, which happens after a few severe frosts about the first of November, a great amount of rough growth must be removed, to make thorough winter protection possible. This question about the manner of pruning is one embracing a great variety of notions, though none of serious dispute. The age and character of the vine has much to decide in the matter, also the location or section of country where grown. As a general thing, however, the purposes for which pruning is done are the same, the question being how it shall be done. Throughout the Northwest it is found necessary to protect grape vines in winter. The wood is light and porous, and through extreme changes in the weather it becomes dried out, and the vitality of the plant very much injured, when not entirely destroyed. Bending close to the ground has some effect of saving evaporation, but a slight covering of earth furnishes ample protection to all varieties found adapted to this climate. The plan of bending down makes it desirable to grow as little old wood as possible, hence the necessity of close pruning, which causes the fruit to grow on the line of one or two canes.

PRUNED READY TO COVER.

A vine that has been set only one season will consist of one cane from two to four feet in length, which should be cut back in the fall to about one foot, leaving about three joints above the surface of the ground. The second year but two canes should be allowed to grow from these buds, and again in autumn these should be shortened each about to eighteen inches, if they are vigorous, but if not they should be cut back close to the old wood and more new canes started the third year. Even the third year it is best to cut back well and allow little or no fruit to be grown until the fourth season, when a good foundation of roots has been secured. The productiveness of a vineyard depends more upon the amount of vigorous roots to the vines than anything else. When the vines have become well established, the pruning thereafter is done in a manner to secure the most fruit at the least expense of vigor to the growing plant. Taking it year after year close pruning will secure the largest quantity of fruit, and at the same time the highest quality. Old vines should be left to grow from four to six feet of old wood, and the laterals on this stem should be trimmed leaving only one or two vigorous buds on each one to produce the bearing shoots for the next year.

The training should be done on horizontal poles or wires, and the main stalks given an incline of about 45° so that bending down will be made easy when the time comes for covering. In a vineyard of considerable size the work of covering is made very much easier by first laying the vines down and throwing just enough earth over them to keep them in place, then take an ordinary stirring plow and throw a furrow on each side toward the row. In doing this it is necessary to use care not to plow too deeply or stir the ground very near the roots. The rest of the covering is done with a shovel, using the already loosened soil. The Farmer, St. Paul.