Wealthy, orchard L. H. Palmer, Baraboo, planted spring of 1900, bore 1 barrel choice No. 1 apples in 1907 and heavy crop, 1909.

Fameuse, orchard of J. S. Palmer, Baraboo, age 25 years. Cultivation, alternate clover sod and cropping with corn followed by oats. Heavily manured every 3 or 4 years. Four hundred similar trees bore 1000 barrels, 1909. (See Rep. of Sec.)

great capacity to endure frost if it should occur. Not only is the bloom thus made hardy but the severest cold to which trees are subjected is abated in such a way that no injury results. These conditions are brought about by the influence of the lake and bay water upon the climate. And these influences are permanent and reliable-something to be always counted on as a factor in fruit culture here.

Another asset of this water influence upon the climate is its effect upon the character and quality of the fruit itself. This is very markedly shown in the keeping and shipping quality of the fruit grown here. Never subjected to the long continued and high temperatures of regions south and inland the fruit of all kinds has a firmer and better texture usually that adds very much to its life and capacity to endure shipment without hurt. Of all the cherries, for instance, that I have grown here, amounting to several thousand bushels, I do not remember any loss from failure to hold up in shipment. Any variety of apple that we grow will keep much longer than the same variety grown elsewhere in Wisconsin. Not only can we end the market with Duchess and Wealthy when others have done, but we can furnish such sorts as Snow apples in fine condition well into winter. And still more we have some kinds that will keep till spring as sound as desired. These facts point to a fine field of profitable apple culture that is now beginning to attract some attention.

The soils of Door county peninsula are founded upon Niagara limestone. Both in the pine and hardwood region it is a very valuable factor for fruit growing. When properly selected especially with reference to depth above the bed rock, subsoil and exposure, it ranks well with that of any other region. Here clover and all grasses thrive finely, assuring the conditions to secure desired humus and soil enrichment.

The first commercial planting of the cherry was made in 1896-8 by myself and the late Prof. E. S. Goff of Madison, Wis. In the latter year I induced Mr. A. W. Lawrence to plant five acres and from the success of these and other orchards the possibility of very profitable cherry growing has been fully demonstrated. Ever since the trees were large enough to bear they have borne paying crops, the combined crop of last season amounting to over seven thousand crates or about 13 carloads. For a series

of five or six years the average net returns would capitalize the land at over $3,000 per acre. There is promise of some younger

orchards doing better than this for in the case of my own orchard it should be understood that in it I have tried out several varieties that were unprofitable. I also made some mistakes of planting and management that are now being avoided by later planters. It is a pleasure to know that many younger men are now engaged in a broader and stronger development of this splendid industry.

NOTES ON GARDENING.

BLANCHARD HARPER.

A Protecting Screen.

The idea is not original, none of mine are, merely adaptive, or adopting I can not remember where I read it originally, but as I use it, it is as follows:

Get a number of heavy pieces of galvanized iron wire, Nos. 10 or 12, I think, cut into four feet lengths, then procure a number of yards of "tobacco" (i. e., that used to screen tobacco plants) cheese cloth, in which tucks half an inch deep are run, at intervals of seven and a half feet. Run a wire through each tuck so that six inches projects beyond the cloth on each side to be stuck in the ground. In case of a high wind it is advisable to pin the windward side to the ground between the hoops. I use mine as a protection against spring and autumn frosts, summer sun, and when watering a favorite row during a drouth. It enables me to lengthen the season of tender vegetables about six weeks every year. In the autumn, when the snow flies, I have the cheese cloth washed and use it year after year, and have done so for three years. I have also light frames fitting in place of my cold frame sash covered with cheese cloth, instead of being filled with glass, which I use to start young seedling in hot summer weather. It is a great protection also against a burning summer wind, or a beating rain. I always remove it at night in hot weather and replace it in the morning as long as needed, and in cold weather, put it on at night and take it off when the sun shines. It is particularly useful in transplanting young lettuce, asters, endive, celery, etc. Try it!

Lettuce.

Many home gardeners do not appreciate the vast difference in the many varieties of lettuce offered in the catalogues, and very few realize that there is a greater difference in the success in growing lettuce due to the selection of a variety suited to the soil of the garden. Lettuce likes a light, mellow soil, but suppose the home garden is composed of a hard, yellow clay soil, or a peaty, marshy soil, shall the gardener forego lettuce? By no means, but in order to win success, he must try many different varieties and then select the ones which do best in his soil. A marked instance of this suitability came to my notice last year. A new neighbor who had recently come from Michigan, where his garden had been on a reclaimed marsh, asked "What lettuce grew best in our location?" He named over a number of varieties, Big Boston and others, to all of which I objected as having been failures with me, being tough and bitter. Then I named the varieties I had found suited to the soil and location. "Well” he said, "I am going to try both your kinds and mine. My varieties did so well with us, I hate to give them up, but I will take your advice and plant your selection too." He did so, and could not eat any of the varieties he found successful in Michigan, but found my choice gave him a succession of delicious lettuce until frozen up. Do not be discouraged if your home grown lettuce is poor, send to the Supt. of Public Documents in Washington, fifteen cents, and ask for Bulletin No. 69, Bureau of Plant Industry, Dept. of Agriculture, American Varieties of Lettuce by W, W. Tracy, Jr., and from a study of that select varieties to experiment with your soil.

I unfortunately kept no notes of my first trials, and so do not care after five years to make definite statements in regard to them. I have tried in all about twenty to twenty-five varieties, and for my soil, which is a hard clay, on an exposed hillside, swept by the prevailing west winds, without any pumping or mechanical arrangements for watering, I have found great satisfaction in the following varieties: First choice-May King, Black-seeded Tennis Ball, Crisp as Ice (also called Hartford Bronzed Head) Paris White Cos. Mignonette. Third choiceCalifornia Cream Butter, Deacon, Maximum-Hanson. Poor— Grand Rapids, New York, Golden Cos, Big Boston, Iceberg.