Page 98

98      WISCONSIN STATS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.
Following are the names of some of the men whose orchards
are variable in size, none of which differ materially in their gen-
eral characteristics, all bringing their owners a fair return for
the caDital invested:
William Wilson, J. M. Vance, August Alf, Charles Wiese,
W. H. Aude, Richard Wolf and John Eggers and Chas. Stei.
Just outside the city limits north of Eau Claire lies a smalU
farm the development of which deserves brief special mention.
Fifteen years ago this farm was a wilderness of sand covered
with scanty grass, scrub-oak and jack-pine. To-day the owner
who had formerly been a lumber jack, and without farm-life ex-
perience purchased this land because it was all he could pay for.
Fifteen years of privation and hard labor by himself and family
have resulted in comfortable farm buildings; eighty acres under
cultivation, 400 apple trees growing, 50 of these bearing, an
abundant harvest of choice fruit; a fine grove of the cultivated
Americana plum which bore well, the fruit bringing 6c per qt.
in the market.
Besides this I noted an acre of strawberries; one-half acre
of cabbage and two acres of blackberries; a span of horses, a
cow and two lively boys who had already proved how capable
they were by capturing premiums in a corn contest at the Eau
Claire County Fair.
The nucleus of this garden of Eden has been adequately de-
scribed by my friend Mr. Melville. I verily believe, if Adam
and Eve were actually driven out of the garden, that the im-
posed expulsion was merely a period of probation which should
end as soon as the twain should be able to raise Wealthy apples
of their own successfully.
Certain it is, that the cycle of purgatory is now complete and
that the descendants of our first parents have returned to the
garden and no snake to this day has appeared in any real apple
garden in Wisconsin.
The prospect for Wisconsin apple growing brightens.  In
nearly every instance apple growing is pursued in conjunction
with diversified farming; a wise procedure for any person who
has not fully decided what branch of agriculture he is best
equipped for.
There exists almost everywhere in this state an undercurrent
of distrust begetting indifference toward the apple orchard.
Evidently this element of distrust is not confined to Wisconsin