2iJ2 



STRAWBERRIES. 



Although none of the strawberries planted on the open ])rairie survived the 

 summer of 1889 and following winter, I take pleasure in reporting a fair amount of 

 success with those planted in the plot piotected with scrub, this plot has a sandy 

 loam soil naturally mulched with decayed leaves. When uncovered late in spi-ing 

 fully 90 per cent, of the plants in this plot were alive and quite fresh. During the 

 summer they made rapid growth, the Crescent, Captain Jack and Wilson sending out 

 a mass of runners. About the middle of Jul}' the Crescent produced a fair crop of 

 very fine berries, Wilson and Captain Jack also bore a few. The varieties planted 

 by us range for merit and hardiness in about the following order: Crescent Seedling, 

 Wilson's Alban}', Captain Jack and Manchester. Sharpless and Daniel Boone were 

 planted but very few plants survived. 



There are a large number of new plants of the three first named varieties, these 

 will be available for planting and distribution next spring. 



A variety of the native strawberry produced under cultivation an abundant crop 

 of fruit of good quality. This will probably be worthy of a further trial, a few of 

 them were planted on the open prairie in July and may prove sufficientlj' hardy to 

 withstand the exposure. 



FOREST TREES AND SHRUBS. 



During 1889 nearly 12,000 forest trees and shrubs were planted on the farm, the 

 greater portion of these were used in planting a windbreak on the west boundary. 

 Owing to the drought of the summer of 1889, followed by a severe winter, 7,379 or 

 over 60 per cent, of these have died. During the present year 21,721 trees, &c., 

 were received from the Central Farm, Ottawa, and from Nebraska, of these 2,224 have 

 died. The loss, however, of about 1,400 of these was no doubt attributable to heat- 

 ing in transit, leaving a loss of only 783 trees or less than 4 per cent, chargeable to 

 the climate. 



The trees planted in the shelter belt on the west boundary of the farm in 1889, 

 were placed 9 feet apart, this year an additional tree has been placed between these 

 making them 4 feet 6 inches apart, and 738 yards of additional belt 50 feet wide has 

 been planted. A large proportion of the trees used in the belts this year were 

 native varieties raised from seed on the farm and are likely to prove hardy. On 

 this farm the following varieties of trees are found to succeed best: Native Ash - 

 leaf Maple, Native Ash, American Elm (from native seed), Eussian Poplars and 

 Willows, Cotlonwoods (northern grown), Alders, Birch and White Spruce. 



Of shrubs the following have done well Asiatic Maple, (Acer ginnala), Caragana 

 arborescens. Flowering Currant, CytisusCapiiatus, Lilac's, Spiraea opulifolia, bilhirdi 

 and nobleana. Climbers: Lycium Europeum and Clematis flammula. A Japanese 

 rosebush, (Rosa rugosd), has also proved perfectly hardy. 



