EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 115 



ton, on "Cross-pollination of Strawberries;" and Mr. O. I. Gregg, on 

 "Cross-pollination of Tomatoes." 



THE ORCHARDS AND GARDENS. 



During the year all of the east extension of the college orchard was 

 removed. It consisted almost wholly of Russian varieties of apples, 

 all of which, with one or two exceptions, have proved to be of little 

 value here. Cions of a few of the best sorts were taken and were grafted 

 this spring. Two-thirds of the south block of apples was thinned out, 

 every other row being removed entirely, and every other tree in the rows 

 remaining, leaving the standing trees two rods apart. Cions were taken 

 of desirable sorts removed, and these were grafted. The remainder of 

 the block will be similarly treated next winter, also certain portions 

 of the middle block that are badly crowded. The peaches and sweet 

 cherries east of the south block of apples have mostly died out; we 

 purpose to fill out the block with sour cherries. The present orchards, 

 with the exception of the block of old Spy apples, consist of one to 

 four trees of a variety, not enough of any one kind to be useful for ex- 

 periments, except as a variety test. Most of the varieties are new or 

 worthless; we have very few standard sorts. We need a commercial 

 orchard, consisting of not more than four standard varieties of each 

 fruit, in which cultural experiments can be conducted. The total area 

 of commercial planting need not exceed fifteen acres. We have no land 

 in the department that a commercial grower would think of planting to 

 tree fruits; it is mostly low, poorly drained, and has a quicksand bot- 

 tom. I hope some way may be found to secure a site for a creditable 

 commercial orchard that can be used for experimental work. 



Respectfully submitted, 



S. W. FLETCHER. 



Agricultural College, Mich., June 30, 1906. 



REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Prof. C. D. Smith, Director: 



Following is a brief report of the work done by the department of 

 entomology of the experiment station during the year ending June 30, 

 1906, also of the work in botany. 



One bulletin has been issued during the year, viz.: Bulletin 233, "In- 

 sects of the Garden," also a press bulletin on the joint-worm. The un- 

 usually wet weather which has prevailed for the past three seasons has 

 developed an unusual number of scale insects, soft scales or Lecania 

 on fruit and shade trees all over the state, it also brought an invasion 

 of the army-worm in July, 1905. 



The joint-worm of wheat is, at the present time, very destructive. 

 Experiments were commenced last fall to determine the effect of soak- 

 ing straw in the liquids of the stable. Quantities of the short, segments 

 of stems that were broken out during threshing, were subjected to the 



