STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 27 



quality of fruit, including the last named, has found ready sale in neigh- 

 boring towns at one dollar per bushel. 



Cherries were injured in fruit buds, and, in some instances, trees of 

 hardy varieties were killed by the winter. 



Pears bore but little; fruit imperfect, and many trees winter killed; 

 worse with me in cultivated than in grass land. Flemish Beauty, Beurre 

 D. Anjou and Seckel endured the winter best. 



Grapes were unj^rotected — generally suffered — but by rather close 

 spring pruning, of Concord and Clinton, half a crop of good fruit, and 

 healthy growth of vines, were obtained. I am laying vines on ground this 

 fall, and covering with evergreen boughs. 



Strawberries wtxc not plenty; quality good. A small green worm 

 made sad work, eating the lea\'es early in the season. Hope Dr. Le Baron 

 can tell us how to rid the vines of them before another summer, or I fear 

 we will have no fruit. It is said that wood ashes and lime will kill them. 

 Summer mulching with prairie hay proved of great benefit in giving 

 vigorous growth at time of drought : it was found convenient for rapid 

 api)lication as winter protection. In my opinion irrigation is just the 

 thing for strawberries and market gardening. Hope some of the early 

 graduates from the Industrial University will make practical illustration 

 of its benefit in the Artesian Well region. 



Currants gave a fair crop — no troul)le, to my knowledge, from cur- 

 rant worm. 



Gooseberries in somd gardens bore well, in as many others were bar- 

 ren. Downing's Seedling is larger than Houghton, as productive and 

 free from mildew ; does not propagate readily from cuttings. This and 

 Mountain Seedling, from my experience, must be layered. 



Raspberries, in a few instances, were winter killed. The hardy 

 varieties generally produced good crops, which sold in towns about here 

 at ten to fifteen cents per quart. 



Blackberries and Plums showed but little fruit. 



The short crop of ajjples and potatoes of this year is liable to be 

 repeated ; hence our people shoulcl give increased attention to the 

 kitchen garden, and to the best varieties and best modes of culture of the 

 potato. 



Early Rose has been the most productive of any variety. By early 

 planting, good culture — mostly with the smoothing harrow — and finally 

 ridging up with a moldboard ])low, and wlien the Colorado bugs are in a 

 soft state, brushing them into the furrows with a broom, I have suc- 

 ceeded in growing a good f :ro]j the past season. I used the hoe very 

 little in cutting out weeds. Peerless is a promising variety. 



Tomatoes. — It will pay to tie them to stakes, and on approach of 

 frosts cover with evergreen boughs. When they can be left out no longer 

 with safety, it is a good ]iractice to cut off the vines or branches with 

 fruit upon them, and spread them evenly upon the cellar bottom, bring- 

 ing them up and ripening them in the sun as wanted. They may be thus 

 kept until November. 



