DEPARTMENT EEPORTS. 130 



the new varieties obtained. None of the apples, pears, quinces, grapes, 

 plums, or cherries have yet produced fruit. This year a new lot of strawber- 

 ries fruited. Some of them are nice, and will be further tested. To be 

 worthy of a name, they must be better than anything now known. This is 

 not probable. Some gooseberries, raspberries, and currants have fruited. 

 These are worthy of a further trial, as frost in the spring killed most of the 

 flowers. 



WILL POSTS SET ''TOP END DOWK " OUTLAST THOSE SET TOP END UP? 



It is firmly believed by many persons that posts set in the ground in a posi- 

 tion the "reverse " which they stood while growing in the tree, will last 

 much longer than when set " top end up." In the spring of 1879 I selected 

 seasoned sticks three feet long. These were split in two, and then cut in two 

 crosswise, making four pieces of each. One set was placed in well drained 

 sand, the other in clay soil. In every case two pieces were set side by side, 

 with earth between, one as it stood in the tree, the other reversed. I tried 

 thirteen kinds of timber. Some of these were young wood with the bark on. 

 All contained some heart wood. Those set in sand were examined in autumn 

 of 1881. In case of the beech, sugar maple, ironwood, black ash, and black 

 cherry, the piece reversed or placed "top end down" was somewhat most 

 decayed. In case of red maple, American elm, bitternut, and red elm, the 

 piece set "bottom end down " was a trifle the most deca5'ed. In case of bass- 

 wood, white ash, white oak, and blue ash, there was no perceptible difference. 



In autumn, of 1882, the posts set in clay soil were examined. In case of 

 the red maple, sugar maple, American elm, basswood, bitternut, red elm, the 

 piece set "top end down" was most decayed. In case of beech, white ash, 

 black ash, black cherry, the piece set "bottom end down" was most 

 decayed. In case of ironwood, white oak, blue ash, there was no perceptible 

 difference. 



I infer that where one piece decayed more than the other it was caused by 

 some trifling difference in the sticks. The freshlv sawed ends in eacli case 

 were placed uppermost, and came an inch or two above the ground. 



In some cases one-half of a stick (one piece certainly the reverse of the 

 other) lasted considerably better than its other half. As will be seen, it was 

 sometimes the "top end down" which lasted better, sometimes the "bottom 

 end down," and in some cases there was no difference in durability. 



MUSEUM OF VEGETABLE PRODUCTS. 



During the summer of 1882, four fine, upright cases, fronting both ways, 

 were placed in the museum. The total length is nearly 50 feet. They were 

 constructed by C. H. Mann, of Lansing, Michigan. One of the cases is 

 already filled with Indian corn, the samples coming from various parts of 

 North America. 



THE ARBORETUM. 



I had intended to measure some of the trees and make quite a detailed 

 report of those promising the best results when cultivated for timber or orna- 

 ment, but owing to the great length of my report this idea has been 

 abandoned. 



The arboretum is about one and one-half acres in extent, and contains 

 152 species of trees and shrubs. It was begun in the summer of 1875, and 



