306 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



As will be obvious from the foregoing table, owing doubtless to the 

 peculiarities of the season, combined with unfavorable environment other- 

 wise, few if any of the varieties under trial can be assumed to have shown 

 their inherent capabilities. Indeed, while thirty-six, of the tabulated 

 varieties have reached the assumed medium in one or the other of the plats 

 compared, only nine of these have reached such medium in both plats; 

 while a single one only — the Charlie — has reached the maximum in either 

 plat. 



Under these circumstances descriptions would doubtless be liable to 

 prove misleading. It is therefore thought better to omit them this year. 



RASPBERRIES.— (i2u6Ms). 



The old plat of small fruits was fruited, this year, for the last time, and 

 has now been removed. 



The new plat, planted in the spring of last year, owing doubtless in a 

 large measure to the severe drouths of last season and that of the past 

 spring, even next year, will scarcely yet be in condition to fully express 

 the relative characteristics of varieties. 



The difficulty of making early and trustworthy comparisons, in cases of 

 newly introduced varieties, is frequently increased by the custom of many 

 introducers of supplying less than a stand (often only one, two or three 

 plants), of varieties for trial, necessitating more or less enfeeblement of 

 those received, as the result of propagation for the completipn of the stand 

 of ten plants from which, in all cases, comparisons are drawn. 



Between April 11th and 18th both the old and the new plantations of 

 raspberries (including blackberries also), were sprayed with a solution of 

 a pound of copper sulphate in twenty- five gallons of water. 



As a preventive of anthracnose, the raspberry and blackberry plats 

 were again sprayed, on May 16th, with Bordeaux mixture of standard 

 strength. 



On June 10th raspberries and blackberries were again sprayed for 

 anthracnose, using a solution of three ounces of copper sulphate in fifty gal- 

 lons of water. These two sprays have apparently proved quite effectual, 

 since very little of the fungus is now (Oct.) perceptible. 



Insects have not, this year, proved troublesome upon the raspberry, al- 

 though occasional deposits occur of the eggs of the snowy cricket — CEcan- 

 ihus niveus. 



As in my previous report, the comparison of values is by the weight of 

 a specimen instead of size. 



Productiveness and quality are expressed upon the scale 1 to 10 — the 

 latter being the maximum. 



