328 EXPERIMENT STATION— BULLETINS. 



It was deemed advisable to utilize for that purpose the extensive experi- 

 mental plantations of T. T. Lyon at South Haven. The necessary arrange- 

 ments were therefore made with Mr. Lyon, and he has embodied the results 

 of his observations during the past season in the following report. 



It has been very carefully prepared, and the author's experience and 

 ability in testing fruits will make it a reliable guide to the fruit growers of 

 Southwest Michigan, and to an almost equal extent to those of the State at 

 large. 



L. E. TAFT, Horticulturist. 



South Haven, Oct., 1889. 

 To Prof. L. R. Taft, Horticulturist, Experiment Station: 



Sir — The arrangements for a branch or sub-experiment station, at this 

 place, not having been effected till last spring, the planting for such purpose 

 has only been commenced since that time, and cannot, therefore, afford use- 

 ful results during the present season. 



Much planting (especially of small fruits) more or less available for such 

 purpose had, however, been previously done; including, also, considerable 

 collections of apples, pears, plums, quinces, cherries, peaches and grapes, 

 as well as a few nuts and other trees, each in considerable variety, selected 

 in very many cases for testing purposes. These had been planted in the 

 spring of 1888, and therefore have not yet shown fruit, and are, for the 

 present, only useful in so far as they afford information respecting vigor, 

 hardiness, habit of growth, etc. 



APPLES (Pyrus malus). 



Forty varieties of the apple have now been planted, of which twelve are 

 of Russian origin, nearly all of which are varieties imported by Professor 

 J. L. Budd, of Iowa. 



None of these have suffered from the attacks of fungi, and the only 

 injurious insects have been aphides, which in June appeared in such num- 

 bers as to threaten to wholly arrest growth. The spraying of the trees with 

 an infusion of buhach at once arrested their attacks and growth was very 

 soon resumed. 



PEARS (Pyrus communis). 



Thirty-seven varieties of pears have been planted, all on free stocks. Of 

 these, five varieties are from the importations of Prof. Budd, of eastern 

 European varieties. 



So far as observed, these have not yet been attacked by either insects or 

 fungi. 



