EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 247 



stood the winter well, the snow on the south aide plots having been deeper than 

 the average, owing to the northern exposure. Several hundred, however, were 

 damaged by the alternate freezing and thawing when the snow had nearly dis- 

 appeared. The damage consisted in the bark splitting just above ground to a 

 height of 2 to 4 inches. The splitting did not occur from any single direction and 

 the bark was found split in this manner on the north, east and west sides, as 

 well as on the south side. The plum trees were damaged less than the apples 

 or pears, and the cherry trees escaped altogether. Of the apple trees, a few Rus- 

 sian varieties also remained unhurt, notably Zolotareff, Charlamoff and Borovinka. 

 The trees were planted somewhat deeper than formerly, and they soon recuperated 

 and none died from this damage. 



The tips of all grape vines had been winter-killed, and were killed back by 

 three severe frosts again on May 14, May 25, and June 8, but all made a fair 

 growth during the season. 



Pear trees which had made the best growth during the preceding season did 

 worse during the present one, and were in a very bad condition at the close of 

 the season, many of them having been attacked by blight. 



The cherries have done much better than any other fruit trees, and the varieties 

 have kept an even pace. 



All trees were frequently sprayed until late in the season, both for blight and 

 insects, while thorough cultivation was kept up until the middle of July. 



Owing to the nature of the soil and the location of the plots the season has 

 been unfavorable to fruit and other crops with the exception of roots. Aside 

 from a wet season, they had to suffer from the surplus water finding its way from 

 the .terraces to the creek. An open ditch was dug around the plots at the be- 

 ginning of the season. While it materially helped to divert a considerable portion 

 of the drainage, it did not prove sufficiently effective during a season as wet as 

 the one just past has been. 



STRAWBERRIES AND BUSH FRUITS. 



Owing to the comparatively mild weather of the preceding winter, and more 

 especially to the great depth of snow, the small fruits came out in a fair condi- 

 tion when the snow disappeared in the spring of 1901. One-half of the strawberry 

 plants had been mulched with clean straw during the latter part of November 

 when about 8 inches of snow was on the ground, and both mulched and unmulched 

 plants were in a thrifty condition at the beginning of the season. 



The main damage to the bush fruits was the torn condition of the vines caused 

 by the ever settling mass of snow in which they had been buried. The stoutness 

 and less branching habit of the Loudon enables this variety to ward off this 

 damage somewhat more successfully. Although winter-killing of the tips was 

 the rule, the damage was of slight consequence except to the blackberries and more 

 so to the Eldorado variety, which remained weak and was in no shape to form new 

 plants later on. All other varieties made a satisfactory growth after being pruned 

 and the black-caps were in good condition for layering later in the season. 



The currant and gooseberry varieties were pruned and cut back, although the 

 tips of none had been winter-killed, and the thrifty bushes of all varieties were 

 layered for new plants later on. 



The May frosts did not seem to damage the early blossoming varieties to any 

 considerable extent, but all varieties were either in fruit, blossom or advanced 

 budding stage when struck by the frost of June 8, the failure was practically com- 

 plete. Nearly full grown currants and half grown gooseberries dropped off and 

 most strawberry blossoms subsequently opened with blackened centers. Rasp- 

 berries apparently escaped; the, stouter canes being well loaded later on. Whether 

 still feeling the effects of the frost, or simply on account of the burning heat of the 

 middle of July, the berries softened before ripening and most of them dropped 

 off. 



■ The varieties mentioned more specifically below are those which have shown the 

 greatest resisting power to the various unfavorable conditions. Insects were not 

 troublesome and no disease was manifest during the season except mildew which 

 was not appreciably checked on gooseberry bushes after repeated applications of a 



