IOWA HORTICULTURAL MEETING. 143 



put on at different points in the state, and the western style of box pack- 

 ing was taught in one of the best apple sections at picking time. 



SOME INTERESTING PAPERS. 



Charles F. Gardner, of Osage, Iowa, gave an interesting paper on his 

 work with strawberries. He told of his experience with several of the 

 new everbearing strawberries; how that from some of these there was a 

 continual production of fruit from the latter part of May until heavy frosts 

 in the fall. One bunch of plants set August 6, blossomed August 30 and 

 ripened fruit October 4 of the same season. He considers the everbearing 

 varieties as valuable acquisitions to the fruit garden in Iowa and especially 

 to the home fruit garden. He emphasized the importance of frequent shal- 

 low cultivation and clean culture for satisfactory results with the ever- 

 bearing kinds. 



Another interesting paper was by Charles G. Patton, Charles City, 

 Iowa's Burbank and originator of Patten's Greening apple which was, or is, 

 of such great value in the North. He gave some specific directions for 

 breeding plants with the idea of originating new and hardy varieties for 

 the rigorous climate of northern Iowa, and gave a report of the behavior of 

 certain trees and plants being tested on his trial grounds. Mr. Patten has 

 been working with pears to develop something hardy and blight-proof for 

 the North. The Chinese Sand Pear, which is perfectly hardy and blight- 

 resistant to his grounds, is used as one of the parents in almost all of his 

 plant breeding work. This variety is crossed with the more hardy native 

 pears with the hope that a progeny may be secured having the power to 

 resist the severe climatic conditions of the North, the blight, and the fruit 

 having quality. 



Prof. N. E. Hansen, of the South Dakota Experiment Station, gave an 

 illustrated lecture showing lantern pictures of a number of the new plums 

 originated by cross-breeding of the natives and cherries and native wild 

 plums with the standard sorts at the South Dakota station. Professor 

 Hansen is doing quite extensive plant breeding work, his aim being to de- 

 velop fruits that will stand forty degrees below zero when the ground is 

 bare and dry. Any hybrids and seedling showing the least injury under 

 the severe weather conditions are destroyed even if the quality of the fruit 

 is superior. Some of his hybrid plums are meeting with approval in the 

 North, the Minnesota Horticultural Society recently recognizing three hy- 

 brids, the "Hanska," the "Opata," and the "Sapa." These varieties will 

 undoubtedly be valuable sorts in northern and western Nebraska where it 

 is difficult to grow the old and standard sorts. On account of their small 

 size as compared with European and Japanese sorts they will probably not 

 find favor where these sorts may be grown successfully. Professor 

 Hansen described them as follows: 



"Hanska." — The name is from a Sioux Indian word meaning "tall." It 

 is from the seed of the native wild plum (Prunus Americana) pollenated 

 with the Chinese apricot. It resembles the Chinese parent in form, color, 

 fragrance, quality, and firmness of flesh. Its size is smaller, about 1% 



