868 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



7 GEORGE V, A. 1917 



In the first three seasons of our experience we uncovered the strawberries early in 

 spring and the plants grew splendidly, but bore no fruit. During the last three seasons 

 the mulch has been left on until the end of May with the result that there has been 

 fruit every season. In some places where the mulch was thicker tlran it should have 

 been the plants smothered. The critical time in the development of the fruit is at the 

 blossom gitage. A very slight frosrt. kills the bud or blossom and if the mulch is left on 

 until the danger from frost is over, the blossoms develop without injury and fruit is 

 the result. Owing to the severe frost on June 12, many of the buds were killed, but 

 sufficient survived to produce a fair crop. 



The three varieties that have done besit at Eosthern are the Dakota, Warfield, 

 and Senator Dunlap. 



TREE FRUITS. 



Apples. — The seedling apples started from Manitoba grown apples and from seed 

 grown at Ottawa came through the winter of 1914-15 in good condition and made satis- 

 factory growth throughout the season. There are upwards of five thousand of these 

 trees and from these we hope to be able to select an apple suitable to this climate. 



Many of the apple trees that have been planted for three, four, and five years came 

 into luxuriant bloom, but the bloom was killed by the June frost and no fruit was 

 produced. 



Plums. — The same frost that played havoc with the strawberry and apple blossoms 

 killed nearly all of the plum blossoms. The seedling plums secured from Brandon two 

 years ago are making good progress. 



ROSTHERN 



