266 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



pear trees will bear the coming summer. I had also Florence 

 crabapple trees loaded with line fruit. All Japanese plums 

 winter-kill with me on sandy conglomerate soil, but the Burbank 

 is bearing six miles north from here at the farm of Mr. Dreyer. 

 Sweet cherries always winter-kill here, but in Rushville there 

 is a tree in the garden of Banker Musser, against a high brick 

 wall on the north side, which has stood several winters un- 

 harmed, and will likely bear the coming summer. This shows 

 that with the Burbank also the soil and location have to do with 

 the resistance of trees. 



European plums I always reported as worthless here, but 

 years ago I got from Professor Budd a lot of Glass seedling 

 plums. They all winter- killed, but I happened to graft two on 

 with native. These trees have grown well and last summer 

 were loaded with large blue prunes that ripened well before the 

 frost. This I must add to recommend list for these parts. I 

 believe that many more trees that winter-kill on usual nursery 

 roots would do well if grafted on hardier stock like the native 

 Sandoz. I am going to try the Japanese varieties again that 

 way. The season being so short here, only the earlier plums, 

 apples and pears will do, but these do so well as to fully repay 

 for those that do not ripen. Spring frosts have no effect on 

 trees here. All plums stand heavy frosts during or after blos- 

 soms. So do the cherries with land practically free. I am still 

 locating settlers on 640 acre homesteads. This part of the 

 country ought to draw a big immigration, but this has been dis- 

 couraged by our big cattle men who in some cases hold hun- 

 dreds of sections by hobo filings which will not stand a $10 con- 

 test. Potatoes are being raised extensively here, also corn and 

 wheat, and I am proving and showing to everyone here that fruit 

 of the best quality like the Colorado brands can be raised here 

 with limit. There are scattered through the country a few 

 apple trees which have been bearing" for years, mostly in the 

 town gardens, the only place where I would plant two year trees. 

 On the open two year cherry do fairly well, but two year apple 

 and plums are worthless. I have still lots of land, and if the 

 society think it proper I would like to have more varieties of 

 pears and hardiest peaches for spring planting. I have found 

 out that they are raising lots of Flemish Beauty pears one-hun- 

 dred miles north-west from here in Dakota. 



