98 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Wealthy seedlings are much hardier than the parent tree and 

 not nearly so susceptible to blight. The thinning out of inferio.- 

 and blighting sorts last year proved very beneficial to the ones 

 showing most promise, as the heretofore badly crowded condi- 

 tion made the fruit very small and inferior, and varieties that we 

 supposed had little or no value bore this year nice, large, highly 

 colored apples. 



There has been very little planting done at the station since 

 my appointment for the simple reason that all the suitable land 

 was already occupied. Prof. Green sent me some new varie- 

 ties last spring to experiment with, and twelve trees budded on 

 Pyrus baccata roots were received from the Minnesota Horti- 

 cultural Society, In order to make room for them, we dug out a 

 number of trees which showed little promise. The majority of 

 of the trees received from the society have made a growth 

 ranging from two to twelve inches. Part of the trees werj 

 planted twenty inches deep and the balance three inches deeper 

 than they came out of the ground. I found that the deepest 

 planted trees started growing the earliest in the spring and made 

 the most satisfactory growth throughout the season. The va- 

 rieties received were Patten's Greening, Charlamoff, Duchess. 

 Hibernal and Wealthy, 



The past season I broke up a low spot of ground in the north- 

 east corner of the station, dug out the quack r^rass, which, by 

 the way, had full control, and put in tile drainage. This will 

 make a goo J spot for future experiments. This winter I in- 

 tend to graft from some of the best varieties originated at the 

 station and will thus have an opportunity of learning more about 

 them when planted at regular distances. If this does not meet 

 Avith Prof. Green's approval, I will follow any other method 

 that he may suggest. 



Out of the 1,500 new varieties growing at the Owatonna sta- 

 tion when I was appointed superintendent, about 800 have been 

 cut out, and with proper care their is no doubt but what we will be 

 able to turn out a number of trees that will be equ'ial if not better 

 than any of the best known kinds. The chief thing to be determin- 

 ed from the tree now is quality of the fruit and the length of time 

 it will keep. 



The bad blighters have all been disposed of, and there is not 

 a tree in the station now that will blight to amount to anything 

 if not infected by blighters from other orchards. During the 

 past two years we have sprayed the trees several times, which de- 



