138 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Storms were very destructive the past summer. Early apples 

 were blown off more than the late apples. More Wealthys were 

 marketed than of any other variety, and at the time the Wealthys 

 ripened and begun to fall there was too great a tendency to crowd 

 the market. Those that were hand picked just at the right time 

 and handled with care kept nicely for some time, and a local mar- 

 ket took them at better prices than were obtained earlier. 



Cherry trees were greatly injured the past winter. Everything 

 killed outside the Compass, and we had all the leading varieties 

 except the Homer. However, we planted a number of Homer last 

 spring and hope they will do better. The injury was not in the root, 

 they killed to the snow line. Wasn't the injury largely due to a 

 weak condition the trees were in because of a foliage disease the 

 previous summer? 



Plums were fairly productive this season. A great many have 

 planted their plum trees in a certain form recommended by glib 

 tree agents who want to sell a great many trees for a small space of 

 ground. As a result the trees are too close together. The ground 

 grows up to sod, the fruit is of poor quality, and the farmer gets dis- 

 couraged and grubs them out. Had he planted them sixteen to 

 twenty feet apart and kept them well cultivated the results would 

 have been different. 



Apple seed that we planted last spring grew finely, but of plum 

 pits that were saved in the usual way and allowed to freeze for 

 months few out of thousands grew. The pits were planted in the 

 spring in good, moist soil, and the soil was kept mOist by frequent 

 surface cultivating. We do not know where the trouble lay — ^they 

 simply refused to grow. The larger part of the pits seem all right, 

 and perhaps they will grow the next spring. 



Last spring we set several thousand Pyrus baccata seedlings that 

 we received from Prof. N. E. Hansen. They were small but grew 

 finely and were large enough to bud in July and August. The buds 

 took nicely, and we are much pleased with the behavior of these 

 trees. We also grafted some trees to the Milwaukee from scions 

 we received from Mr. A. D. Leach. This variety is a good grower 

 and may prove of value as a winter apple. 



We fruited this year the Gideon's Best, Peter and Wealthy and 

 believe they are all the same variety. 



We have the last few years reported the Martha crab a fail- 

 ure as a fruit producer, but a fine grower of bloom. We see no 

 reason for continuing this variety on the fruit list. We think great 

 harm has already been done the apple interest by recommending 

 the Martha for general planting. 



