WINDOM TRIAL STATION. I49 



fruit that promised to keep all winter. The tree now for the first 

 time has an abundance of fruit buds. 



Patten's Greening is proving more valuable each season, and I 

 believe it should be planted instead of the Hibernal, as the tree 

 seems to be just as hardy as that variety, while the fruit is of better 

 quality and a much better keeper. 



We got a very fine crop of plums, and nearly all kinds ap- 

 peared to be trying to do their best. Very few plums were stung 

 by the curculio, while the plum gouger failed to put in an appear- 

 ance. It is probable that they have been exterminated by unfavor- 

 able climatic influence ; neither were there any tent caterpillars 

 noticed the past season. 



Of the standard varieties of plums, the De Soto still keeps pretty 

 well to the front, especially for home use, but the Hawkeye, Stod- 

 dard, as well as the Freestone and Clingstone Wolf, were more 

 showy and with the exception of the Clingstone Wolf bore just as 

 well as did the De Soto. The Wyant plum bore heavily, but it was a 

 little oflf in color, and I don't think that it is quite as good an all 

 round plum as is the De Soto. Forest Garden also gave us a good 

 crop, but the fruit is a little too juicy when fully ripe and is not a 

 good seller. 



Hawkeye and Stoddard are so near alike that when we have one 

 we do not need the other. The Freestone Wolf plum, while not 

 equal to the De Soto for quality, is of such fine shape and size, 

 and being a most reliable bearer, I am inclined to place it at the head 

 of the list for market. 



We fruited quite a number of seedling plums this season, sev- 

 eral of which compared quite favorably with the best of our standard 

 varieties. 



Of the newer varieties of plums, the Eureka, the Emerald and 

 the Free Silver are promising. My neighbor, Jos. Wood, had some 

 Free Silver plums so large that only four of them could be gotten 

 inside a Mason pint jar. 



I omitted to mention that scions of the Wolf River apple re- 

 ceived from Mr. J. S. Parks, spring of 1903, and top-worked upon 

 the Virginia crab, appears hardy and promising. 



The President: The Phoenix No. 15 fruited at my place this 

 year, and I am very well pleased with it. It is something our nur- 

 serymen ought to look after. 



