250 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The May Day tree (Primus padus comhiutata), which is the 

 earHest shrub to bloom that we have, is showing a Httle fruit this 

 year. It is reported by the Arnold Arboretum as not fruiting in 

 America. The old-fashioned periwinkle (Vinca minor), called by 

 our mothers myrtle, passed through the winter in good shape and 

 showed this spring a few of its efifective blue flowers. 



The Americana plums came through the winter in good condi- 

 tion and are setting a good crop of fruit. Aitkin suffered some, 

 either from drought or from the winter, and is in poor condition. 

 This plum is supposed to be a variety of Prunus nigra, the natural 

 range of which is in the far north, in Canada and along our north- 

 ern borders. It ought to be hardy enough, but perhaps it re- 

 quires more moisture than we get in western Minnesota. 



Apples promise a good crop. Glass Green and a tree of the 

 Hibernal root-killed, and Gideon was greatly damaged in the same 

 way. No. 242 Ames shows some blight. The twelve trees on 

 Pyrus baccata sent out by Prof. Green have been carefully planted, 

 and we are hoping for good results from them. They are all doing 

 well. Air. Elliot's Wealthy seedlings have also been carefully 

 planted and are doing well. Ten trees, consisting of Wealthy and 

 Lyman's Prolific, have been set on the open prairie in the usual man- 

 ner, and ten others of the same variety have been set some six inches 

 deeper. These trees are protected by a pine grove on the east. 

 On the north there is a single row of box elders and on the west a 

 single row of young lilac bushes. They ought to furnish a fair test 

 as to the relative value of deep and shallow planting. 



Currants and gooseberries promise a large crop and are mostly 

 free from disease. The canes affected by the borer have been cut 

 out and burned. 



Raspberries are very promising. At this station the canes of 

 all varieties are laid down in October and covered with earth. 



Cherries quite generally succumbed to the rigors of the winter. 

 Wragg and Suda Hardy are gone, and Ostheim shows only one 

 small branch bearing fruit. Bessarabian, which we valued for its 

 ornamental merits but which never bore fruit, has passed away. 



The young orchard planted last year on a bluff sloping to the 

 northeast in wild prairie sod has as a whole come through the 

 winter in good condition. The trees were set in large sized holes, 

 and trenches were dug from the holes diagonally up hill so as to 

 convey the rain from the passing summer shower toward the trees, 

 so that thev did not suffer much from dry weather. Among these 

 trees Borovinka came through in fine condition, but Charlamoff 

 came throuirh in still better. McAIahon was badlv injured, and 



