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MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



purposes. The balance of them will be grown in our trial orchard. 



About sixteen years ago we received from Arnold Arboretum a 

 good collection of Pyrus (apples) and Prunus (plums). Among 

 them we had Pyrus baccata of two kinds, and both of these seem 

 well adapted for stocks. We have saved a considerable amount 

 of seed from them for this purpose. Last year we had more seed 

 than ever before, and from it raised about 1,200 seedlings, which 

 will be used to give a thorough test of this species of the apple — 

 which is promising as a hardy stock. A form of the crab apple 

 received under the name of Pyrus malifolia we have tried exten- 

 sively as a stock. 



Figure A. — Orchard of Hibernal Apple Trees Planted for Top-working at 

 Minnesota State Experiment Station. 



Figure A shows a portion of the new trial orchard planted last 

 spring on a piece of land recently turned over to the Horticultural 

 Division. This consists of 400 Hibernal, planted four feet apart 

 each way — for top-working. 



The method of protecting the stems of these trees is novel and 

 perhaps should receive a word of explanation here. The stems are 

 enclosed in galvanized wire netting, one-half inch mesh. These 

 were not put on until the approach of cold weather. They are 

 made large enough to enclose a tree six inches in diameter. As they 

 did not fit snugly on the ground, and as we wished to mulch the 

 trees, a shovelful of ashes was put inside of each wire protector — 

 after which the trees were mulched with stable manure and a few 

 cornstalks stuck inside each protector to prevent sun-scald. The 



