ANNUAL REPORT, I906, VICE-PRES., THIRD CONG. DIST. [35 



in the district. One party reported a good crop of Compass. 



Grapes were good at Waterville. It is surprising how few vines 

 there are growing. The crop does not seem to pay in a commer- 

 cial way, or more would grow them, — but what looks nicer than a 

 full vine in your own yard? 



Blackberries, while not largely planted, did well and surprised 

 us all, for they did what they seldom ever do, lived over in most 

 all places even without any covering, while red raspberries killed 

 badly in the same place. Who can account for this ? Synder seems 

 best, with Ancient Briton next. More ought to be planted, but let 

 none think because they lived over once without covering tha:t they 

 will do it again, for they won't once in ten years. 



Blue Earth, New Ulm, Jordan, Faribault and Northfield all 

 report good crops of raspberries, while others report rust, some fail- 

 ure and small crops. Turner, Loudon and King for reds, and Older 

 for black, have done well with many, very hardy and good quality. 



The strawberry crop 'varies about the same as the raspberry 

 crop. Too wet, many report ; also early frost killed many blos- 

 soms. Some report rust, but beds in the main look well this fall. 



Not a large planting of nursery stock reported, but a good season 

 has given good growth and fine prospects for future crops. 



The past winter was easy on trees, most of which came through 

 without much damage. 



Here is a good report as to varieties to plant. It came from 

 Hutchinson. Apples : Duchess, Wealthy, Peerless, P. Greening, 

 N. W. Greening, Red Anis, Hibernal, Okabena and Longfield. 



Plums : Surprise, Weaver, F. Garden, DeSoto and Rollingstone. 



Grapes : Moore's Early, Agawam, Worden, Concord, Janes- 

 ville. 



Raspberries : King, Cumberland and Loudon. \ 



Strawberries : Warfield, Sen. Dunlap, Sample, Bederwood. 



Hardy shrubs and flowers : Hydrangea, spirea Van Houttii, 

 phlox (perennial) and poenies, snowball, lilac and syringa. 



Fighting Crab Grass with White Clover. — Crab grass is like the dog 

 in the manger ; it kills out every other stem of green grass and then turns 

 brown itself. It makes a coarse and ugly cover in the lawn, and the individ- 

 ual who attempts to eradicate it by digging and cultivation may be entirely 

 without a lawn for two or three years. If anything can get the best of crab 

 grass in a fair contest it is white clover. In a number of lawns in Washing- 

 ton and elsewhere white clover has furnished the means for a final victory 

 over crab grass, and I have observed the same process in my lawn. The 

 white clover gradually invades the area of crab grass, replacing the latter with 

 a close, dark green carpet. — Country Life in America. 



