306 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Catalpa speciosa is becoming better acclimated here and is this 

 year very luxuriant, blooming profusely. The wayfaring tree (Vi- 

 burnum lantana) bloomed this year for the first time. Its flat 

 cymes are quite beautiful and are produced somewhat earlier than 

 those of the snowball. Its stellate-pubescent foliage has a velvety 

 effect, and the general appearance of the shrub is quite pleasing. 

 It seems to be quite hardy in well drained locations and is readily 

 propagated from layers. 



Polyganum Sieboldi has been growing at the station for several 

 years. It is a rampant grower, spreading by underground root- 

 stalks and maintaining itself without much cultivation. It reaches 

 the height of about three feet, producing large tropical-looking 

 leaves. A clump of it is very effective. 



Another hardy perennial that pleases us much is the old fash- 

 ioned blue larkspur. It grows to a height of about four feet, and its 

 tall blue spikes are a marked feature of the hardy border. 



An early spring flowering perennial that pleases us much is the 

 Virginia cowslip (Mertensia Virginica). It blooms in April, pro- 

 ducing a profusion of blue flowers, and like other natives requires 

 but little care. 



We are harvesting a fine crop of raspberries — Columbian, Car- 

 oline and Golden Queen. We lay them down and cover them with 

 earth in the winter. 



Currants are producing a larger crop than usual, and goose- 

 berries have done better than for years. The plum crop is a failure; 

 and there are but few apples. Hibernal, Wealthy, Duchess, Blushed 

 Calville and Sweet Russet are producing a few apples. Blight has 

 been very prevalent, originating on Transcendent and Yellow Si- 

 berian and spreading to the rest of the orchard. 



PLEASANT MOUNDS TRIAL STATION. 



J. S. PARKS, SUPT. 



Trees and plants came through the winter in fine condition and 

 have made extra large growth the present season, with no loss to 

 mention except from blight. Apple trees have blighted worse than 

 ever before — very few varieties have escaped. Tallman Sweet, 

 Wealthy, Bradley crab and many others are nearly as bad as the 

 Transcendent — even the Wolf River, that never lost a leaf before, 

 is considerably affected. The Pyrus baccata, tliat can stand so 

 much cold, can not stand our blight. Half of our seedlings of this 

 crab are dead to the ground, and some grafts that I put on at the 

 crown this spring have died from blight below the graft. 



