WINDOM TRIAL STATION. 1 43 



Of the large number of Russian willows and poplars sent me 

 by Prof. Budd and Prof. Porter fourteen or fifteen years ago, the 

 only one that promises to be of special value is the golden willow 

 (Salix aurea). This willow seems to equal or excel our grey, 

 or white, willow in good points. I think it should be better 

 known. I cannot recommend the laurel-leaved willow (Salix 

 laurifolia), as it is not quite hardy during our coldest winters. 



Some notes and conclusions on the past year and previous 

 years' experience : 



The secret of success with conifers is protection from the 

 winter winds, young trees wintering perfectly in the most ex- 

 posed places if they are laid down and covered with earth. 



Most of our black prairie lands are good orchard sites if not 

 underlaid with sand or gravel or solid rock lying too near the 

 surface. 



Apple trees should be planted deeply to pfevent root injury; 

 the greater the exposure, the deeper the trees should be planted. 



Pears may be grown here, but it is lots cheaper to buy the 

 fruit at the stores. 



The cracking of plums depends upon the state of maturity 

 of the fruit at the time we have rains after a dry spell rather than 

 upon the variety. 



The Prunus nigra class of plums, to which the Cheney and 

 Aitkin belong, has little or no value for this particular section. 

 We are evidently too far south for that class of plums. 



We go over every tree in our plum orchard each autumn 

 with a jackknife hunting for borers, but occasionally some bird 

 gets ahead of us and does a better job than we do. We lay it to 

 the little spotted woodpecker. 



When catching curiculios and plum-gougers we find as many 

 on the Wolf plum trees as upon any of the other varieties, but 

 owing to the extremely small pit, thick flesh and skin of this 

 variety and, perhaps, to some other peculiarities, only a small 

 per cent of the eggs laid in them ever hatch out and reach 

 the open air. The curiculio and gouger do their greatest damage 

 to large pitted and thin skinned varieties. 



Mr. Cook : I find the Wolf plum is the best variety I have. 

 You hardly ever find a plum that is less injured by the curculio 

 than the Wolf. I have hardly ever seen one that was hurt by the 

 curculio. I think there is something about that plum that is 

 valuable. 



Mr. Elliot: Who is the originator? 



Mr. Cook: I cannot tell vou, I think it came from Iowa. 



