54 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. . 



We are cultivating a number of the known hardy kinds, such 

 as Wealthy, Duchess, Peter, Patten's Greening, Hibernal and 

 Iowa Beauty — and, by the way, the Iowa Beauty has shown up 

 splendidly at the station this year. It ripens about the time the 

 Duchess has passed out of existence and will keep about three 

 weeks, thereby filling in between Duchess and Wealthy. The 

 tree seems to be an ironclad, and the fruit is very fine, especially 

 as a dessert apple. I presume Father Dartt's object in cultiva- 

 ting those varieties was on account of the assistance they would 

 give in determining the real value of the new productions plant- 

 ed where conditions existed alike ; and I must say they do render 

 valuable assistance as far as determining hardiness is concerned. 



As instructed by Prof. Green, an effort was made to dispose 

 of the evergreens of marketable size, and the proceeds therefrom 

 were turned over to the state treasurer. There are a few left, 

 which can likely be sold next spring. Last spring we grafted 

 and planted a number of varieties that had shown promise here- 

 tofore and will do the same next spring. 



Next season we will also do some judicious spraying to eradi- 

 cate the insect pests, and along with the extra room, sunlight and 

 circulation of air which the thinning out will accomplish I am in 

 hopes that the fruit on trees that bear will be at its best and that 

 I shall be able to make a full and intelligent report at the winter 

 meeting next year. 



PLEASANT MOUNDS TRIAL STATION, ANNUAL 



REPORT. 



J. S. PARKS, SUPT. 



The season just closed has been a peculiar one from a horti- 

 cultural standpoint. Our fruit trees went through the winter 

 of 1902 and 1903 in fine condition. Spring opened favorably 

 until about blooming time for apples and plums, when a cold 

 period set in accompanied by high wind and severe frosts that 

 killed most of the plums and considerable of the earlier blossom- 

 ing apples. Through the summer, although we had an abund- 

 ance of rain, the trees made a light growth of very unsatis- 

 factory wood ; fruit buds are few and lack that full, plump ap- 

 pearance common at this season. Owing to a scab or blight 

 that affected the leaves as well as the fruit of several varieties 

 of our apple trees, some trees, such as Haas, Scott's Winter and 

 several others, made very little or no growth and at present 

 appear to be permanently injured. Plum trees fared better, 

 but the green aphis got in its work to the permanent injury of 

 many shoots. 



