PLEASANT MOUNDS TRIAL STATION, ANNUAL REPORT, 55 



Scions from Nova Scotia of Chebucto, Reynard, Gravenstein 

 and several other varieties, top-worked on Virginia crab and 

 Hibernal in the spring of 1902, came through the winter in fine 

 shape and made a fair growth this season. We are watching this 

 Chebucto variety with much interest. It is the largest apple 

 in the world, I believe, having been raised to weigh thirty ounces, 

 and has other good qualities. We want all of the best in apples, 

 and this seemed to be the "missing link." 



We received scions of the Brittlewood and Free Silver plums 

 from Prof. Green, that we top-worked on our native stock wdth 

 very good success. Our planting of apple seed taken from apples 

 in our cellar May 15 and 30 and June 15 and planted at once, 

 germinated fairly well, but as the young plants were not shaded 

 the hot sun just at that time killed a large proportion of them. 

 That would not have happened had they come out of the ground 

 in early spring. One thing was demonstrated : that apple seed 

 will germinate without freezing if planted without drying. The 

 scab or blight that visited our fruit this season caused a loss of 

 more than half our apple crop. Haas, Walbrige, Snow, Scott's 

 Winter and many other varieties, including many seedlings., 

 were entirely ruined. 



The codling moth that was so plentiful last year did not make 

 its appearance this year in our fruit, giving the scab control of 

 the situation. Perhaps the worm was afraid of catching the scab. 



Of small fruit but little is raised here, only for family use, 

 and I have nothing to report. 



SAUK RAPIDS TRIAL STATION, ANNUAL REPORT. 



MRS. JENNIE STAGER, SUPT. 



The past season was a disastrous one as far as vegetables were 

 concerned. Potatoes were few in a hill, and part of those rotted in 

 the ground, while many of the remainder rotted after being put in the 

 cellar. Beets, carrots and other root crops were poor in clay soil, 

 owing, I suppose, to the exceptional wetness of the soil. 



But strawberries, oh, my ! loaded with fruit and of a size that beat 

 the record. Not one kind, but all kinds, were larger and more 

 prolific than ever before in my knowledge. Those from Clyde, 

 Brandywine and Champion were as large and some larger than a 

 Transcendent apple. Never say again that in gaining size fruit loses 

 flavor. That may well happen in California but not, I can assure 

 you, in Minnesota. Never tasted strawberries so delicious. 



Then the raspberries, Turners, Cuthbert, Miller's Red and 

 Columbia, were so large and so loaded with fruit that people passing 



