VARIETIES OP APPLES FOR CENTRAL MINNESOTA. 157 



Mr. A. P. Stevenson (Man.) : As to the comparative merits of 

 the Haas and Patten Greening I cannot say, but as to the Patten 

 Greening itself I would say that I planted the Patten Greening eight 

 or nine years ago in Manitoba. Our location is very favorable, or 

 supposed to be so in Manitoba. I must say that at the present time 

 it is one of the most healthy and vigorous trees growing. We have 

 between three and four hundred trees growing there, and it is one of 

 the most vigorous trees we have. It fruited the past year for the 

 first time. That is all I know about the Patten Greening. 



Mr. Patten : I intended to add that probably the specking of 

 the Greening or any other apple that shows evidence of rot can be 

 controlled with the Bordeaux mixture. My large Duchess of Olden- 

 burg orchard had become so affected with that rot that two years 

 previous to the past one I received almost no fruit from it that was 

 perfect, and I sprayed very early with the result that the fruit was 

 almost perfect. 



Mr. E. R. Pond : What time did you spray for that disease? 



Mr. Patten : I spray before the buds are open, then adding 

 Paris green I spray again immediately after the petals have fallen, 

 then again about ten days or two weeks later. 



Potatoes from Seed. — I gather my seed balls in the fall and bury 

 them and plant the rotten mass in the spring. Whenever you are in 

 doubt as to whether the potato stem or vine comes from the seed of 

 a seed ball or from the tuber, just note the roots when digging. Po- 

 tato vines from seed have a long tap root, but when from a piece of 

 cut potato, the roots grow near the surface and are very branching. — 

 H. M. M. 



Use of Dynamite in Tree Planting. — The most practical way to 

 prepare a site for planting fruit or ornamental trees on heavy clay, 

 hard, dry or even wet, soggy soils, is by the use of a small charge o( 

 dynamite 'for each tree. I have practiced this method for a number 

 of years with grand success and at an expense of not to exceed loc 

 for each tree. I began by shoveling away the earth where the tree 

 is to be planted, from a space 3 to 5 ft. in diameter, and from 10 to 20 

 in. deep, or until I reach the liardpan or dry, hard earth. In center 

 of this excavation I make a hole about 2 ft. deep, with a crowbar or 

 post auger. At the bottom of this I place a small portion of a stick 

 of dynamite, to which is attached a cap and fuse. I tamp clay in 

 firmly above the dynamite and set ofif the charge. 



The explosion will loosen and shatter the most compact clay bed 

 or dry, hard substance that underlies any soil from 5 to 10 ft. in di- 

 ameter, the depth of course depending upon the amount of dynamite 

 used. In ordinary cases 2 to 4 oz. is sufficient to make a splendid 

 tree bed. It does not throw the soil completely out, but loosens and 

 mellows it so the roots and the moisture will penetrate to a greater 

 depth. — A. D. Barnes, Wis. 



