LA CRESCENT TRIAL STATION. 61 



climate, though it is certainly worthy of trial, and I hope it may 

 remain with us as a standard variety. 



I think we may soon expect to see severely cold winters again; if 

 so, doubtless, some of the varieties now planted will die, as they have 

 in the past. Some hold that if the winter sets in with the ground 

 well saturated with moisture, as it is now in this locality, trees will 

 stand any amount of freezing; but that is not my experience during 

 a residence of most fifty years. I have noticed that continued cold 

 and dry weather for a long time without any let-up, when the circu- 

 lation is completely stopped, will take the life from all trees that are 

 not adapted to such conditions. The Siberians and hybrids and 

 some of the Russians will stand such winters, while many that are 

 less hardy will die. Past experience will suffice for most, but some 

 who have not had that experience should learn from those who 

 have and plant nothing but hardy trees. 



LA CRESCENT TRIAL STATION. 



J. S. HARRIS, SUP'T. 



The work of this station is assuming such proportions that it now 

 requires more care and attention than my health and other duties 

 during the past season have permitted me to bestow upon it, and 

 should the coming season be favorable for fruit, still greater atten- 

 tion must be given it in order to bring out all the minor details. In 

 the present year more than two hundred grafted and seedling ap- 

 ples and crabs, fully two-thirds of which are new or but little known, 

 have produced some fruit, but often but a little or single specimens- 

 On small fruits, very little addition can be made to the report ren- 

 dered at mid-summer. In the fruiting of the raspberries, the black- 

 caps matured a very fair crop, the Palmer, Older and Ohio proving 

 the best; the reds were very nearly a failure owing to a lack of vigor 

 in the plants, which was probably largely occasioned by a weakness 

 of the root system, caused by the extreme drouth of the previous 

 season. The Turner was the most fruitful of the old kinds, but the 

 fruit was smaller and more imperfect than usual. Of new varieties, 

 we had two or three plants of the Loudon. They had wintered finely, 

 bore liberally and furnished us several pickings of superb fruit. 

 The Royal Church fruited shyly. This berry looks well but is apt to 

 be crumbly and of rather poor quality, and it should not be recom- 

 mended for general cultivation in this state. 



Although the outlook for grapes at the time of our last report was 

 not the best, the crop has exceeded our expectations. Some fruit 

 was lost through cracking open of the berries, following the first 

 rains after the dry, hot period early in August. The crop finally 

 harvested was fully up to the average of our best years, both in 

 quality and quantity, even bunches that looked straggling and 

 ragged from apparent imperfectly pollenization developed into 

 large, full clusters. All varieties have ripened their wood well and 

 are in good condition to endure a severe winter without injury. 



