66 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



quality and size of fruits. The Cheney, Rollingstone, Desota and 

 Weaver have been sufficiently tested to warrant g-eneral planting^. 

 No full Chickasaws can be recommended to stand our test winters. 

 There are now on the grounds fifty or more varieties which promise 

 to be valuable additions to our plum list; I would name especially 

 the Itasca, Ocheeda, Mankato, Winnebago, New Ulm, Surprise, Stod- 

 dard and Comfort. Some of the Japans also promise well. They 

 have made a fine growth and appear to be better adapted to crossing 

 with the natives than any of the Europeans. 



The Berger, Gold, Red June and Abundance are on trial; also, some 

 crosses of Japan and Desota. 



A few seedlings from the German prune appear to be doing well; 

 also seedlings from a blue plum of the Damson type are growing 

 finely but have not been exposed to severe weather. Of the eight 

 varieties of Russian trees set out in 1887, the Early Red, Orel and 

 Moldovka have died; the Veronesh Yellow, Czar Nicholas, Hunga- 

 rian and Richland appear healthy and have made fair growth, but 

 several varieties of natives standing near by and planted at the 

 same time have borne four full crops, while the Russians have had 

 no fruit worth mentioning. 



Prof. Budd said, "several years ago, that all our best varieties of 

 natives had been obtained by selection and that we had probably 

 reached the limit of desirable kinds in that direction, and he recom- 

 mended that, for further improvement, attention be turned to cross- 

 ing or hybridizing with prunus domestica. Since then, several new 

 and very desirable kinds have been found, and it is said that there is 

 as yet no well authenticated case of a cross between the natives and 

 Europeans, though there are several with the Japanese. 



MONTEVIDEO TRIAL STATION. 



I/. R. MOYER, SUPT. 



A Dakota Group.—" Very effective " may be said of an irregular 

 lawn border planted with buffalo-berries, interspersed and sup- 

 ported by sand cherries. The buffalo-berry is a tall growing shrub, 

 with beautiful silvery foliage; it holds its leaves well late into the 

 fall. The sand cherry is a low growing shrub, almost prostrate; in 

 early spring, it produces interesting- flowers; in mid-summer, its 

 wealth of leaves gives it an almost tropical effect; with the first hint 

 of autumn, it changes to the gorgeous hues of rich maroon and red 

 One might think that the dazzling colors would produce a bizarre 

 effect against the background of silvery buffalo-berries, but it does 

 not. They harmonize perfectly; perhaps, because they have been 

 associated together so long in their Dakota home. 



A Native Color ScAeiMe.— Behold that blaze of color lighting up the 

 dark green of the bur-oak copse! How it holds the eye! No artist 

 has painted it; no landscape architect has equalled it; it is nature's 

 own inimitable planting. That dazzling- blaze of color is the wild 

 ampelopsis touched with the tints of autumn. The bur-oak and the 

 ampelopsis have been long associated together; they harmonize 

 perfectly; our best gardening art produces nothing so fine. 



