68 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ways interesting, and if placed in the back ground little objection 

 can be made to its habit of turning dark brown in the winter. A 

 satisfactory tree to plant with it is Mugho pine (Pinus Montana), a 

 scrub pine from the mountains of Europe. This dwarf pine keeps 

 its green foliage through the most trying winter. An irregular 

 group of red cedars supported by low growing Mugho pines in 

 front will be very satisfactory. 



Tivo Fine Spiraeas. — We have already spoken of the great satis- 

 faction with which we have grown two fine spiraeas, spiraea hyper- 

 iofolia and spiraea Van Houtei. These two fine spring blooming 

 shrubs ought to be found in the flower border of every prairie home. 

 When a water supply can be had, the summer blooming spiraea 

 Douglasi may be grown. Its spike-like terminal panicles of pink 

 flowers are very fine. 



A Fine Samaier Apple. — Young trees of Blushed Calville (22M) 

 bore this season a full crop of fine summer apples. The fruit is of 

 good size, light golden in color, very slightly blushed and of excel- 

 lent quality. It reminds one of the old fashioned Early Harvest of 

 Eastern orchards. The fruit ripened about two weeks before the 

 Oldenburg. This is the first of our Russians to come into bearing, 

 and we think highly of it. 



Two Excellent Raspberries. — The continued failure of our older 

 red raspberries, the Turner and the Cuthbert, through the ravages 

 of the tree cricket, has discouraged us somewhat. But this year 

 the Golden Queen and the Palmer both produced excellent crops. 

 The Palmer is a very early black-cap, and we like it very much. The 

 black-caps appear to be free from the ravages of the tree crickets. 



OWATONNA TRIAL STATION. 



E. H. S. DARTT, SUPT. 



The long succession of mild winters continues, and, as a result, 

 thousands of new seedling apple trees and other half hardy varie- 

 ties are coming into bearing all over our state, and our exhibition 

 tables are fairly loaded down with luscious apples. Dame Nature 

 seems in her happiest mood and is lavishing on us her sweetest and 

 most bewitching smiles. The north pole, instead of being fifty 

 thousand years in twisting us around into torrid climes, has gone 

 on the wobble and has for twelve long years been vibrating between 

 the crab apple and the peach, making its lowest bows to the peach. 

 We cannot trust the pole, and 1 think there is a great deal of sell in 

 the idea that our climate is rapidly changing for the better or that 

 the great number of new seedling and other apples now being 

 boomed for Minnesota are likely to withstand the effects of our next 

 hard winter. I wish these mild winters were sure to continue, for 

 I am sorry to utter a discouraging word, but the path of duty does 

 not always lead in smooth places or amidst delightful scenery. 



Our oldest experimenters know that a seedling apple tree may 

 pass through very severe winters unharmed, whilst grafted trees of 

 the same variety are liable to be killed by winters less severe, still 



