76 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



decreasing the crop fully one-half. We saw at the fruit farm of Mr. B. 

 C Yancy three or four acres of blackberries as heavily loaded with 

 fruit as we ever saw in the famous Wisconsin blackberry fields. 

 That Mr. Yancy has great faith in small fruits is evidenced by his 

 large and increasing acreage. Currants were not to exceed two- 

 thirds of a crop, except in isolated plantations and localities, and 

 again was the quality low. 



We believe most of us are not careful enough about spraying and, 

 especially, after the vines are through fruiting, when inanj^ let the 

 worms have full swing, thereb}"^ greatly diminishing the following 

 crop. I would also prune and thin more, a great deal more. 



Grapes bore a good crop, but prices were very low. What can be 

 done to give growers (and especially those owning vineyards at 

 Minnetonka, where it has assumed such proportions) a living profit 

 in coinpetition with Eastern growers? Gooseberries were a good 

 crop and there was a good deinand and good prices. In this fruit, we 

 ehovild increase our plantations; they are easily grown, prolific and 

 easily picked by stripping and fanning, and there is an increasing 

 demand. 



In new fruits, we know of no acquisitions except the Crandall cur- 

 rant and Success Juneberry, both perfectly hardy, very prolific and 

 ■well worth a place in our gardens. 



This fall we have had an abundance of rain, and the conditions 

 are P'erj^ favorable for a splendid crop of small fruits in 1897. We 

 believe that we are on the threshold of an era of copious rainfall and 

 commercial prosperity and that the horticulturists of the Northwest 

 (and we bespeak Minnesota especially) will reap a merited and mu- 

 nificent harvest. 



Mr. C. L. Smith : One point in Mr. Shepherd's paper I want to 

 call particular attention to. Last year we had a discussion in 

 regard to light covering of strawberries, followed by a heavy 

 covering later on. Last year I practiced it to some extent, 

 and the results this year bore out what I promised at that time. 

 The roots were not injured by that dry freezing during the 

 months of October and November when they are usually ex- 

 posed, and I am more than ever in favor of mulching lightly 

 about the first of October, either to cover the plants or to cover 

 the whole surface of the ground, and then putting on a heavier 

 mulch later on. 1 had a very satisfactory yield from vines 

 treated in that way. 



CUKIOUS Fjreak of AN APPLE TREE.— In an orchard near Lake 

 Erie, a Greening tree bore Greening apples on one side and on the 

 other apples of a mixed character, each apple being partly Green- 

 ing and partl3' Talman Sweet. The different kinds occurred in sec- 

 tions for the most part corresponding to the carpels. A Talman 

 Sweet tree stood near. Prof. Bailey writes he considers it an instance 

 of what is very unusual, the iinmediate effect of cross poUenation. — 

 Canadian Horticulturist. 



