290 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



and produce better fruit, and the tree will be healthier than if large 

 branches are removed later. It should be remembered that air and 

 sunlig-ht are essential factors in the production of good fruit. 



To look out for and head off injurious insects by every known de- 

 vice is always in order, and as belated borers continue to deposit 

 their eggs another application of strong- soap suds or soft soap 

 thinned to the consistency of paint, will prove beneficial. If any 

 young, newly set trees are not growing vigorously, see that they are 

 well mulched, and their trunks should be wrapped with paper or 

 cloth, or shaded in some way to prevent sun-scald. 



Budding can be done through this and the next month at any 

 time when the bark on the stocks can beraised readily and the buds 

 are mature enough. 



Nursery rows should be kept clear of weeds. Continue the prun- 

 ing, watch closely for blight and cut out and burn affected branches 

 as soon as they appear. It is better to remove and destroy bad 

 blighting varieties. 



This is the season when agents are abroad in the land, taking or- 

 ders for fall delivery. Probably many of them are good honest 

 men, but some are sharpers of the vilest type and represent dishon- 

 est and unscrupulous firms. Before placing an order ascertain the 

 standing of the nursery and the character of the agent; post your- 

 selves on the varieties you want and their commercial value, and 

 then, if possible, deal directly with some responsible home nursery. 

 Do not allow yourselves to be victimized in unknown novelties that 

 have been produced by mysterious processes. You may get more 

 wisdom by it, but the times at present do not warrant this method of 

 getting an education. 



The strawberry season is about over. The printer made us say in 

 the calender for last year, page 306, report for 1896: "The two last sea- 

 sons have shown the 'weakness' of holding strawberry beds more 

 than one year." It should read "wisdom" instead of "weakness." 

 The experience of many growers this and past seasons is that it 

 pays to keep a large bed over for fruiting the second and often the 

 third year, especially if the soil is rich and the plants have not been 

 smothered in grass and weeds or exhausted by producing too heavy 

 a crop. For this purpose mow the vines as soon as the picking is 

 done, burn over as soon as dry enough, reduce rows to 8 or 10 

 inches in width, weed out, clean and cultivate thoroughly. Keep 

 new beds clean by cultivating, hoeing and hand weeding, get a suf- 

 ficient stand of plants as early as possible and prevent the surplus 

 runners from taking root. 



Raspberry and blackberry plantations must not be neglected, or 

 they will soon run out. Keep out all weeds, grass and surplus 

 sprouts. Our experience is that the canes of red raspberries should 

 not be pinched or cut back during the growing season, and that 

 blackberries are better not to be pinched under a height of four to 

 six feet. 



