286 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
the best, but if a test winter proves them to be sufficiently hardy 
we shall prize these varieties very highly, as we now have little 
doubt of their being reasonably productive. The first mentioned is 
quite early, the others ripen together some two weeks later. 
LA CRESCENT TRIAL STATION. 
J. S. HARRIS, SUPT. 
This is a voluntary station, designated by the State Horticultural 
Society for the purpose of securing and putting on trial to test their 
hardiness and adaptation the Russian and such of the older varie- 
ties of apples as have not heretofore been discarded, all new 
northwestern seedlings of any promise, as fast as trees or scions 
can be secured, native plums, raspberries, strawberries and noyel- 
ties in small fruits that are offered from year to year by nurserymen 
or their agents. Our method of late years has been largely to secure 
scions and cuttings and from them to raise our own trees and plants 
needed in the work, setting trees and plants on the fruiting grounds 
when they arrive at a proper age and size—apple trees usually from 
two to three years of age, and two or more of every variety. The 
orchard now contains over 1,000 trees, ranging from three to seven 
years old, and of about 300 varieties. Thirteen varieties were 
added last spring, and there are about forty varieties in the nursery 
ready for planting next spring. Itis not likely that the number of 
varieties will increase very much in the future, as each year some 
varieties show strong tendency to blight and other weakness and 
will be taken out and their places filled with other new varieties, and 
if they are varieties that have been brought to the notice of the 
public, their defects will be carefully noted and reported upon. The 
nursery contains a number of varieties that have never been propa- 
gatated anyother nursery or station. We have only recently began 
using Virginia and Tonka crabs as stocks for top-working. They 
appear to be all right for most variety but not as satisfactory as the 
Hibernal and Peerless. 
Although the past autumn was extremely dry and there was little 
or no moisture that reached the roots of trees during the winter, 
there was just enough snow to prevent the ground from freezing, 
and the temperature was so even and mild that no injury was done 
to trees and plants of reasonable hardiness. 
THE FRUIT CROP OF THE PRESENT SEASON.—Strawberries went 
into the last winter with a large portion of the plants light-rooted. 
They wintered well, bloomed abundantly and produced a fairly 
good crop of excellent fruit, the season lasting with us thirty-five 
days. The Bederwood fully sustained its reputation of last year 
and gave a larger yield than any other variety, either staminate or 
pistillate. The Lovett yielded a fine crop and is proving one of the 
best pollenizers for the Warfield. Among the newer varieties, the 
Clyde, Brandywine and Splendid are the most promising, and I 
think they are destined to become leading varieties. All of them 
are bi-sexual, which is favorable for planting by farmers. 
