SAUK RAPIDS TRIAL STATION. B Bia, 
SAUK RAPIDS TRIAL STATION. 
MRS. JENNIE STAGER, SUPT. 
We had no frost of any account last spring and should have had 
a wonderful season had it not been for the worms. They came and 
came, and still they come. Wecleaned the trees and bushes in the 
spring of all egg cells, and thought we should escape the pest, but 
they began to come from the northwest, in companies, battalions 
and armies. They covered the ground, the trees, the houses and 
even the horses. Of course, we fought them and, at least,as we 
thought, saved our plum and apple trees. But, alas, we reckoned 
without our host! They were getting less, they were_really going, 
were gone, with the exception of a few weak travelers, and we were 
joyful, when, lo and behold, we were awakened one morning with a 
great outcry: the worms! the worms are here again! And sure 
enough, another army much larger than the first was marching 
down upon us. Trees, bushes and everything else were black with 
them, and still they came. 
Human endurance could stand no more. We retreated to the 
shelter of the house and wire screens and raised the white flag. The 
upshot was they cleared off everything green and at last departed 
in disgust because there were no more leaves to conquer. But still 
they left us a reminder; they left their dead in piles on evergreens 
and bushes, telling us they may pass here again. 
Our fruit trees that were weakened by the open winter look almost 
ruined, but, strange to say, with most of the leaves eaten from straw- 
berries, currants and gooseberries we had quite a good crop. The 
raspberry did poorly, and there were no wild ones. Grapes, both 
tame and wild, are hanging full and to make up for the loss of other 
fruits melons are in abundance. 
August, 1898. 
FALL PRUNING AND WINTER PROTECTION OF THE 
RED RASPBERRY. 
H. L. MELGAARD, ARGYLE. 
After the fruit has been gathered the old canes should be removed. 
In our severe climate winter protection is an absolute necessity. 
Without winter protection even such hardy varieties as the Turner 
and Philadelphia will winter-kill, except in an occasional winter 
when there is a large amount of snow on the ground. 
Earth is the best covering. The canes should be covered late in 
the fall before the ground is frozen hard. In laying them down 
commence at one end of the row, remove the soil from the side to 
which they are to be bent; bend the bush in the root as much as 
possible until almost flat on the ground, and hold it there while it 
is being covered. Each succeeding bush should be bent down and 
covered in the same manner, making a continuous covering. Only 
enough earth to hold down and cover the canes is necessary. 
