EXPERIMENT STATIONS, 249 



quite free from enemies of all kinds. We are learning to like the 

 Forest Garden better each year; although inferior to the Desota in 

 quality of fruit, it is so regular and seasonable in its crops of large 

 handso^^lums that the trees are not enfeebled by overbearing and 

 seem likely to endure much longer than the Desota. 



We are watching with much interest our young trees of Rockford 

 and Chene}- now bearing their first real crop ; they are set alter- 

 nately in a single row and blossomed quite ireely at about the same 

 time. The pocket fungus thinned the crop of Chenej' just about 

 right, but scarcelj^ touched the Rockford. Xow the Rockford is 

 seriously affected with the spot or scab, while the Cheney does not 

 show a trace of it and is carr3'ing a nice little crop of bj' far the 

 largest plums we have seen at this time of year. 



Of the plums on trial from the college at Ames, Iowa, the Com- 

 munia has killed to the ground each winter, and the Beer and 

 Wyzerka have been killed back so much as to plainly show lack of 

 hardiness. We have received and topworked on strong native 

 sprouts some promising earlj^ varieties from Thos. Frankland, of 

 Manitoba. 



We have tried both budding and collar grafting our standard 

 Northern varieties of plum on both the native plum and the sand 

 cherrj'. We find budding much the most satisfactorj- and think we 

 shall prefer the sand cherry to the native plum. The bud takes as 

 readily, starts as easilj', makes a stronger growth and is much less 

 likely to split from the stock. The use of the Mariana, Mj-robolan 

 or other foreign stocks for Northern planting, should be stopped 

 immediatelj^ as it is injuring the reputation of our grand varieties. 

 Our nurseries will serve their customers and their own reputations 

 far better b}" selling no plums at all, than bj- sending out such a 

 worthless and disappointing article. 



The sand cherries set a year ago are in manj' bushes fruiting heav- 

 ily. The small bushes of improved Rocky Mountain cherrj- are also 

 bearing a few cherries, which will be coinpared with the sand 

 cherry with much interest. 



APPLES. 



All varieties passed through the winter in good condition, and the 

 Duchess, W^ealthy, Tetofskj^, Briar Sweet and Maiden Blush, eleven 

 to fourteen years set, are carrying heavy crops. Two trees of Whit- 

 ney of same age have never borne more than specimen apples, and, 

 being now barren, are somewhat disappointing us. 



Quite a variet}' of younger trees from which we had hoped to sam- 

 ple fruit have failed us, both last year and this. The Longfield is an 

 exception to this and seems never to fail of some fruit almost from 

 its setting. One tree each of Recumbent and Hibernal are well 

 loaded, other trees of the family carrying only specimen apples. 

 Considerable blight is showing at this date, vrhich maj^ spread and 

 become severe ; at present it is chiefly confined to twigs of Wealth}^ 

 and spurs of Tetofsky on trees that are bearing heavily. Varieties 

 fruiting besides those mentioned above are : Charlamoff, Czars 

 Thorn,Anis, Martha, Antonovka, Elgin Beavit^^, White Transparent 

 and Talman Sweet. 



