EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 257 



to their being- protected bj' windbreaks. Red Dutch is the varietj' 

 I grow for main crop, and they are as good with me as any. The 

 North Star has proved to be an early and abundant bearer and well 

 worthy of trial. My main crop of currants are in their prime now; 

 we are marketing them every day. 



The White Grape are fine, and the Prince Albert and Long Bunch 

 Holland are proinising for late varieties; they are a little green yet 

 and will keep on the bushes ten daj^s longer. 



Raspberries. — While these wintered better than usual, they have 

 the disease that has prevailed here the past three or four j-ears, 

 called anthracnose; and as a result our raspberry crop is verj' poor, 

 and it will probablj^ continue to be poor year after j'ear, unless, 

 through new varieties or new methods, we shall learn to cheaplj- 

 and successfully coinbat this disease. As its presence is indicated 

 mainlj^ by the bearing canes dying before fruit is matured, many 

 persons think it is the dry weather that is killing their raspberry 

 bushes. I have found that by cutting back to healthy wood after 

 they begin to grow in the spring, will stop it in that bush for the 

 season. >Iy best early red raspberr}" for home use or market is the 

 Hansel; the Turner is also good for home use. I am growing quite 

 a few varieties of blackcaps. I have found no varieties that I antic- 

 ipate will crowd out the Souhegati or the Gregg. The Progress, I 

 think, will be valuable on account of its vigor, productiveness and 

 earliness, but the fruit is small. I consider the Xemaha inferior to 

 the Gregg for late. I have several late varieties of blackcaps that 

 are promising. We do not give any of the red raspberries winter 

 protection; thej^ are mostl3' hardy here anywaj', and we cannot 

 afford to cover them up for the winter to have them die the next 

 summer of anthracnose. We have been marketing raspberries since 

 the first of the month, and thej^ will last about one week longer. The 

 Kenyon (red) raspberrj^ gave us some very fine fruit; we shall con- 

 tinue it on trial. 



Dewberries are looking good; our spring was favorable to their 

 perfect fertilization. I set in my orchard a year ago the past spring 

 five hundred Lucretia dewberrj^ plants, and now they are bearing 

 abundantly of the largest blackberries I ever saw. There is no im- 

 perfect fruit to be found, and they sell fast here at twent}' cents per 

 quart. My first picking of them for market was July 10. 



Sand cherries are growing and bearing well. Of the several 

 varieties of Russian cherries I am growing, the Ostheim is most 

 promising-. The cherries are not ripe yet. I have some seedlings 

 of Russian cherries that are bearing considerably this season; the 

 fruit is in its prime now and is fine. Choke-cherries were mostly 

 killed bj^ late spring frosts. 



Grapes.— After all the late spring frosts they are doing remarkably- 

 well and no disease apparent. The Delaware will fruit but little; thej- 

 are taking a much needed rest. The Worden is especially promis- 

 ing, as are also the Concord, Moore's Earlj- and Janesville. For a 

 white grape, although late to ripen and of poor qualitj^, the Missouri 

 Reisling is a marvel of hardiness, vigor and productiveness and 

 bears everj- year. It seems to me that grapes are easier to grow 

 successfully than a good many of our small fruits. 



The show for a fine crop of plums is good. Some trees are unable 

 to bear up their heavy loads of fruit. Wolf, Desota and Forest Gar- 

 den are especially fine; Rollingstone, as usual, has btit little fruit. 



