MINNESOTA CITY EXPERIMENT STATION. 189 



all top-sjfrafting- was a failure with ine last sprinj;-. while the crown- 

 g^raftiu^ succeeded. with a loss of tiot more than one per cent. This 

 ilifliculty has occurred once before, but I am unable to assign a 

 satisfactory reason for it. 



The apple trees here were not affected with blight as much as in 

 the two preceding years, and nearly all have made good growth. 



GRAPES. 



The first blossoms of all the grapes were killed by frost, but a 

 good crop matured, especiall}' of lona and Moore's Early. 



The crops of red and black raspberries were below medium in 

 ijuantity. 



Blackberries were nearly a failure. One acre at blossoming time 

 was cut otf close to the ground, and the ground plowed between and 

 close to the rows and thoroughly harrowed both ways till in good 

 condition, and the ground then heavilj- manured. The growth of 

 canea now promises a good crop next j'ear. 



The season has been quite favorable here for all newly set 

 plants, and of course for the growth of weeds also. The outlook at 

 present for fruit next year is much more favorable than at this time 

 last year. There is a better development of fruit buds and more 

 moisture in the soil. 



WINDOM EXPERIMENT STATION. 



DEWAIX COOK, SUPT, 



I herewith present my semi-annual report. Fruit trees ripened up 

 their wood early and are going into winter <juarters in fine condition. 

 There was about six inches of rain fell at one time the latter part of 

 September; still, on account of so much fall wind, the soil is rather 

 dry, rather too much so for the perfect wintering of strawberry 

 plants— of which, by the way, we have the best stand we ever had, con- 

 sisting mostly of Bederwood, Crescent, Warfield, Captain Jack, 

 Enhance, Cumberland and Princess. I name them in the order that 

 I consider most valuable, taking their capacitj- for making plants 

 into consideration. 



I want to amend my midsummer report on currants, which was a 

 little premature. We had the best crop of currants we ever had, 

 and they sold more readily than ever before, owing to the scarcity 

 of other fruit. These currants I refer to were all Red Dutch and were 

 kept heavily mulchecl with cow manure the last three years. My re- 

 port at that time oti Ked Dutch will applj- to one hill that got in by 

 mistake, some half dozen Long Hunch Holland you sent me some 

 three or four years ago, and they were not mulched. Of the un- 

 mulched lot. the Long Bunch Holland were the best and the Red 

 Dutch and North Star the poorest. I believe the Stewart's Seedling 

 to be a valuable addition to our list of currants. 



Of the experimental stock you ordered last spring, the ten four or 

 five year old apple trees from C. G. Patten have not done very well; 

 one of them died during the latter part of the summer: cause, drj- 



