200 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



out the old wood, and they came out better than the others. The 

 season's o^rowth of canes for next jear has not been as luxuriant as 

 usual. The cause is partly from injury by the May frosts and the 

 extreme drouth that has prevailed during the autumn. The wood 

 appears to be well ripened up, and I shall not g-ive these winter 

 protection. The setting of blackcaps in rows four feet apart and 

 after the next season's crop is taken off removing everj' alternate 

 row, has proved more profitable than planting the rows wider apart 

 and raising catch crops between the first year; and with such 

 seasons as the two last I am satisfied that it will not pay to hold a 

 plantation for more than two crops. This year we are trying the 

 plan of alternating the rows with reds and blacks with the view of 

 removing the blacks as soon as they have done fruiting next year 



The currants bore an extraordinary crop, but the qualitj-^ was not 

 quite the best on some varieties owing to an injury to the foliage 

 that caused it to drop before they were dead ripe. The Red Dutch 

 and White Dutch suffered the most, and the Long Bunch Holland 

 and Victoria the least; the North Star was slightly affected but not 

 to the injury of the fruit, and it promises to become our most valu- 

 able variety. 



The native plum crop was fair, the Cheney and Rollingstone bear- 

 ing to their fullest capacity and other varieties more or less. The 

 Blackhawk was heavily loaded, but the fruit was small and poor in 

 quality. The most promising of the newer varieties was Pifer's 

 Peach. The blooming season was favorable for insects working in 

 flowers, and they were thoroughly pollenized. Although the fruit 

 was apparently frozen after formed, it was not injured, and we had 

 no plixm pockets. 



The grape crop was nearly a failure from the effects of the May 

 frosts. No mildew has been observed. The growth this season has 

 been less than common. 



The leading objectof this station is the trial of the Russian apples, 

 such of American varieties as have not been thoroughly tested and all 

 new seedlings and novelties as fast as trees or scions can be procured. 

 Our work in that line has always been experimental, and since 185(5 

 several hundred varieties have been planted, and twice our orchard 

 has been nearly annihilated from unfavorable climatic causes. 

 Since the last calamitj^ in 1884-5, our work has been exclusively ex- 

 perimental, and since 1880 plats and records are kept of everything 

 that is planted. The orchard at present is in a very encouraging 

 condition. The growth of the season has been fair and ]iealthj^,and 

 most of the varieties have ripened up their growth early, though 

 the buds of some started somewhat again this fall, but the soil be- 

 ing dry through the aututnn I do not think they have started to an 

 injurious degree. The greatest danger now to be feared is from 

 root killing, as the ground is dead dry to a great depth, except an 

 inch or two on the surface. 



The orchard has not suffered verj' much from blight for two years 

 past. About 150 varieties were planted this 5'ear, but as small trees 

 suffered more from the May frost than larger ones a great manj' of the 

 varieties did not mature more than from one or two to a half dozen 



