234 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 



L. J. tlJEMSE, HADER. 



Last year I became one of the members of j^our society, and at the 

 last annual meeting, held at Lake City, was appointed on the com- 

 mittee on " Plums and Cherries." I have tried during the spring and 

 summer to be on the lookout for facts relating to these two subjects, 

 but have been only partially successful for three reasons, viz: first, 

 my experience in horticulture; second, the unfavorable state of the 

 weather during the spring; third, the scarcity of named varieties 

 cultivated in m}^ neighborhood. I ask, therefore, the society to deal 

 leniently with me and mj' somewhat meager report. 



This spring (1895) was an early one and flowers began to appear on 

 the plum trees during the last week in April, and they continued blos- 

 soming through the first three weeks in May. May 4th a hailstorm 

 passed over here, lasting about twenty minutes, and a whole lot of 

 the flowers were knocked off, but not so many as to seriously injure 

 the prospects of a fair crop. 



Between the 10th and the llth, a spell of cold weather set in, and 

 the ground froze, and ice formed on the water during the nights. 

 Only a few flowers escaped injury, and the fruit from these was 

 small and most of it injured by the curculio. On June 23d another 

 hailstorm passed over parts of this county and destroj'ed what had 

 been spared by the frost. 



There are three or four fanners not far from here that raised a 

 fair crop of apples and a few plums. They were fortunate enough 

 to escape the hail, and their orchards were protected on the north 

 and west sides by thickets, which shielded them from the cold wind 

 and saved them from injury by the frost. 



Out in the woods where the hail did not hurt, the choke-cherry, 

 pin-cherry and black-cherry bore a lot of fruit. Even where the 

 trees stood exposed, some fruit was found. This was, no doubt, 

 owing to the fact that the cherry trees put forth their blossoms 

 after the cold spell in May was over. 



Of named varieties found here, I have nothing to sa3',as none bore 

 fruit. 



The foliage was not much injured, and fewer insects were found 

 on the trees this year than last. 



If I should make any suggestions, which would be rather prepos- 

 terous in one so inexi^erienced, I would say: 



1. Protect your orchards well on the north and west sides by 

 planting a substantial windbreak. 



2. In the spring have straw and refuse piled up at different places 

 in your orchard ready to be set on fire when you fear a cold night- 

 The heat and smoke wafted between the trees may save your fruit 

 crop and well repay the trouble taken. 



