EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 301 



averajjfe winters. The injury done was underground and out of 

 sight, but the conditions that have so far prevailed since the close 

 of the winter liave been such as to favor recuperation and start 

 growth and not call upon the roots for reinforcements before they 

 have had time to actjuire any reserve force; and I am of tlie opinion 

 that the damage done will not be very great beyond injury to the 

 crops of the present year and perhaps the next year following, which 

 maj' result from the loss of fruit spurs through the agency of 

 blight, that is very severe in some localities. 



The strawberry season is past, and the crop on the station was 

 even a greater failure than it was last year when cut off by frost. 

 The causes we attribute it to are, first, a weak root system, caused by 

 the drouth; second, the loss of many roots by winter-killing: third, an 

 early luxuriant growth of foliage forced bj' atmospheric conditions 

 l)efore the roots had made any growth — cloudy weather and too 

 much rain while in bloom preventing pollenization and followed by 

 hot blighting winds that occured during the early part of May. The 

 result is very few fully developed berries. Old grassy beds have 

 done much better than plantations made the last year. There 

 seemed to be no particular difference in the yield and c|uality of the 

 older varieties. 



Among the newer varieties on trial, the Sparta, a new variety from 

 the Thaj-er Fruit Farm, is very promising as a poUenizer and as a 

 market berry. The fruit is of a rich deep color, texture firm.flavor good- 

 Next to the Sparta, the Robinson gave the best yield of merchant- 

 able fruit of all of thestaminate varieties. Of pistillatee, the Timbrel 

 is a line bearer of excellent fruit for home use, but not desirable for 

 market. The Greenville also produced better than the Warfield, 

 Crescent or Bubach. 



The winter was hard on the raspberry, especially the reds, which 

 were badly killed back to where protection was given and to the 

 ground when not protected, and theShatfer,which suffered worse than 

 any other variety, either red or black. We had two plants each of the 

 Lou«lon and Columbian raspberries, furnished us last spring by 

 Professor Green; neither of them were laid down or covered during 

 the winter. The Loodon camethrough without injury;the Columbian 

 was badly killed back, but canes starting near the surface of the 

 ground are now well loaded with fruit. The promise now is for a 

 tine crop of blackcaps. The Palmer, Older and Ohio were the least 

 injured by the winter. The crop of currants and goosberries is a 

 failure, therefore we will have no opportunity to make com- 

 parison. Of blackberries, we have abandoned the cultivation, 

 except a few for home use, for which purpose we find the Ancient 

 Briton the best and most reliable. 



Natif-e Plums: -Our trees apparently endured the winter perfectly 

 and bloomed most profusely. The weather was unfavorable at the 

 time of blooming, especially for the earlier varieties, being cloudy 

 and showery, aiul no insects of anj' kind were about them before the 

 bloom had fallen, except on the Desota and Kollingstone, that 

 bloomed about two days later. The trees of most of the varieties 

 are not carrying any fruit, but the Desota is bearing abundantly 



