EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 305 



MINNESOTA CITY EXPERIMENT STATION. 



(). M. LORD, SUPT. 



The first ripe .strawberries were picked May 30. The last straw- 

 berries were picked June 24. 



The Warfield and Bederwood g^ave the best yield. All varieties 

 were inferior in size and quality. Red and black raspberries are 

 from one-third to half a crop; quality j^ood. Blackberries now 

 promise a g^ood crop. Cherries failed, also currants and goose- 

 berries. -\pples set very well, but are falling off badly, and the 

 trees much blighted. The weather has been excessively wet for 

 fruit. Grapes are well set, and the vines appear vigorous. 



All trees and plants are making vigorous growth. The Cheney, 

 Rockford, Hawkeye, Wolf, Cottrell and a few other kinds are fruit- 

 ing- heavily. Rollingstone, Desota and many others have no plums. 



June 26, 1896. 



J. S. HARRIS. 



He who has planted trees has done well, but he who is watching 

 them and careing for their healthy growth is doing better. Both in 

 orchard and nursery some pruning is necessary, and now until the 

 middle of July is the very best season of the year for light pruning 

 and shaping the heads of trees. There would seldom arise any 

 occasion for heavy pruning if the young trees were properly looked 

 after. The rubbing off of a surplus bud here and pinching in a 

 rampant shoot there, and the judicious use of the pocket knife as 

 occasion requires, would soon put the young orchard in the waj' it 

 should go. A limb should never be removed unless something is 

 to be gained. Injudicious removals of branches because it is the 

 season for pruning should not be commended. 



Never use the axe or the hatchet for pruning. For large branches 

 use a sharp saw with wide set teeth, and leave a smooth cut by 

 paring it carefully with the knife or chisel, and cover all wounds 

 that will not heal over in a single season with grafting wax or shel" 

 lac varnish. Form the heads of trees while young. For this climate 

 low heads are the best to shade and protect the trunk by their over- 

 hanging branches, but they should not be so low that large branches 

 must necessarily be removed in after years. About three feet is a 

 good height to start the head. It is better to shade the trunk a few 

 years than start it lower. This is a good season to remove suckers 

 and root sprouts; although they may afford some protection against 

 sunscald they do a greater injury in diverting the sap from the tree 

 and impeding its growth. 



Trees in the nursery should be frecjuently looked over, and wher- 

 ever a branch starts in a place where it will not be needed or where 

 it will make a sharp fork, it should be promptly removed. 



