306 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Grafts set last spring will now show whether they have taken. In 

 cleft-graftinjr, often two scions have been inserted; when both have 

 taken, one should be removed, or a dang-erous fork will be formed 

 that at some future time may ruin the tree by splitting apart. Insects 

 will still be getting in their injurious work and should be looked 

 after and destroyed whenever discovered. 



Because the fore part of the season has been wet, mulching must 

 not be forgotten. The wet has had a tendency to cause a free growth 

 of trees without a corresponding growth of the deeper roots, and 

 extreme heat and drouth in July and August will bring disaster. 

 In July we expect scorching hot weather, and very likely some 

 weeks of drouth. Mulching is necessary to even up the temperature 

 of the soil and prevent the rapid evaporation of moisture. It may 

 be a dust mulch by frequent shallow cultivation of the surface, or 

 an application of fresh mown clover, broken straw or other mate- 

 rial — even clear sand is good. 



In the fruit garden. Raspberries are now in full bearing and 

 will need to be picked daily. As soon as all the crop is gathered, 

 cut out the old canes and surplus new ones, leaving enough for next 

 year's fruiting, and keep well hoed. Weak and needless shoots may 

 be removed from the currants, and any branches infested with borers 

 should be cut off and burned. If another crop of worms appears 

 after the fruit is gathered, give the borers a thorough spraying with 

 the Paris green solution. Keep the blackberries hoed or mulched 

 and tie up heavy fruiting branches to the trellis. Grape vines that 

 are not fruiting need equal care with others. It is of great import- 

 ance to encourage a strong growth of yovmg wood; keep the fruiting 

 vines well tied to trellis or stakes; do not pull or break out laterals, 

 but it is well to pinch out the point after a good leaf has formed 

 and again after the next has formed. Also keep a good look out for 

 insects. In case mildew or rot appears, spray with Bordeaux 

 mixture. 



The two last seasons have shown the weakness of holding straw- 

 berry beds more than one season. Beds to be carried over should 

 be mowed and hand weeded or burned over, and the rows nar- 

 rowed up when cultivating the alleys between. The application of 

 well rotted manure will give paying resiilts. The beds set this sea- 

 son should be kept thoroughly cultivated and hoed, and it pays to 

 spend a little time in directing runners, to form plants where 

 wanted and not let them get too thick in patches. After enough 

 plants have formed, keep the runners cut off to prevent the forma- 

 tion of more and save the strength in the plants for next year's 

 fruiting. 



In the kitchen garden the crops are generally well established, 

 but as a good crop of vegetables and of weeds and grass cannot be 

 grown at the same time, so the success will depend in great part 

 upon the thoroughness of the midsummer's hoeing and cultivation. 

 Small weeds are more easily destroyed than larger ones, and a single 

 weed should not be allowed to pass between the hoeings. 



The lawn. Although the abundance of the spring ilowering is 

 over, the lawn and flower garden should not be allowed to rnn into 

 neglect. Weeds should be kept out, plants kept tied up and un- 

 sightly flower stalks removed, and an air of neatness secured 

 throughout the entire season. 



