FRUIT BLOSSOMS. 349 



Berries.— Keep the new beds free from weeds. The hotter and 

 dryer the weather, the faster the purshine will grow. Keep it hoed 

 out of tlie rows, and rake into piles between the rows or carry it off and 

 feed to tlie pigs. When the rows are siifliciently tilled with plants, 

 it in well to keep the runners clipped to prevent tlie formation of 

 a surplus of weak and inferior plants. 



When the raspberries and blackberries are done bearing-, cutaway 

 canes that have borne fruit and then cut the suckers of red raspber- 

 ries and blackberries to a suflicient number for next year's fruiting 

 and give them a chance to get well matured by the end of the sea- 

 son. They should be kept clean from grass and weeds, so that hoe- 

 ing and cultivating may not be necessarj' after the middle of this 

 month. No more pinching back of canes of grapes or berry plants 

 should be done after the first of this month. With the berries there 

 is danger of next year's fruiting bud.« being forced into growth and 

 the wood failing to ripen up ready for winter, and with grapes it 

 retards ripening somewhat, besides weakening the vines and invit- 

 inji" mildew and rot. 



FRUIT BLOSSOMS. 



R. S. MACKINTOSH, ST. ANTHONY PARK. 



The following is a short report on the blooming of some of the 

 fruits noted this spring (189()). The dates are from the experiment 

 station and consequently may differ from other localities. 



The Cheney plum first opened May 2, followed by the standard 

 varieties the 4th inst. The Strawberry crab and Duchess apple 

 opened the 4th, followed by the W^ealthy and others the 6th inst. 

 The weather up to the 11th was very favorable for the insects to 

 carry pollen. On the 11th and I'Jth, there were showers with con- 

 siderable wind, which washed olT nearly all the petals. 



In some sections south of here, the plums were in bloom before 

 the above and suffered considerablj' by being open when the weather 

 was wet and windy. 



The currants blossomed full, but for some reason did not set 

 much fruit. From several places I have been told the conditions 

 were as above. 



At the university farm the first bloom was seen on the strawber- 

 ries May 27th, somewhat later than in many other places. The 

 weather, most of the time was favorable for pollenation, but those 

 that blossomed earlier did not have as favorable weather. 



Raspberries and blackberries opened the last of May and were 

 full of bloom. The fruit has set very well. 



IXTERXATIOXAL HORTICULTURAL EXPOSITION.— It is proposed to 

 hold an international horticultural exhibition in Hamburg, Ger- 

 many, in 1S97. Everythitig pertaining to horticultural and botanical 

 culture is to be presented at this e.Miibition, which will remain open 

 all summer. 



