MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 29 
of. Very likely our market needs educating, and perhaps the time 
may come when people will appreciate the merits that the Siberian 
have over the common apple. The winter of 1872-3 may have been 
a God-send to croakers and tree men but it was a great misfortune 
to the fruit growers for the time being. 
Transcendent and Hyslop Crabs have borne much less than a full 
crop with some few exceptions. The exceptions are trees upon the 
high bluffs where the blight has not yet reached. The short crop is 
attributed to the fire blight which prevailed more extensively among 
the crabs than usual, while the common apple generally was exempt 
except when growing in the immediate vicinity with crabs. 
Strawberries and Raspberries were a short crop. The Wilson is 
the leading and most popular strawberry grown, and Doolittle’s 
Black Raspberry is more extensively grown than all others. 
Currants and gooseberries were also a poor crop. They were 
probably injured by a late frost and dry weather. 
Yhe grape crop was average, and the quality surpassed any pre- 
vious year. The bunches and berry were somewhat smaller than 
usual, but the richness and sweetness were all there. The most at- 
tention is paid to the cultivation of grapes in the towns of Browns- 
ville, Hokah and LaCrescent. The variety most extensively grown 
are the Concord and the Delaware. 
NEW FRUITS. 
Some new seedling apples and crabs have fruited for the first 
time, but as far as I am able to learn, nothing has been brought out 
that promises to be of any great value. 
Insects injurious to fruit and fruit trees have been more numerous 
and destructive than ever before. The apple worm, the larve of 
the codling moth is doing considerable damage, and unless a uni- 
ted effort is made to head them off and destroy them, sound, fair 
apples will soon be the exception and not the rule. The borer, of 
two or more species, is making sad havoc among the newly planted 
trees, and as but few of our fruit growers have any knowledge of 
entomology, they are compelled to fight them at a disadvantage. 
The twig pruner or saw-worm is increasing to an alarming extent. 
Their visitations may be only periodical, as with the oak tree-pruner, 
but if not, they must be met and conquered, or disaster will be sure 
to follow. By capturing and destroying the perfect beetle before the 
eggs are laid, and gathering and burning all affected branches, they 
may be headed off. I have but just commenced the study of ento- 
mology, but have during the past year raised some of the worms to 
perfect insects, and from the study of their habits am satisfied that 
they may be kept under by keeping paper bands, same as for cod- 
ling moth, about the trees, and removing and killing as often as 
twice a week. The perfect beetle is a neat little fellow, more than 
half an inch long, dark brown color, and belongs to the class of 
snapping bugs, and feeds upon the foliage, and sometimes the fruit, 
of the apple tree. The larve burrows in and feeds upon the pith of 
the branches, and just before entering into the pupa state, saws the 
