HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 297 



growing to the height of about sixteen inches, and producing small 

 peculiar shaped tubers in abundance. The tubers are of good 

 flavor, but rather too small in size to ever become popular. It is 

 not at all allied to the Jerusalem artichokes, but is a near relation 

 of our mints. 



USE OF ARSENITES ON OUR NATIVE PLUMS TO DESTROY CURCULIO AND 



GONGER. 



In oar experiments trees of several kinds of native plums have 

 been syringed with water containing one teaspoonful of London 

 Purple, to three gallons of water. Alongside of these so treated, 

 were left trees of the same varieties not treated. The result was 

 at once apparent in the improved fruit of the treated varieties. 

 This will be reported on more fully in bulletin No. 10. 



ARBORETUM. 



We think that this season a move will be made on the part of 

 the farm committee of the board of regents to start this most val- 

 uable feature. I am sure that when once fairly started, the wisdom 

 of the move will be so evident that there will be no opposition to 

 its further extension. 



REPORT FKOM OWATONNA EXPERIMENT TREE 



STATION. 



By E. H. S. Dartt, Superintendent. 



The past season has been unfavorable to the growth of trees. 

 The winter of 1888-9 set in after a very dry fall with very little 

 rain or snow and the ground remained nearly bare so that wagons 

 were used the entire winter with the exception of a few days to- 

 wards spring. Though the winter was very mild yet root killing 

 of young apple trees prevailed to a greater extent than it has for 

 many years. One year old trees were most effected. As has been 

 my custom the ground had been sown to oats the previous August 

 but drouth retarded growth and cows got in and cropped off what 

 did grow so that there was really no protection. About J of the 

 trees were killed. The most hardy varieties and the most tender 

 suffered alike. A few Orange Crab seedlings were killed. In 

 most cases enough of each kind has been left for experimental 

 purposes. A very severe frost occurred May 30th, which killed 

 nearly all the growth on young trees of Catalpa, Russian, Mulber- 

 ry, Horse Chestnut, Black Walnut, White Ash, Douglass Spruce, 

 Colorado Blue Spruce, Hemlock Spruce and Siberian Fir. The 

 injury to Douglass and Colorado Blue was greatest destroying the 

 season's growth and it may prove more permanent. Norway and 

 white Spruce were slightly injured, whilst most other trees were 

 unharmed. 



Grapes were badly damaged many canes set with fruit were 

 killed to the ground. 



