332 ANNUAL REPORT 



# 



Bush Cranberry, and the Hydrangea Paniculata Grandiflora are 

 not used more in ornamenting gardens. The red fruit of the for- 

 mer and the creamy white blossoms of the latter make a combina- 

 tion rarely excelled. We have so few fall flowering shrubs, that 

 two such reliable ones ought to be recognized in every garden. 



I am often asked to name some kind of vine that is suitable for 

 porches, screens, etc. I have in mind one that I have tested for sev- 

 eral years past and that has never failed me once— Clematis Viticel- 

 la. I have about half a dozen plants around my plant room to 

 keep out the strong sun of summer, and they do it effectually. 

 Usually after the first summer and always after the second it will 

 send up vines 12 to 14 feet long. It has fine graceful foliage 

 and pretty blue flowers in profusion. In the fall when I want the 

 sunlight again, the vines are pulled down leading them on the 

 ground. In the spring as the plants acquire age— a good deal of 

 the old wood will be found alive; if not, no matter, as it will send 

 up many sprouts from the root that will make their twelve to 

 fourteen feet growth before flowering. 



In spite of the failures of the past season every flower lover is 

 even now filled with great expectations for the coming season, and 

 may it be a more favorable one. 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON EXPLORATION OF 



FRUITS. 



By O. F. Brand, Faribault. 



In the spring of 1889 vegetation was very forward. The spring 

 was the dryest known for 15 years. May the 4tn the wind that had 

 been in the north for several days changed to the south and blew 

 a gale until 5 p. m. of the 8th. The first plum blossoms were seen 

 on the 3d and the first apple blossoms on the 4th. On the 6th 

 apples were in full bloom. I supposed th°i hot, strong south wind 

 would have destroyed the blossoms. The temperature ranged from 

 74 to 86 above. As large a crop as was ever known set on the trees 

 of plums, crabs, Duchess and seedlings. May 22d, heavy frost, 

 followed by still lower temperature on the 29th, 30th and 31st. Ap- 

 ples and crabs nearly all froze and dropped off. My first visit to 

 other orchards was May 20th, when I called on Mr. J. G. Miller, of 

 Richland, Rice county. His orchard, on the prairie east of the 

 big woods, had set a large crop of fruit. The Peerless and all the 

 other seedlings, crabs and Duchess, promised a heavy crop, but 

 they were frozen a few days later. I noticed the Aphis already very 

 numerous in this orchard. 



The next orchard I saw was that of Alex. Douglass, in Blue 

 Earth county. He has a few seedling trees about 8 or 9 years old 

 bearing well. One of these trees bears an apple about like Wealthy. 

 Buds were procured and put on to Transcendent last August. The 

 seeds from which these trees grew were brought from Massachu- 

 setts, but from what variety 1 could not be sure. 



