EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 279 



wood crab and Dartt's hybrid apples. We are collecting quite an amount 

 of material with the purpose in view of distributing it from time to time 

 as it becomes large enough for the purpose. It is not our intention to 

 distribute to all who ask, but to send to experiment stations first and 

 to supply the remainder to intelligent careful growers as may be recom- 

 mended. 



RUSSIAN APPLE ORCHARD. 



Although this orchard is in an exposed place, not at all adapted for 

 successful orchard growing, yet the trees have made a vigorous growth 

 and are exceedingly promising and free from blight. In pruning these trees 

 it has been my aim to encourage low branching and especially the growth 

 of limbs on the southerly half of the trunk. 



Further than this and the removing of interlocking branches, I have 

 gone on the principle that the less pruning done the better. On the 

 land between the trees I have grown Hubbard squash, which is one of 

 the finest crops to grow in an orchard as well as a profl table one. 



Some trees of Koursk Anisand Summer Calville, that have been set six 

 years, gave a little fruit. Most of the older trees give promise of fruit for 

 next year. The fo llowing varieties have been added to the list the past 

 year: Okabena, Northwestern, Greening, Thompson Seedlings, Green- 

 wood Crab, Brackett's Seedling Pear, Gokonsha Pear. In our nursery 

 orchard, which is set mostly with well known varieties, we have had an 

 abundant yield of Wealthy,- Tetofsky, Beech's Sweet. Orange Crab, 

 Pearce's Crab, Straw berry Crab, and a small yield of Duchess, Grant, Swaars 

 and Whitney. 



In the immediate vicinity of the state farm the Pride of Minneapolis 

 crab is gaining very much in favor as a reliable and heavy bearer. I have 

 also most excellent reports from other localities in the state. I think it 

 might often be planted to advantage. It is, as you all know, an early 

 winter apple. 



THE NEW ORCHARD LOCATION. 



We have cleared off the timber (mostly oak), from about two acres of 

 land on the north side of the hill on the state farm, and expect to have 

 the land fitted and planted out to apple trees the coming spring. This 

 will give us a location for an experiment orchard that is very favorable 

 for such purposes, and will supplement our present orchards. The tilla- 

 ble soil is about eighteen inches deep and overlays a gravelly subsoil, con- 

 taining some clay. 



PLUMS. 



The crop of plums borne on our De Soto trees was something astonish- 

 ing. I wish that every farmer in the state could have seen them. These 

 trees commenced to bear three years ago, and have borne heavy crops 

 every year since. The Forest Garden and Weaver have yielded good crops. 

 The Kollingstone has not done as well on our grounds as I had expected. 

 On the ground of Mr. O. M. Lord, of Minnesota City, it produces the finest 

 native plums I have seen, but with us they do not bear so abundantly as 

 others, and the fruit is much more injured by the work of the curculio. 



Several new varieties of plums have been received on trial, besides 

 which we have seedlings of our own, and have sown the past fall about 

 one bushel of seeds from select varieties. 



