280 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



quiet place to do its deadly work. By setting the trees farther 

 apart these difficulties are more or less obviated. 



The plum trees we obtained last year from the Minnesota 

 Fruit-Breeding Farm had been heeled in and were transplanted 

 in the trial orchard. We also ventured to set out a small pear 

 orchard of thirty-two trees. The trees of this orchard consist 

 of Prof. N. E. Hansen's hybrid pears Nos. 3, 10, 12, 13, 24 and 

 38; of Chas. Patten's seedling, and of two Chinese varieties from 

 the U. S. Department of Agriculture. These pears are all very 

 hardy and so far free from blight. 



In the nursery were lined out several hundred apple and 

 plum grafts, mostly of Wealthy and plum No. 8. We obtained 

 quite a lot of new material for trial, which was also planted in 

 the nursery. We received eight varieties of hybrid pears from 

 Prof. N. E. Hansen, Brookings, S. D., and from the U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture fourteen varieties of Chinese and hybrid 

 pears, four varieties of Russian hybrid plums, one each of a 

 prune, apricot and peach. Prof. Hansen's hybrids are one year 

 old budded trees of Chinese and American parentage considered 

 hardy and immune to blight. Those from the Department of 

 Agriculture are either pure Chinese pears or hybrids of Chinese 

 and American varieties, also thought free from blight, but their 

 hardiness may be deficient. The four kinds of plums are hybrids 

 between the sloe — a small, wild, spiny plum, and the green Reine 

 Claude. These plums ought to be hardy here as they come from 

 central Russia. The peach is only a wild shrub from Siberia, and 

 the prune and apricot are not supposed to stand our climate. 

 Besides this there are on trial a green plum (seedling) and three 

 fine hardy apple seedlings. So we have enough new material on 

 hand for trial, and we expect to find at least a few varieties 

 adapted to our conditions. 



But we have some more new things. From the Fruit-Breed- 

 ing Farm we obtained twenty-seven new varieties of grape vines. 

 We are very glad to have them. They were given the best loca- 

 tion at our disposal by cutting out some old Concords and giving 

 their place to these new arrivals. They will get good care, but 

 will not be protected over winter to test their hardiness, and if 

 the fruit is found superior to that of the Beta they will be re- 

 tained. We also received three dozen strawberry plants of No. 

 935 and ten raspberries of No. 4. All these plants were carefully 

 planted and are growing nicely. Last year's raspberry plants 

 are now transplanted on a better location and are expected to do 

 better this year. 



