PAYNESVILLE TRIAL STATION. 285 



Paynesville Trial Station. 



FRANK BROWN, SUPT. 



June 16. — The past winter has again demonstrated to us 

 that we are not in the banana belt, as some of our traveling sales- 

 men seem to think. 



One of the worst losses has occurred in Opata and Sapa 

 plums, seemingly as hardy as an oak ; still many trees have failed 

 to answer nature's call to life this spring. 



The trees, plants, etc., sent out from the Fruit-Breeding 

 Farm have mostly gone through the past winter in good shape. 

 The plum trees are all alive and growing finely; No. 12 is again 

 full of fruit, but a frost last night (June 15th) may make a dif- 

 ference with results. 



The two raspberry varieties sent out the spring of 1916 are 

 still alive. No. 30 froze back quite badly, but is recovering nicely 

 and will be fairly well loaded with fruit; the new canes of this 

 spring's growth are also budding and bid fair to fruit. No. 31 

 did not grow as well last season, froze back about the same as 

 No. 30, and is making about the same recovery. 



The apple varieties sent at the same time all are alive and 

 are doing fairly well. 



Minnesota No. 4 raspberry is coming to the front with a 

 speed that bids fair to put it in the class that is now occupied 

 entirely by Minnesota No. 3 strawberry. This raspberry came 

 through the past winter in perfect condition. It is a good plant 

 maker, seems to be healthy in all ways, and so far is just what 

 we have been looking for in a raspberry. 



The grapes sent to this station this spring are all alive and 

 doing well, but for several years the late frosts have damaged 

 the new growth on grapes to such an extent that results are very 

 discouraging. 



The strawberries received this spring are looking very fine, 

 the foliage is an intense dark green, and the plants are certainly 

 pushers. I hope the berries are as good as the plants. 



To Improve An Old Lawn that has become run down is often more 

 difficult than to make a new one, but if reasonably good turf exists, it can 

 be bettered materially by reseeding and fertilizing. If the lawn is patchy, 

 the small areas should be scratched with a steel rake, dressed with loam or 

 compost and the seed sown on this. If large areas of the lawn have a thin 

 covering of turf it will be advantageous to use a disc seeder. After seeding 

 a second dressing of loam or compost should be applied and the areas rolled 

 lightly. 



