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188 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
them from seed obtained from a high altitude on the eastern slope. 
With this purpose in view I have obtained seed of pinus ponderosa, abies 
pungens, abies Englemanii, abies concolor, pseudotsuga Douglasii, and 
abies sub-Alpina. Some of these kinds have already successfully stood 
six wiuters with us, among which latter are the Colorado blue spruce, 
the Douglas spruce and abies concolor. 
GRAPES. 
The grape crop has been a very good one at the station and very gen- 
erally throughout the state. Owing to the favorable season, vines were 
very free from the injurious fungus diseases which severely injured the 
crops in places the previous season. Under my directions quite extensive 
experiments have been made at Excelsior with fungicides to protect the 
fruit, but on account of the favorable season no important verifications 
of previous results were obtained. The practice of bagging the clusters to 
secure fruit of the finest quality hasagain proven desirable. Some of the 
best varieties ripen much more evenly when thus protected than when 
left uncovered. The disadvantages are that the fruit ripens a little later 
and has a more tender skin. By careful management the expense of bag- 
ging grapes has been reduced to one-fourth cent per pound. Among the 
new varieties fruiting the past season may be mentioned the Moores 
Diamond. This is a white grape of high quality and I think is destined 
to be very popular. It ripens six days before the Concord, the skin is 
thick, berries large, flesh tender and juicy with but little pulp. The 
vine is a good grower, has healthy, thick foliage, and is withal very 
productive. 
Wyoming Red is a very early red grape that is being largely planted in 
eastern vineyards, but with usitis a rather shy bearer. The berries are 
medium in size and pulpy. Itschief meritis itsearliness. It is sometimes 
referred to as an early Delaware. We have now on hand forty-six (46) . 
named kinds. Many plants of such varieties as Clinton, Bacchus, etc., 
we have grafted with better kinds with considerable success. 
The vineyard situated on the south slope of the gravelly knoll at the 
station was heavily mulched last winter to protect it from washing rains 
and from drought, which threatened to entirely destroy it. This treat- 
ment has resulted very favorably, the vines making a fine growth and 
maturiog their fruit and wood in most excellent condition, although we 
had a very severe drought in summmer. 
SMALL FRUIT. 
‘ 
The small fruit interest is yearly increasing in importance. There is 
a loud call for information as to the merits of the many new kinds in- 
troduced from year to year and it isan important part of the work of this 
department to obtain new varieties as soon as may be, and report to the 
public as soon as a reliable test can be made. Our collection of varieties 
is a large one. I do not however take any pride in having a long list of 
varieties for show,and it is my intention to discard any variety obtained as © 
soon as it has been proven poorer than those we now possess. Quite an ex- 
tended report was made upon the subject of small fruit in Bulletin 18. 
We have now on hand thirty-seven varieties of named raspberries, six 
varieties of named blackberries, forty-two varieties of named strawberries. “ 
