EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 239 



Preparations have been made for making 2,000 root grafts of about 

 «eventy-flve varieties, among which are a goodly number of seedlings from 

 the best Russian varieties, also seedlings of the Wealthy and other Amer- 

 ican apples. Mr, Gideon's noted Minnesota seedlings are all on trial, and 

 when King Cold comes around again as he did in 1884 and 1885 and knocks 

 out all the varieties that he did then and others of like ilk, we may rea- 

 sonably hope that by noting the survival of the fittest a few varieties 

 may be found of real permanent value. The orchard now contains 600 

 trees, and 120 more will be added in the spring. All trees have done fairly 

 well, none being injured by cold and few by blight. 



As I intimated in my last report, the work of the stations has out- 

 grown the appropriation for expenses. Those of your members who are 

 or have been nurserymen, and have kept fifty varieties from getting mixed, 

 as our Russian varieties are now mixed, may realize how much care and 

 attention is necessary to keep six or seven hundred varieties so that any 

 one can be readily found. And again, if they will survey the whole field 

 and note the fact that there are no recorded precedents or books showing 

 how best to do these things, and consider the further necessity of finding 

 some method by which three or four hundred dollars' worth of work can 

 be done for $200, they will extend sympathy at last. 



As it is likely that nine- tenths ob more of all the varieties of apples and 

 crab apples we have on trial will fail in some of the essential points, we 

 will economize by not reporting failures, except as regards well known 

 varieties. Persons desiring information in regard to those not reported 

 should ask for it. 



Surplus stock can be disposed of much more cheaply by way of the 

 brush pile than by packing and shipping, which requires preparation, 

 makes much trouble, and will not pay when done on a very small scale. 

 The ultimate benefits are likely to be just as great by the former method, 

 for by the latter method many things would be sent out not having been 

 fully tried. 



