354 ANISTTAL KEPORT. 



apples year by year; but what if our Michigan friends fail to raise 

 fruit to spare? My response is, as a Michigan friend told me last 

 spring, "Minnesota can, does and will raise better apples than they 

 do south and east of us. But it takes work to do it." 



For our county. Wealthy, Dutchess, Utter, Telofski, Fameuse, 

 Golden Russett, Talman Sweet, Red Astrachan, Orange, Trans- 

 cendent and Hyslop seem to take the lead. Of grapes. Concord, 

 Delaware and Janesville. Of raspberries, Turner, Philadelphia. 

 I am experimenting with Seedling black caps. Have one very 

 good one. One of the best to can and will prove a No. 1 in aV' 

 points, I think. Its own seedlings seem to be good, also so far as 

 trial. As to strawberries, with me Capt. Jack, Crescent and Grreen's 

 Prolific, pay best; while in the valley below me Capt. Jack is prone 

 to run too much to vine. Hart's Minnesota leaf-blights. So we 

 must plant what does best on our own soils. Have not seen any 

 insect enemy on the strawberry plants in our vicinity. 



Of twenty kinds of potatoes on trial in 1883, I like Rural Blush, 

 Late Beauty of Hebron, Tioga, American Giant, Manhattan, Early 

 Ohio, Belle and Bliss Triumph, the best. T have a white sport of 

 the Manhattan of my own raising, which on one year's trial seems 

 good. 



Gregory's Dan vers Carrot and his Early Red Globe Onion were 

 splendid. 



W. K. BATES. 



FRUIT REPORT FROM HOUSTON COUNTY. 



The fruit crop of last year in Houston county was unsatisfactory, 

 and the season will long be remembered for its many peculiarities. 

 Apparently fruit trees and plants entered upon the last winter in 

 the most favorable condition, and the soil although not saturated 

 with water was not dangerously dry. Winter set in about the 7th 

 of December, when the thermometers marked 20° below zero, and 

 continued below two or three days. This was followed with fine 

 weather, frequently above the freezing point, until the 31st, when 

 the mercury decreased to 10*^ below. During the following sixty 

 days the thermometers indicated below zero the greater part of the 

 time, and more than once from 20 to 30 below. 



The snow fall was of unusual depth and remained upon the 

 ground until April The spring following was cold and backward, 

 and marked by frequent frosts until near the first of June. The 



