SOUTH DAKOTA AGRICULTURAL COLL. 



relied upon as satisTactory. All the varie' 



ly. 



The plum is the most promising fruit tree 'for this State. I 

 '.; received samples oi' le fruit from native wild groves, 



the trees in the Station orchard are full of promise. The 

 -t of them are hard} 7 and thrifty. There are between thirty 

 forty sorts in the Station experimental orchard of which the 

 --wing are the most promising of those that have fruit 

 Harrison's Peach, DeSoto,- Wolf. 



De Soto and Harrison's Peach ripen about the same time. 

 Last year ripe fruit of these varieties was picked September 6th. 

 Wolf is two week's later. Harrison's Peach is a good sized 

 plum of very fine flavor, yellow with red on sunny side, De 



Soto is a well known standard variety. Wolf fruited better than 







either of the sorts named, but its season is probably too late for 

 the central and northern parts of the State. 



Our cherry trees have not yet fruited. I am told the Barly 

 Richmond cherry is successful in the Southern counties, but it 

 cannot be recommended for the State at large. 



A northeast slope, with rich soil and a porous clay subsoil is 

 -suitable for fruit trees. In level land a wind break on the south 

 and -west affords protection from the hot winds. In this State 

 close planting, should be practiced, the trees should stand from 

 to sixteen feet apar:, thus affording mutual protection. 

 .Low tops would seem to be preferable to high standards as there 

 is thus less liability to sunscald. When trees are first set addi- 

 tional protection from sunscald should be given by leaning the 

 "tree to the two o'clock sun, and by placing a board erect in the 

 :ind so as to shade the trunk of the tree during the heat of the 

 day. Doubtless far more trees are ruined by summer killing 

 .than by cold. 



When fruit trees or shrubs are received from nursery, they 

 should be carefully root pruned, removing only bruised roots 

 and cutting off bruised ends with a clean cut on the under side 

 of the root. The roots should then be dipped in a mixture of 

 fresh cow manure, soil and water, made into a thin mud. They 

 are then read}* for planting, or may be buried until they can be 



