FRUIT GROWING ON THe NURTRERN GREAT PLAINS. D 
even when the plants were protected with soil. For well-protected 
places the most promising varieties are the hardy hybrids Beta, 
Monitor, Dakota, and Suelter. 
The named sand cherries bred and introduced by Prof. N. E. Han- 
sen have given excellent results. The Sioux has proved exceptionally 
successful. At the Mandan field station in 1918 nine 3-year-old 
plants produced 28 pounds of cherries of good quality. The bushes 
were hardly more than 2 feet tall. The fruit was ripe August 1. 
The Tomahawk and Hansen’s No. 5 are about 10 days later than the 
Sioux and yield almost as well. 7 
All the native fruits are hardy and worthy of a place in every 
garden or farmstead. The list includes strawberries, currants, goose- 
berries, sand cherries, grapes, June berries, bullberries (or buffalo 
berries), chokecherries, pin cherries, plums, high-bush cranberries, 
black haws, thorn apples (or hawthorns), and hazelnuts. 
ORCHARD OR TREE FRUITS. 
Because of the greater length of time required for experimentation 
with tree fruits there is less conclusive evidence on them than on the 
small fruits, but it is a matter of general knowledge that on the 
whole they have been far from successful on the northern Great 
Plains. | 
Three important lines of experimentation or investigation must be 
considered as offering possibilities for the more successful growth 
of tree fruits in this area and the reduction of failures to a mini- 
mum. These are all fairly distinct but nevertheless dependent upon 
one another. These three lines of work may be stated as follows: 
1. The breeding of desirable hardy varieties for this area. 
2. The determination of the best methods of propagation and the adoption of 
such methods by the commercial propagators who supply the planters in this 
area. 
3. The determination of the planting and cultural systems and methods best 
adapted to the severe conditions of the area. 
BREEDING DESIRABLE HARDY VARIETIES. 
Breeding hardy varieties is logically the fundamental and most 
important phase of the three lines of work, as an inherent lack of 
hardiness can at best be only partially overcome by methods of 
propagation and growth. The necessity for this work is clearly 
shown by a survey of the field and by the failures that have attended 
horticultural efforts. 
So far as is known the Hibernal is the hardiest of the present list 
of apples, but even this is not absolutely hardy under all conditions. 
A few of the crabs, including Transcendent, Virginia, and Lyman 
Prolific, are practically hardy, but just how fruitful and desirable 
