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New York AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 29 
The horticultural work at the station is devoted chiefly to variety 
' tests of new fruits and vegetables. The orchards now contain 
of apples, 444 varieties, pears 140 varieties, peaches 108 varieties, 
apricots fifteen varieties, nectarines ten varieties, plums sixty 
-yarieties and cherries forty varieties. 
The vineyard contains 161 specimens of named grapes and 106 
seedlings not named. | 
It requires but a short time comparatively speaking to test ihe 
small fruits. Many varieties of these fruits have already been 
reported on and then removed to make room for new comers. 
(Eighth Annual Report, pp. 298--811; Ninth Annual Report, pp. 
259--280 : Tenth Annual Report, pp. 460--472; Bulletins, Nos. 24, 
36 and 44.) At present we are testing of strawberries, named 
varieties, 165; station seedlings not named, 400; eooseberries, 226; 
raspberries, sixty-six; blackberries, thirty-six; currants (red and 
white), twenty-two, and currants (black), ten. 
Encouraging results have been obtained in improving straw- 
berries by systematic crossing. Bulletins 24, 36 and 44; Eighth 
Annual Report, p. 307; Ninth Annual Report, pp. 274--276; Tenth 
Annual Report, p. 457.) The work of originating desirable varieties 
by systematic plant breeding has also been extended to other fruits. 
The results of testing these varieties of fruit are published each 
_ year in the station bulletins or in the annual report. 
Black knot of plum and cherry.—The disease of plum and cherry 
trees known as the black- knot has devastated the plum orchards 
in some of the oldest plum growing localities of the State. Its 
destruction in these places literally defies description, and riding 
through the country one wearies of the sight of black and dying 
trees. In some other sections of the State where the area devoted 
to plum growing is being constantly increased this disease is also 
increasing in prevalence and menaces orchards which have been 
brought into bearing at great expense. 
Some enterprising plum growers realizing that they could not 
afford to trifle with the presence of the black knot if they would 
preserve their orchards, by united effort secured the passage of the 
black knot law by the last Legislature. Since the passage of this 
