shrubbery have done well; no complaint as far as growth is concerned.
This being an off year for fruit in this section, the fruit crop in
general was light, the late frost and heavy rains destroying most all,
both wild and tame fruits.
The strawberries, raspberries and currants were fairly good; plums and
apples were very light, except some seedlings, both apples and plums,
which seemed to hold their fruit. Most all the large apples were
destroyed by the freeze, such as Duchess, Wealthy, Greening and
Hibernal. There were some of the Duchess seedlings that seemed to stand
all kinds of freezing.
[Illustration: Jas. Arrowood in his trial orchard, at Nevis, in Northern
Minnesota.]
Now in regard to the fruits that were sent here from Central station.
The majority are doing fairly well, especially in regard to strawberry
No. 3, which is doing splendidly and points to be the coming strawberry
of northern Minnesota. It is a good runner and has a large, dark
foliage. Plants that we left out last winter without covering came
through in splendid condition and made a heavy crop. In regard to the
fruit, it is of the best quality, large and firm and a good keeper. In
regard to raspberries, Nos. 1, 4 and 7 did very well, and stood the
winter without laying down, and bore a good crop.
In regard to the eighteen plum trees I received three years ago, Nos. 1,
4, 5, 6, 7, and 12 have done very well and have made a good growth, but
have had no fruit so far.
The sand cherry that was received the same year, No. 2, has done very
well and bore some fruit this last year of a fair quality.
Hansen cherries are doing fairly well and bore some fruit this year.
Now in regard to plums that were received in 1914 Nos. 2, 3, 8, 10, 13,
20, have all made a good growth. What was received in 1915 have all
grown.
The grapes that we received two years ago have made but little growth.
There were no grapes in this section this year; they all froze off about
twice.
I received at the county fair about sixteen first prizes on apples and
plums this year. We did considerable top-working, mostly on Hibernals
and native seedlings, which are doing very well. Some of our seedling
cherries are commencing to bear and show to be perfectly hardy. They are
of the Oregon strain of sweet cherry.
In regard to gardens, they were fairly good throughout the section. Corn
crop a failure.
In regard to the condition of the trees and shrubbery, this are going
into their winter quarters with lots of moisture and with a large amount
of fruit buds, with a good prospect for fruit next year.
* * * * *
DESTROYING PLANT LICE.--According to the results of experiments
a 10 per cent kerosene emulsion should prove effective against the green
apple aphis. The kerosene emulsion made either with 66 per cent stock,
10 per cent, or with naphtha soap and cold water, seemed to kill all the
green apple aphides. The 40 per cent nicotine solution, with a dilution
up to 1 to 2,000 combined with soap, were likewise effective
aphidicides. The kerosene emulsions under 10 per cent were not
satisfactory, neither were the soaps at the strengths tested, except
that fish-oil soap, 5 to 50, killed 90 per cent of the aphides. Laundry
soap, 3 to 50, was effective against the young aphides only. Arsenate of
lead alone, as was to be expected, had little or no effect upon the
aphides. The combination of arsenate of calcium with kerosene emulsions
is not a desirable one, since an insoluble calcium soap is formed,
thereby releasing some free kerosene.--U.S. Dpt. of Agri.
New Fruits Originated at Minnesota Fruit-Breeding Farm.
CHAS. HARALSON, SUPT., EXCELSIOR.
The subject on which I am to talk is rather difficult to present at this
time, but I will mention a few of the most promising new varieties.
[Illustration: The new and valuable hardy raspberry No. 4, growing at
State Fruit-Breeding Farm.]
We have developed several hundred new varieties of fruit since we
started fruit-breeding at the State Fruit Farm. Many of them are very
promising, but it probably will take several years before we really know
what we have that will be of value to the public.
We have been growing thousands of seedlings of apples, plums, grapes,
raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries and currants, from which
valuable varieties have been selected. All of them have been put under
propagation in a small way for testing at the Fruit Farm, trial
stations and many other places. Some very favorable reports from several
places have been received during the last year from parties who have
fruited these new creations. We also have some hybrid peach and apricot
seedlings which have stood the test of the last two winters. Some of
them blossomed very freely last spring, but on account of the hard
freeze in May they did not set any fruit. I hope to be able to report on
these another year.
[Illustration: Hybrid plum No. 21--at Minnesota State Fruit-Breeding
Farm.]
The results of breeding strawberries have given us one everbearing and
one June-bearing variety, which have been tested in many places
throughout the state. The June-bearing variety has been introduced as
Minnesota No. 3. The berries are almost identical with Senator Dunlap in
color and shape, but somewhat larger and, I think, more productive. The
plants are equal to Dunlap in hardiness, or more so, a stronger plant,
and a good plant-maker. The fruiting season is about a week earlier than
Dunlap. It is a firm berry and stands shipping a long distance. My
belief is that this variety will make one of the best commercial berries
for the Northwest.
The everbearing variety is known as No. 1017. It is a large, round
berry, dark red color, and is of the best quality. This variety is
strong and vigorous and a good plant-maker when blossoms are picked off
early in the season. It is also very productive. The blossoms and
berries on a number of plants were counted in October, and we found all
the way from 200 to 345 berries and blossoms on single plants. This is,
of course, a little more than the average, but it shows what it will do
under ordinary conditions. This variety has been growing next to
Progressive, on the same soil, with the same cultivation, and I think
that persons who have seen it this summer will agree with me that it is
far ahead of Progressive in size and productiveness. I will say right
here, if you expect to have a good crop of fruit in the fall, keep the
most of the runners off. If you encourage them to make runners, or
plants, you will have less fruit.
The raspberries sent out as Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, are all worthy
of trial. The No. 4 has fruited several years and gave the best showing
so far. The fruit resembles the Marlboro somewhat, but the color is
darker. It is not one of very high quality, but the size of the berry
and its appearance will more then make up for this. The canes and
foliage are generally healthy and very hardy. This variety will be
planted very extensively just as soon as enough stock can be supplied to
fruit growers.
The Burbank crossed with Wolf, hybrid plums. There have been several of
these sent out to trial stations, and as premiums to members of the
Horticultural Society. I will mention them in order as to size of fruit.
No. 5, 12, 4, and 6 will measure 1-3/4 inch in diameter. Nos. 21, 10,
17, 9, and No. 1 are nearly as large. The kinds which have given best
all around satisfaction up to the present time, are Nos. 1, 6, 9, 10,
12, 17, 21 and 25. One or two years more trial should give us an idea
which ones will be worthy of general propagation.
There are also several varieties of Abundance and Wolf crosses which
have fruited for several years. The quality of the fruit of these
hybrids is probably somewhat better than the Burbank and Wolf hybrids,
but the fruit in most cases runs smaller. No. 35 is probably one of the
best; its fruit is about 1-1/2 inch in diameter, colors up all over
before it is ripe, and will stand shipping a long distance, as they can
be picked quite green and still are colored up all over. There are
several numbers equally, or nearly, as promising as No. 35.
Sand cherry X Satsuma plum No. 145 is in the same class as Sapa. The
color of the fruit is bluish black when ripe, the flesh purple, pit
small and nearly freestone; fruit ripens first part of August. This tree
is a strong grower and makes a large tree. We also have another plum,
Compass cherry X Climax, about the only variety which fruited this year.
The color of the skin is almost blue when fully ripe; the meat is green
and of a very pleasant flavor. The pit is small and clingstone; size of
fruit is about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. The tree is a strong, upright
grower. This variety has been propagated this summer. I will not try to
describe any more as there are some 2,000 hybrid plums on the place and
only a small per cent have fruited.
[Illustration: Ornamental Purple Leaf Plum, originated at State
Fruit-Breeding Farm.]
In grapes we have several varieties worthy of propagation, but I will
just mention two varieties. One is a red grape about the size of Wyoming
Red. The bunches are large and very compact; the season for ripening is
about with Moore's Early; the quality is good enough to make it a table
grape. The vine is just as hardy as Beta grape, of which it is a
seedling. It has good foliage and the vine is a rank grower. The other
variety is black when ripe, nearly as large as Moore's Early. The fruit
is ripe first part of August; the vine is vigorous and hardy.
Strawberries and raspberries were a good crop this year, but all other
fruit was a total failure on account of the killing frost and snowstorm
on May 18th. Apples were in full bloom at the time, and a good crop of
plums had set on the trees, but all fell off a few days later. There
were no currants or gooseberries and only a few grapes.
Mr. Waldron: What do you think the male parent was of the red grape?
Mr. Haralson: I couldn't say. We don't know what the cross is.
Mr. Waldron: Did you have any red grapes growing there?
Mr. Haralson: I presume there were quite a number of varieties growing
near by. In the Beta seedlings we find a number of grapes that ripen
green and also some black and a number red, but not a great many, I
would say from five to seven per cent of the seedlings.
Mr. Wellington: Have you been able to cross the European plum with the
Japanese?
Mr. Haralson: We have one or two varieties, but the fruit is very small,
the fruit isn't very much larger than the Compass cherry. The tree is a
very strong grower and makes a large tree, but the fruit is not up to
what it should be.
Mr. Cook: What number do you hold that red grape under?
Mr. Haralson: The red grape is No. 1.
Mr. Sauter: Which is the next best raspberry besides the No. 4?
Mr. Haralson: I couldn't tell you at present. I thought the No. 2, but
from reports I have had from several places some think No. 1 is better.
No. 4 is the best of them all so far.
A Member: I would like to ask which of those raspberries is the best
quality.
Mr. Haralson: They run very much the same, very little difference in the
quality. The quality I should say compares very favorably with the King.
The President: Those of you who know of the wonderful work done by Mr.
Haralson can not help but say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
He has surely accomplished wonderful results out there, and the people
of this state and adjoining states will all in time enjoy the fruits of
his labor. (Applause.)
* * * * *
KILL WILD ONIONS IN NOVEMBER.--The secret of the vitality of
the wild onion lies in the two sorts of underground bulbs. Each plant
produces one large bulb, which germinates in the fall, and four or five
small ones, which start growth in the spring.
Late fall plowing, followed by early spring plowing and planting the
infested land to some clean cultivated crop destroys the wild onion pest
by killing both sorts of bulbs as the growth from them appears and
before they have a chance to multiply. The fall plowing should be deep,
and care should be taken to completely bury all green tops of the onion.
If very much top growth has been made, a harrow run before the plow will
facilitate the thorough covering of the tops.
Another interesting and valuable point about the wild onion is that the
spring bulbs rarely produce heads; consequently, if the infested land is
plowed in the fall, a spring oat crop practically free of onions can
always be secured. But for complete eradication of the onion, both fall
and spring plowing is necessary, and November is the best time to do the
fall work.
Annual Meeting, 1915, Wisconsin Horticultural Society.
CHAS. HARALSON, EXCELSIOR, MINN., DELEGATE.
The meeting was held January 5, 6 and 7, 1915, in the Assembly Room of
the State Capitol in Madison, Wis. Your delegate was present in time for
the opening session and given a chance with other delegates to deliver
the greetings of their societies.
The opening address by Governor Phillip was very interesting. He told of
the possibilities the State of Wisconsin offered fruit growers in a
commercial way with markets all around them. He advocated honest grading
and packing to obtain the top prices for the fruit. He also urged every
farmer to have a small orchard and fruit garden for home consumption.
Spraying and spray mixtures, illustrated, was ably presented by
Professor Geo. F. Potter, University of Wisconsin.
A speaking contest by ten students from University of Wisconsin competed
for prizes of $25.00, $15.00 and $10.00. This brought out almost every
phase of horticulture and was one of the most interesting sessions.
Commercial orcharding in the middle west was shown with moving pictures
and explanations by Sen. Dunlap, Savoy, Ill. These pictures illustrated
spraying, cultivating, harvesting, grading, packing, caring for the
fruit and marketing the same, and several other operations in connection
with uptodate commercial orcharding. He also gave a talk on spraying and
spraying materials. He said lime-sulphur is preferred in his locality.
A half hour question and answer session was led by Professor J.G. Moore,
University of Wisconsin, on pruning. This brought out a very lively
discussion about how to prune young orchards and what age of trees to
plant for commercial orchards. This question was not settled, as some
preferred one year old trees, while others would plant nothing but two
year old trees.
M. S. Kellogg, Janesville, Wis., spoke of nurserymen's troubles. His
paper was very interesting from a nurseryman's standpoint with all their
troubles and what they have to go up against.
C. O. Ruste, Blue Mounds, Wis., spoke about the farmer's orchard, what to
plant and how to care for the same.
The writer gave a paper, telling what is being done in the line of
fruit-breeding at the Minnesota Fruit-Breeding Farm.
The program was very full and interesting. The attendance, however, was
not very large. A very good exhibit of apples was on display in the
fruit room. The fruit was clean, well colored and up to size. Many
varieties, such as Jonathan, Fameuse, Baldwin, Windsor, Talman Sweet and
Wine Sap were on display in great quantities.
GARDEN HELPS
Conducted by Minnesota Garden Flower Society
Edited by MRS. E. W. GOULD, 2644 Humboldt Avenue So.
Minneapolis.
At the annual meeting the following officers and members of the
Executive Committee were elected.
Officers--Mrs. E. W. Gould, President, 2644 Humboldt Ave. S.,
Minneapolis; Mrs. Phelps Wyman, Vice-President, 5017 Third Ave. S.,
Minneapolis; Mrs. M.L. Countryman, Secretary-Treasurer, 213 S. Avon St.,
St. Paul.
Directors--Mrs. F. H. Gibbs, St. Anthony Park; Mr. G. C. Hawkins,
Minneapolis; Miss Elizabeth Starr, Minneapolis; Mrs. H. A. Boardman, St.
Paul; Mr. F. W. Bell, Wayzata; Mr. F. F. Farrar, White Bear; Mrs. R. P.
Boyington, Nemadji; Mrs. J. F. Fairfax, Minneapolis; Mrs. H. B. Tillotson,
Minneapolis.
After a thorough discussion, it was unanimously agreed that more
frequent meetings would be advisable. Our program committee has,
therefore, planned for a meeting each month, alternating between St.
Paul and Minneapolis. It was, of course, impossible to set the dates for
the three flower shows so early in the year, or to announce all of the
speakers. The program in full for each month will appear on this page,
and we hope to save our secretary a great deal of routine work as well
as considerable postage to the society. So watch this page for
announcements. We hope the following program will prove both interesting
and profitable, and that our members will bring friends to each meeting,
all of which will begin at 2:30 o'clock _promptly_.
PROGRAM FOR 1916.
February 24. Wilder Auditorium, 2:30 p.m., Fifth and Washington St.,
St. Paul.
Soil Fertility, Prof. F. J. Alway.
Birds As Garden Helpers.
March 23. Public Library, Minneapolis, 2:30 p.m.
Work of the State Art Commission, Mr. Maurice Flagg.
How Can the Garden Flower Society Co-operate with It?
Our Garden Enemies.
Cultural Directions for Trial Seeds.
Distribution of Trial Seeds.
April 27. Wilder Auditorium, St. Paul, 2:30 p.m.
Native Plants in the Garden.
Roadside Planting.
Use and Misuse of Wild Flowers.
May. Date to be announced. Mazey Floral Co., 128 S. 8th, Minneapolis.
Informal Spring Flower Show.
What Our Spring Gardens Lack.
Good Ground Cover Plants.
June. Date to be announced. University Farm, St. Paul, Joint Session
with Horticultural Society. Flower Show.
July. Date to be announced. Minneapolis Rose Gardens, Lake Harriet.
Picnic Luncheon, 1:00 p.m.
Roses for the Home Garden.
Our Insect Helpers in the Garden.
August. Date to be announced. Holm and Olson, 2:30, 20 W. Fifth St., St.
Paul. Informal Flower Show.
How to Grow Dahlias.
The Gladiolus.
September 21. Public Library, Minneapolis, 2:30 p.m.
Fall Work in the Garden.
Vines.
Planting for Fall and Winter Effect.
October 19. Wilder Auditorium, St. Paul, 2:30 p.m.
What Other Garden Clubs Are Doing.
How My Garden Paid.
Reports on Trial Seeds.
November. Date to be announced. Park Board Greenhouses, Bryant Ave.
S. and 38th St., 2:30 p.m. Chrysanthemum Show.
Hardy Chrysanthemums.
December. Annual Meeting.
{MRS. PHELPS WYMAN,
Program Committee. {MRS. N. S. SAWYER,
{MISS ELIZABETH STARR,
{MRS. E. W. GOULD,
BEE-KEEPER'S COLUMN.
Conducted by FRANCIS JAGER, Professor of Apiculture, University
Farm, St. Paul.
QUEEN BEES FOR BREEDING.--Queen bees for breeding purposes will
be sent to beekeepers of the State from University Farm during the
coming summer with instructions how to introduce them and how to
re-queen the apiary. Mostly all bees in the state at present are
hybrids, which are hard to manage. In many localities bees have been
inbred for years, making the introduction of new blood a necessity. All
queens sent out are bred from the leather colored Italian breeding
queens of choicest stock obtainable. The price of queens will be fifty
cents for one, and not more than three will be furnished to each
beekeeper. Orders with cash must be sent directed to the "Cashier,"
University Farm, St. Paul, Minnesota. The queens will be sent out in
rotation as soon as they are ready and conditions are right.
SECRETARY'S CORNER
MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS CHANGE.--A good many members when sending in
annual membership fee give the number of their membership for the
previous year. Members will please note that membership numbers change
each year, as all members are numbered in the order of their coming upon
the membership roll. The only number that we care about in the office,
if for any reason it is necessary to give it, is the number for the
current year.
A WORD FROM PROF. WHITTEN.--Prof. J. C. Whitten, of the
University of Missouri, who was on the program at our annual meeting for
three numbers, and at the last moment was taken ill and unable to be
with us, has written describing the condition of his illness and
expressing his deep regret at his enforced absence from our meeting, and
a hope that at some other time he may have an opportunity to be with us.
We shall look forward to having him on our program another year with
eager anticipation. Prof. Whitten ranks as one of the most prominent of
professional horticulturists of the country, and we are certainly
fortunate in being able to secure his attendance, as we hope to do
another year.
MEMBERS IN FLORIDA.--Quite a number of members of the
Horticultural Society are spending the winter in Florida. Some of these
the secretary knows about, but addresses of only two are at hand. J. M.
Underwood, chairman of the executive board of the society, and family
are at Miami, Fla., for the winter. Mr. Oliver Gibbs, at one time
secretary of the society for a number of years, is at Melbourne Beach,
on the east coast of Florida, where he has been now for some ten
winters--and some summers also. His health makes it necessary for him to
live in so mild a climate. We have the pleasure of meeting him here
often during the summer. Now in his eighties he is nearly blind but
otherwise in good health and always in cheerful spirits.
NEW LIFE MEMBERS.--Since the report of 1915 was printed, in
which there will be found on page 520 a list of life members of the
society, there have been added to the life membership roll fifteen
names; five of these were made honorary members by the unanimous vote of
the association for valuable service rendered to the society, and were
well deserving of this honor, as follows: Chas. Haralson, Excelsior;
S. H. Drum, Owatonna; F. W. Kimball, Waltham; J. R. Cummins, Minneapolis;
John Bisbee, Madelia.
To the paid life membership roll there have been added ten names as
follows: E. G. Zabel, LaMoure, N.D.; Roy E. McConnell, St. Cloud; O. F.
Krueger, Minneapolis; L.A. Gunderson, Duluth; Mr. and Mrs. F. H. Gibbs,
St. Anthony Park; Herman Goebel, Wildrose, N.D.; T. Torgerson, Estevan,
Sask.; Law Swanson, St. Paul; Rev. Saml. Johnson, Princeton.
Don't you want your name added to this life roll? If you have already
paid an annual membership fee for this year a further payment of $4.00
made any time during the year will be received as first payment for a
life membership fee. That is, the amount of the annual fee already paid
may be deducted from a life membership fee paid any time during the
current year.
SEND IN A NEW MEMBER.--Have you noticed the advertisement on
the inside of the back cover page of this and also the January issues of
our monthly? There never was such an opportunity to secure valuable new
fruits as this presents to you and to your neighbor, many of whom we
feel sure would gladly take advantage of the opportunity if it were
presented to them. Take an evening off and do yourself and your
neighbors this good service--and the society as well.
NUMBER THREE STRAWBERRY.--Very few of those who have so far
selected plant premiums for next spring's delivery have chosen Minnesota
No. 3 June-bearing strawberry. Our members will surely make a mistake if
they do not secure for next spring's planting a quantity of this
splendid new berry, which seems likely to supplant the Senator Dunlap as
the June-bearing variety in the near future. It is a very vigorous
grower, equally attractive, of good quality, holds up well and is a
healthy, hardy plant. Do not leave this out of your list of selection
for plant premiums.
APPLE SEED OF LARGE VALUE.--A considerable quantity of apple
seed has been secured of Mr. John Bisbee, of Madelia, Minn., from his
orchard, top-worked, as it is, with many varieties of long keeping
apples, so that this seed is almost certainly crossed with something
that will keep well as well as of high quality. It will be found
especially valuable to plant for growing seedlings. It would be well to
secure this seed soon, mix it with damp sand and leave out of doors
where it will freeze, keeping the package which holds it covered from
the air so that it may not dry out. Every member should have a little
corner in his garden for growing apple seedlings. It is an enticing
experiment, and such seed as this is likely to give good results. We are
still looking for the $1,000 apple. You may grow it from some of this
seed. Package of twenty-five seed at ten cents, to be secured of Secy.
Latham.