Strawberries in this vicinity were badly injured by ice in winter where not covered. Ours were covered and now promise a good yield. Began picking the 14th inst.
We set quite a patch of everbearers No. 1017 this spring. They bore last fall but chickens picked most of the berries. Superb were unsatisfactory and winter-killed where not covered.
Carrie gooseberry has set full of berries and plants look fine.
All other trees and shrubbery in general at this station are in good condition.
Mandan, N.D., Trial Station.
(Northern Great Plains Field Station.)
W.A. PETERSON, SUPT.
All plants at this station went into the winter with favorable soil moisture conditions. Many plants, however, made a late growth and were still in growing condition late in September.
The winter was a long and severe one, although there was more snow than usual. The early spring was severe, being both windy, cold and dry. Up to date (June 9th) there have been very few calm days. Three or four very severe dust storms did considerable damage by blowing out seeds and blighting the tender new growth of many plants.
The winter of 1915-16 in this section can be called a test winter, as much winter-killing both in root and top has resulted.
A large proportion of the apple and plum orchard (60% to 75%) killed out. There was no mulch or protection in these orchards. Practically all grapes killed out, even though protected. A few Beta are alive at the crown. Asparagus (unprotected) suffered severely. All raspberries had been covered with dirt. They came through perfectly and promise a good crop.
Strawberries wintered successfully. The South Dakota variety came through perfectly, even when not mulched. All are in full bloom now.
Practically all of Prof. Hansen"s plum hybrids killed out entirely, or are dead to trunk or crown.
A large number of seedlings of Chinese apricot, Chinese peach, native grapes, Juneberries and bullberries pa.s.sed through the winter with little or no injury. About 1,000 Beta seedlings, lined out as one year seedlings in the spring of 1915, winter-killed, with the exception of about seven or eight plants.
Paradise apple stocks wintered safely.
Soft maples that winter-killed to the ground in the preceding year are good to the tips this spring, even though they had made four to six feet of new growth last summer.
Many new plantings have been made this spring, especially along plant-breeding lines. Extensive experiments have also been started with fruit trees, shelter-belt trees, ornamental shrubs and perennial flowering plants to determine the factors that influence the hardiness of plants.
Strawberry No. 1017, from the Minnesota Fruit-Breeding Farm, made an excellent showing in 1915, and all plants bore some fruit. Only a few runners were made, however. All plants were potted in fall, so no data has been secured on their hardiness. Several hundred more plants of this variety were set out this spring and they made an excellent stand.
Montevideo Trial Station.
LYCURGUS R. MOYER, SUPT.
_Syringa j.a.ponica._--The j.a.panese tree lilac has often been recommended by this station, but last winter was unusually severe, and an old tree obtained from Prof. Budd, nearly thirty years ago, now shows several damaged branches. Younger trees on our grounds and in the city parks show no injury. Perhaps this tree cannot be expected to live to be much more than thirty years of age nor attain a much greater height than thirty feet. The old tree is throwing up new stems from its roots and may rejuvenate itself.
_Caragana._--The small shrubby caragana (Caragana pygmaea) was unusually fine this spring when in full bloom. We received it from Prof. Budd many years ago. It does finely in the clay banks of Lincoln Parkway in this city, but it is seldom offered by nurserymen. Caragana frutex, formerly called Caragana frutescens, is a somewhat taller shrub and not quite so floriferous. It makes a fine screen. Both of these shrubs are addicted to root sprouting, and might not please those who care for a stiff, formal garden. Both may be readily propagated from root cuttings.
_Roses._--Hansen"s Tetonkeha rose at this writing is in full bloom and is a very striking object. It grows to the height of about four feet and needs no protection. The flowers are large and of a deep pink color. It seems to be as hardy as the old yellow rose of our gardens, that rose being now, too, at its best. Among other garden roses Paul Neyron is in a rather weak condition, Ulrich Brunner is doing a little better, while Mme. Georges Bruant is doing still better. Rosa pratincola grows on our grounds naturally, and we have brought in from the edges of the timber Rosa Engelmanni and Rosa Maximilliani. A friend in Duluth has sent us Rosa Sayi, and we obtained Rosa Macounii from the Bad Lands of North Dakota. These roses, as well as the more common Rosa blanda, make an interesting addition to the hardy border.
_Delphinium Formosum._--We obtained a plant or two of the old tall larkspur almost thirty years ago. The old plants persisted several years, and seedlings have grown up from self-sown seed, and the plantation is now as attractive as ever.
_Chrysanthemum Uliginosum._--The giant daisy has been here for a long time and needs but little attention. The clumps should be taken up and divided occasionally. It is one of our best late fall flowers.
_Philadelphus._--Philadelphus p.u.b.escens came through the winter without injury. Philadelphus zeyheri suffered a little. Philadelphus coronarius came through in fair condition in a rather protected border, but Philadelphus Lemoinei was frozen back nearly to the ground.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Giant daisy, or chrysanthemum uliginosum.]
_Physocarpus._--Physocarpus opulifolius came through the winter with no more than its ordinary injury.
_Lonicera._--The old climbing honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) came through the winter very much damaged, but our native honeysuckle is in fine condition. The bush honeysuckles are all hardy. The one known as Lonicera bella alba does not differ very much from the common white form of the Tartarian honeysuckle.
_Prunus Triloba._--The double flowering plum has always been hardy with us, and usually has been a splendid bloomer in the latter part of April, but last winter was so severe that it did not bloom at all this spring.
_Catalpa._--Another strange feature of the winter was that Catalpa speciosa came through entirely uninjured.
_Viburnum._--Viburnum pekinensis came through in fine condition as well as its close relative, the high bush cranberry. The common s...o...b..ll did not suffer so much from aphis this year as usual. Viburnum lentago, which grows in the river valleys here naturally, is doing finely.
_Syringa._--Among the bushy lilacs Syringa ligustrina, Syringa Chinensis, Syringa josikea and Syringa villosa all bloomed fully. The varieties of the common lilac, known as Ludwig Spaeth, Charles X, Senator Vollard and the one that Prof. Budd brought from Russia and called by him Russian lilac, were all very satisfactory. This last variety has pink flowers and is a very choice variety of Syringa vulgaria.
_Amelanchier._--The large Juneberry, probably Amelanchier Canadensis, was a very attractive object in April, when its purple-colored young leaves contrasted with its white bloom. The dwarf Juneberry, with their villous young leaves and white flowers, are very attractive in April and should receive more attention from our planters.
_Dictamnus._--The gas plant (Dictamnus fraxinilla) becomes more attractive from year to year. It is one of the hardy plants which needs scarcely any attention to keep the weeds away. The pink form is very showy when in flower, and the plant is very attractive after the flower is gone.
_Iris._--A rather large collection of Siberian iris is very attractive just now. The city has found it a very desirable, hardy plant to set in the park.
_Apples._--A very good tree for park planting seems to be the crabapple, known as Malus seboldii. It is very attractive when in bloom, and the fruit as it ripens takes on a rich warm color that is very interesting.
Okabena is promising a light crop, which may be advantageous, as when this variety bears freely the apples are apt to be undersized. A Thompson seedling is promising a full crop as well as most of the other common varieties. The Wealthy on Malus baccata is bearing a full crop.
_Hybrid Plums._--The common varieties of plums are promising a very good crop, except Surprise, which is not bearing at all this year. Minnesota No. 10 is the only one of the new seedlings bearing a full crop. No. 18 has a light crop. No. 8 is thrifty and promising and so is No. 10. No.
20 suffered from the winter. Plums No. 1 and 2 are both promising. Plum No. 11 was injured by the rabbits. Hansen"s No. 3769, Sansota, is bearing a light crop.
_Raspberries._--Raspberry No. 8 is promising a full crop. It is a very late variety. Hansen"s Oheta is one of our best berries.
_Gooseberries._--Western Minnesota is not well adapted to the cultivation of gooseberries, nor do currants do very well. The Carrie gooseberry is promising a full crop, and some of the older varieties are doing better than usual, perhaps on account of the unusually cool season.
Nevis Trial Station.
JAS. ARROWOOD, SUPT.
June 16, 1916.--Apples came through the past winter in fairly good shape, especially the stock we have grown at this place. There has been some loss with stock that has been brought from outside nurseries from top killing, and there have been some sun scalds where trees have been exposed to the southwest sun, mostly among the limbs and crotches. There will be a fair crop of apples, as they seem to be setting fairly good.
There has been considerable top-working done this spring with fair success.