Trees, Fruits and Flowers of Minnesota Part 35

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure V. Triumph.]

Other similar varieties are the Carman No. 1, Green Mountain, Jr., and State of Maine.

The Burbank (Fig. II) is a long, white, late potato of excellent quality and suitable only for rich, loose, loam soils. Thrives well upon new rich soils that are well supplied with humus.

Other inferior varieties confused with the Burbank are the White Chief, White Star and Pingree.

The Burbank Russet (Fig. III) is a long, russet, late potato differing mainly from the Burbank in its heavily russeted skin. Very fine for baking. Suitable for low, moist, friable and peaty soils.

The Early Ohio (Fig. IV) is the leading early potato in Minnesota. The type is oval with a pinkish or flesh colored skin. It is particularly suited to the black, rich, friable soils.

The Triumph (Fig. V) is a round, red, very early potato, valuable for southern seed trade. It suffers severely from drought, and, therefore, soils subject to this condition should be avoided.

Similar or identical varieties are Red Bliss, Bliss, Triumph and Stray Beauty.

The Irish Cobbler is a promising white, early, roundish potato of good quality, although inferior to the Early Ohio. It has not been sufficiently tested out, but is promising for southern seed trade.

Similar variety is the Extra Early Eureka.

The King is a broad, oblong, reddish potato. Very suitable for worn-out and sandy soils.

Similar or identical variety is the Maggie Murphy.

In conclusion I would have you to remember the main points of this paper which may be summarized as follows:

First. That Minnesota is one of the leading potato producing states of the Union.

Second. That Minnesota must establish a reputation for a continuous supply of well graded stock practically free from diseases and blemishes.

Third. That Minnesota must create a general interest in better seed, true to name and type.

Finally. Minnesota must secure the co-operation of all agencies interested in the production, distribution and utilization of potatoes to get better production, better grading and better marketing.

INSECTS HELP RAISE CROP.--It is well known that most of our crop plants will not form fruit and seed unless the flowers are properly pollinated. The princ.i.p.al carriers of pollen are wind and insects. In some plants, such as the beet, both wind and insects play an important part in the spread of pollen. In all cereals and gra.s.ses, and in the potato, the pollen is carried mainly by wind. In most of our common plants of garden, field, and orchard, insects are the chief and most effective carriers of pollen. The following is a list of insect-pollinated plants: Onions, asparagus, buckwheat, gooseberry, currant, cabbage, radish, turnip, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, apple, pear, plum, cherry, peach, alfalfa, clover, melons, cuc.u.mbers and squashes. We are very dependent upon the bees and other insects for a good crop yield.--W. W. Robbins, Colorado Agri. College.

Annual Report, 1915, Vice-President, Eighth Congressional District.

FRANK H. CUTTING, DULUTH.

This district embraces within its limits a very large area having different characteristics from a horticultural standpoint. Much of the land has a high elevation and is rolling or hilly, and much is low and comparatively level. A considerable portion is close to Lake Superior and other large bodies of water and, therefore, governed by conditions with respect to frost different from those controlling land not so situated. The quality or character of the soil is also varying.

The foregoing considerations probably furnish the reason for the widely differing reports secured on the blanks distributed, and which were quite generally answered. This prompts the suggestion that before planting commercially or on a large scale one should personally conduct a series of experiments on land designed for use to test its adaptability for the fruits intended.

We suffered a frost and hard freeze on the 18th day of May which greatly damaged the fruit buds; the temperature registered on that day at the United States Weather Office being 27. The month of June was the coolest in forty-five years. The low temperature of the summer months and lack of suns.h.i.+ne resulted in a tardy development of fall fruits and a failure to mature them. Even the Beta grape and the Compa.s.s cherry did not ripen their fruit. The Opata plum, however, bore a large crop of ripe plums early in September.

Very little blight has been reported.

The weather report shows a deficiency of precipitation up to December 1 of 3.81 inches. However, the heavy rains in November immediately before the ground froze supplied sufficient moisture to enable trees and shrubs to stand the winter.

The following list is suggested by the reports:

Apples: d.u.c.h.ess, Okabena, Wealthy, Patten's Greening.

Crab Apples: Florence, Early Strawberry, Virginia.

Plums: Cheney, Aitkin, Compa.s.s, Opata.

Grape: Beta.

Cherries: Reports generally unfavorable.

Blackberries: No kinds reported favorably.

Raspberry: Minnetonka Ironclad, King, Cuthbert, Older.

Strawberries: Dunlap; Everbearing--Progressive and Superb.

Currants: Red Dutch, Perfection, Wilder, White Grape.

Gooseberries: Carrie, Houghton, Downing.

Hardy Perennial Flowers: Peonies, Phlox, Sweet William, Delphinium, Canterbury Bells, Foxglove, Oriental Poppies, Iceland Poppies.

Hardy Shrubs: s...o...b..ll, Hydrangea, Lilac, Honeysuckle, High Bush Cranberry.

Annual Report, 1915, Paynesville Trial Station.

FRANK BROWN, SUPT.

The summer of 1915 will long be remembered as the summer with no warm weather. There was a heavy frost the morning of June 10th. The season's rainfall was very heavy, but trees at the best made only a normal growth, and with many varieties, especially of forest trees, the growth was much less than the usual growth of even a dry season.

Some fruit trees blossomed quite early, and the young fruit formed during a warm spell, and these trees were heavily loaded with fruit.

This was especially noticeable with Wealthy, d.u.c.h.ess, Okabena and Whitney No. 20 apples, and with some of the Hansen hybrid plums. Other trees, fully as good bearers, blossomed a few days later and set no fruit at all, the frost killing the blossoms while not severe enough to harm the fruit already set.

The cool weather of this past season has probably helped fruit growers more than it has hindered them, for had it been as hot as it usually is when we have such a tremendous rainfall, blight would most certainly have caused much trouble, but as it was we have had practically no blight at all.

This season has again demonstrated very plainly the advantages of top-working, such trees making a better growth, and the fruit being more even, and less troubled with spots, scab, etc.