[Illustration:  Wm. Mansfield and his big tomatoes, Casselton, N.D.]

Mr. Mansfield’s record twenty-six years ago, at Johnsons Creek, Wis., was:  Height of tomato tree, eleven feet.  Weight of single tomato, two pounds six ounces.  He says, since he has moved to North Dakota, his tomato has in no wise deteriorated.

Annual Report, 1915, Central Trial Station.

PROFS.  LE ROY CADY AND R. WELLINGTON, UNIVERSITY FARM.

Since the coming of Prof.  Wellington to the Station to take up the pomological and vegetable divisions the work of this Station, has been divided, Prof.  Wellington taking the fruit and vegetable experimental work, while Prof.  Cady continues the work in ornamentals, and on that basis the reports will be made this year.

Ornamentals.—­The campus of University Farm has been very much enlarged this year by the building of the Gymnasium, and consequent parking about it, and the grading of an athletic field.  This will call for considerable planting work next spring.

The season has been exceptionally good for the growth of all ornamental stock.  All came through last winter in good shape.  A late frost killed many of the early flowering plants, and this prevented the forming of fruit on such plants as barberry and wahoo.  About 400 seedling paeonies flowered again this year.  Some of these are promising.  An excellent block of aquilegia was flowered.  A trial ground of some hundred or more annuals was maintained and proved very interesting.  It is hoped that many more annual novelties may be tried out this year.  The perennial garden established last year was added to and furnished something of interest the whole season.  It will be the aim of the Division to have in this garden all the annuals and perennials of value in this section.  Some new shrubs were added by purchase and through the Bureau of Plant Industry.  The hedges have proved an interesting exhibit again this year, and it is planned to add a number of new ones to the group next season.  About seventy-five varieties of chrysanthemums were flowered this autumn and were much enjoyed by our visitors.

Fruit.—­This year has been a very poor fruit year owing to the freeze on May 18, when the thermometer dropped to 26 degrees Fahrenheit.  At that time a very promising crop of apples was frozen on the trees.  Currants and gooseberries were also frozen on the bushes, and the young shoots were frozen on the grape vines.  Later the grape vines sent out secondary shoots which bore a small crop of late maturing fruit.  Regardless of the heavy freeze an apple was found here and there throughout the orchard, although no one variety seemed to be particularly favored.  On one-year-old Compass and Dyehouse cherry trees a few fruits were borne, and a similar amount of fruit was produced on one-year-old Sapa and Skuya plums.  The old plum seedling orchard, which is located to the south of the college buildings