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.

The plums sent to this station the spring of 1913 bore no fruit at all this season, but the trees made a fair growth and all appear healthy except a few that froze back the winter of 1913-14.

The plum trees sent from the central station the spring of 1914 made a very poor growth that season, owing undoubtedly to the fact that the roots were dry when reaching here, but this last season all but one made a splendid growth, and one No. 10, to my surprise, produced five plums that for beauty and eating qualities would place this variety in the front rank with the best in the state.  We shall watch these trees with great interest and will report on their actions as they develop.

The four trees of No. 1 plum, sent here the spring of 1915 from the central station, made a splendid growth, each tree developing fruit buds in abundance.

Of the seven varieties of raspberries sent here the spring of 1913, three made good this last season.  No. 2 bore a tremendous crop of very large fruit, in quality the best; No. 4 bore heavily, an all around good berry and apparently a good shipper; No. 7 produced a good crop, not quite as large as No. 2, but continued in bearing for a long period.  Further testing will be necessary for these berries, but so far they look good.

There is little to say about grapes, except the growth has been good, and the amount of fruit buds started immense, but the frost and unsuitable weather told the tale—­we won’t repeat it.

Of strawberries we will say this:  If the central station did nothing in five years except to produce the strawberry known as Minnesota No. 3, they have still done well.  It is hardy, a good shipper, it is delicious with cream and sugar, a good canner, in fact a great big Senator Dunlap with no green core, but ripens to the tip.  It is also a good plant producer.

The strawberry known as No. 1017, planted last spring, did well.  It is a wonderful plant producer, having a very heavy, dark green foliage, it seems to be a good bearer of large, dark red berries.

With the wood on the fruit trees thoroughly ripened, and fruit buds in good condition, we may look ahead to the future with courage, believing that all things come to him that waits in Minnesota, providing he hustles while he waits.

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RED ROSE BEETLE IS EASILY KILLED.—­Did you ever wait patiently in the spring for your favorite Japanese rose to bloom and find when the buds were ready to burst that it was scaly and spotted around punctures made by the red rose beetle?  Then did you vow once more to destroy the beetles when you saw the roses begin to wither from punctures made by the beetle in the stem?