Strawberries are especially fine this season, and bid fair to be a record crop.  In fact, the horticulturists in this part of our state have much to be thankful for.

Sauk Rapids Trial Station.

MRS. JENNIE STAGER, SUPT.

June 13—­Starting with a late spring, which saved all sorts of blossoms from the frost, now in June we have promise of an unlimited amount of fruit.  But with heavy rains almost every night, we cannot effect much with spraying.  One spraying eliminated all worms so far from not only the currants and gooseberries, but the roses also, and once going through the orchards has done away with the few tent caterpillars that had started in their work.

So on the whole we have hopes of a full harvest of not only tree but small fruits.  Most vegetables are backward, as also flowers from seeds, but with so much to be thankful for how can any of us complain.

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ALLEGED PEAR BLIGHT CURES ARE WORTHLESS—­ORGANISM OF DISEASE LIVES UNDERNEATH BARK OUT OF REACH OF “CURE.”—­Fruit growers should not allow themselves to be induced to purchase and use worthless pear blight cures.  Every year we hear of cures for pear blight being sold to fruit growers, but to the present time the experiment stations of the country have hunted in vain for any practical remedy that may be sprayed upon trees or used in any way for the cure of this typo for disease.  The organism lives underneath the bark entirely out of reach of remedies that may be applied to the surface of the tree.

I would strongly recommend to fruit growers that they do not spend any money for pear blight until they are able to learn through experiment stations, or the Department of Agriculture at Washington, D.C., that there is a remedy that can be used for the control of this disease.—­C.  P. Gillette, Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station.

West Concord Trial Station.

FRED COWLES, SUPT.

June 14.—­The past winter was long and severe.  Besides the severe cold, a heavy coat of ice remained a long time on trees of all kinds, causing much anxiety, but when the time came trees of all kinds were full of bloom and beauty.  Most varieties of apples have set a full crop of fruit.  Some trees which bore a heavy crop last year have little or none this year, but the general crop of apples will be heavy if it matures.  Our trees top-worked to Jonathan and Northern Spy are bearing good this year; they show no signs of winter-killing.

[Illustration:  Side view of Mr. Cowles’ home grounds.]

Plums were full of bloom as usual, but have set little fruit.  Some varieties—­Sansota and Wyant—­have a few scattering plums.  Seedling No. 17 also has a few.  The new seedlings from the Station are all growing good.  The native plums in a thicket have more fruit than the named varieties.

Strawberries have wintered well and give promise of a full crop.  Some garden patches in the vicinity winter-killed badly.  Minnesota Seedling No. 3 promises to be a good berry; the strong fruit stems keep the berries from the ground.  The Progressive and Superb, of the everbearing type, are no longer an experiment, but are a success, and many farmers are planting them.