In breeding strawberries we probably have had better success than with any other fruit we have attempted to improve.  The breeding work was done in the greenhouse during winter and early spring and seed planted as soon as berries were ripe.  The plants were transplanted to flats and later planted out in the field, where they remained until fruiting, when the selections were made.  We have fruited approximately 60,000 seedlings.  These have been weeded out so there are about 400 left, and these will be cut down to a few of the best varieties.  At present we have one everbearing and one June-bearing variety which have proven to be very productive, of good size, good quality and good plantmakers.  These plants have been sent out as premiums to members of the State Horticultural Society for the last two years and will be distributed the same way next spring.

In raspberries we have several varieties which are promising.  King x Loudan, No. 4, is a variety that has been sent out as premium the last three years.  This variety is amongst the hardiest, the berries are dark red, very large and the most productive of all the varieties growing on the place.  This has also been sent out as premium through the Horticultural Society.

In plums we probably have had the best success.  Some of the first breeding work was with Burbank x (crossed with) Wolf and Abundance x Wolf.  We have twenty-eight seedlings of Burbank x Wolf and forty-five Abundance x Wolf which have fruited several years.  We have varying degrees of hardiness in these seedlings.  Most of them have withstood our winters at the fruit farm without injury, as well as in most of the southern half of the state.

Among the Abundance x Wolf hybrids eight of the seedlings are only partly hardy, while of the Burbank x Wolf only one or two have shown themselves to be particularly weak in this respect.

Type of fruit.  In general the Burbank type of fruit is dominant.  The flesh of these hybrids runs quite uniformly yellow, varying in degrees, however, from a deep yellow to a yellowish green.  Some of them have a yellow skin with a blush or a streak of red, while others are a deep red even before ripe.  The fruit in size varies from both smaller and larger than the parents.  Firmness characterises most of the hybrids.  We are also getting good shipping quality, and in Burbank x Wolf No. 12 we have a plum measuring one and three-quarters inches and more in diameter and a perfect freestone.  This plum will be used extensively in further plant-breeding.

In shape of tree the two hybrids differ materially.  The Burbank x Wolf hybrids make spreading trees more or less, while the Abundance x Wolf grows more upright and does not need quite as much room.

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TENT CATERPILLAR.—­As soon as small nests are detected, they should be destroyed.  When in convenient reach, the nests may be torn out with a brush, with gloved hand, or otherwise, and the larvae crushed on the ground, care being taken to destroy any caterpillars which have remained on the tree.