1883, from Poland, Silesia, and south central Russia, have remained perfect in wood and foliage; even the little trees that have been mercilessly cut for scions and for budding, have retained perfect health, and made remarkable growth the past two rainless summers. Several of the hardiest and best of the varieties have already produced fruit of better quality than any variety yet fruited in the State; hence we can say, positively, that their timely introduction by the College will advance our horticultural interests very materially, and extend the profitable culture of the cherry far north of its present limits. East Europe is famed for its excellent varieties of the cherry, and we have reason to believe that all of them will prove hardier in tree, more regular in bearing, and better in quality of fruit than the sour sorts from England and France we have hitherto tried to grow. EXPERIMENTS WITH THE PLUM. In nursery and orchard we are making a specialty of testing the many fine native varieties of the plum for which the prairie states are noted. We are also testing and sending out for trial many varieties of the plum imported from northeast Germany and central and south Russia. We shall watch with much interest the trial orchards of mixed varieties we have been able to establish in different parts of the State. These mixed trial orchards of best native and foreign varieties will not only tell the story as to the relative value of each sort for varied uses, but will furnish needed information on the question of crossfertilization of varieties, with a view to increased fruitfulness and the production of valuable new varieties from seed. EXPERIMENTS WITH THE APRICOT. In addition to the selected varieties of the Russian apricot, we have introduced a valuable variety from the Province of Sheuse in northwest China. This is a rapid growing tree, hardy enough for the south half of the State. In expression and size and quality of fruit, it seems equal to the best of the French apricots. EXPERIMENTS WITH THE PEACH. We introduced six years ago several varieties of the peach from northwest China. Some of these have proven much hardier than any variety of this fruit yet tried at the west. In south Iowa, Illinois and Indiana they have proven hardy, where Hill's Chili and Wager have been frozen to the snow line. Two years ago we secured some pits of the peach from Russia; one of the seedling varieties has endured the two past severe winters about as perfectly as the Miner plum of the same age. We do not hope to secure peaches that can be grown profitably north of the forty-first parallel, but we have demonstrated that the peach belt can be moved northward many miles. EXPERIMENTS WITH THE ALMOND. We find the Russian varieties of the almond to be as hardy with us as the hazel, and to produce flowers and fruit abundantly. The almonds resemble those of the shops, but are not valuable for dessert use. But they are valuable and interesting as flowering shrubs, and have a possible value for crossing with the varieties of the sweet almond grown in California. We shall attempt this promising cross next spring. EXPERIMENTS WITH THE GRAPE. The College vineyard is mainly planted with such well known sorts as Concord, Worden, Moore's Early, Cottage, Telegraph, Coe and Elvira. At the commencement of the dry period in 1886, it was quite heavily manured for the first time since it was planted, ten years ago. The manure worked in the soil by cultivation has seemed to aid the vines in carrying a full crop of perfect fruit the past two dry seasons. Our younger plantations contain about all the promising new varieties, many of which are not yet on the market. EXPERIMENTS WITH OTHER SMALL FRUITS. We are testing all the new varieties of the raspberry, blackberry, dewberry, strawberry, currant, gooseberry, juneberry, etc., that we have reason to believe promising for culture in any part of the State, with a view to intelligent public reports as to their relative value. EXPERIMENTS WITH ORNAMENTAL TREES AND SHRUBS. With a view to adding to our restricted list of really hardy and beautiful ornamental trees and shrubs, we have introduced for trial a great number of varieties and species from east Europe, central Asia and northwest China. After a careful inspection of these the past summer, President T. T. Lyon, of Michigan, wrote: "Large importations have also been made of such hardy forms of useful as well as ornamental trees, shrubs and plants as showed an apparent adaption to that severe climate, and hence gave promise of success here. The quality of these introductions of both plants and fruit trees constitutes a wealth of possibly useful and valuable material, greatly in excess of public apprehension." EXPERIMENTAI. NURSERIES. At this time of orchard troubles in the prairie states it is specially desirable to gather reports in favor of, or against the varieties of new fruits, trees and shrubs from varied parts of the State. It is too evident for discussion that reports from disinterested amateurs located on the varied soils and elevations in all parts of the State, and the northwest would have more value after one test winter than reports from a single station for a quarter of a century. Hence during the past eight years we have propagated for distribution the most promising new fruits-native and foreign-of the apple, pear, cherry, plum, apricot, peach, ornamental trees, shrubs and forest trees. As the scions, cuttings, etc., must be cut from trees and shrubs on our own grounds, we have been forced to use our first plantations as stools to be annually cut back for scions and cuttings. Hence many visitors are surprised to find scattered here and there collections of the orchard fruits, forest trees and ornamental trees and shrubs that look like the stubs of trees and the bushes in an old sheep pasture. We are now pleased to report that we shall commence next spring the setting of orchards, shrub collections, arboretum collections, etc., that will not be deformed, and in most cases ruined by annual cutting back of the new growth for propagating purposes for our trial stations. ARBORETUM. In the way of groups and isolated specimens on public grounds and in plots and groups in the horticultural grounds, we have specimens of about all the trees and shrubs, native and foreign, that will live in our climate. The present arrangement is manifestly best for the landscape effect of the public grounds and its surroundings, but in the near future we hope to commence the work of systematic planting of an arboretum that will be creditable to the State and College. EXPERIMENTS IN CROSSING. Believing that we shall make in the future, as in the past, very slow advances in the way of valuable and permanent additions to our list of orchard fruits by picking up stray seedlings, we have commenced the work of systematic crossing aud hybridizing of the apple, cherry, plum, grape, etc. During the past two years we have crossed the blossoms of the hardiest known varieties of these fruits with the pollen of the varieties producing fruits best in quality. We have the best reasons for believing that we will reach valuable results from this systematic crossing of varieties, combining the two essential requisites of fruits to be profitably grown in our climate. DEPARTMENT NEEDS. Ten years ago we urgently asked the legislature to appropriate the sum of six thousand dollars for a horticultural laboratory, with class rooms, office, seed room, work room for students, horticultural museum room, etc., with attached structures for propagation, plant house, cellar, etc. The appropriation actually made to meet all these imperative needs, was $2,500. The imperfect facilities provided by this small sum have been utilized to the best possible advantage, but they are now, and have been for several years, the laughing stock of visitors from other states. The class room is too small for the freshman class; it has no office or library room, no laboratory work for students; the museum in the attic has been for years too crowded with specimens for admission of visitors, and the propagating and plant room is discreditable to the College and the State. The present building and cellars are needed for storage and general horticultural museum. With an appropriation of $1,000 for needed changes, repairs, tables, cases, shelving, etc., we could in five years, with the available material now on hand, build up the most attractive and instructive horticultural museum in the country. The new building should contain a commodious class room, labora tory work room, office and library, with attached propagating house and green house like that of the Indiana Agricultural College, of the Michigan Agricultural College, of the Minnesota University, and, indeed, most of the agricultural colleges of the different States. |