with the Duchess, while others will keep until spring in
good condition. There is a chance for some desirable varieties out of
this lot, but it will take several years to determine whether we have
anything better than the Wealthy. The Wealthy is by far our best
commercial variety, but we are looking for something that will keep
until spring.

Gooseberries and currants are easily raised and are perfectly hardy with
us, but we are working to get some improvement on these varieties. Many
thousand seedlings are being grown for this purpose. Our native
gooseberries are used in breeding work with the cultivated varieties to
a great extent, as they are hardy, strong growers and resistant to
mildew.

As to cherries, we have none that are satisfactory. Some work has been
carried on for several years, but we have not obtained anything of
special value so far. The most promising combinations are Compass cherry
crossed with the cultivated varieties. None of these have fruited, but
we have some hope for a hardy cherry from these seedlings.

Peaches and apricots are not hardy in Minnesota, and consequently nobody
thinks of planting them. Some years ago we started crossing the sand
cherry with peaches and apricots. The results were a number of
seedlings, but all turned out to be worthless; the trees after several
years growth were small, or grew mostly in bush form. They blossomed
every spring but never set any fruit on account of some imperfection in
the flowers. Four years ago we started to use the Compass cherry as the
male parent, and this combination is more promising. The seedlings make
a good growth and a fairly good sized tree, practically as hardy as the
Compass cherry. The seedlings resemble the apricots and peaches in
blossom, tree and foliage. This fruit will not be exactly an apricot or
a peach, but may take the place of these fruits in a small way.

[Illustration: No. 7 Hybrid Seedling Plum--from Minnesota State
Fruit-Breeding Farm, at Zumbra Heights.]

The Compass cherry crossed with Prunus Pissardi, or purple leaf plum, is
a very interesting combination. We have about fifty seedlings growing.
Most of them have the purple foliage and bark, are very ornamental and
can be used with effect for lawns and landscape planting where large
shrubs are wanted.

The grapes. The Vitis Labrusca, such as Concord, Worden, Moore's Early
and many other varieties, are not hardy unless protected during winter.
There is a demand for