robins and bluebirds--do a great deal of good and very little harm to
agriculture is the conclusion reached by investigators of the United
States Department of Agriculture who have carefully studied the food
habits of these birds. Altogether there are within the limits of the
United States eleven species of thrushes, five of which are commonly
known as robins and bluebirds. The other six include the Townsend
solitaire, the wood, the veery, the gray-cheek, the olive-back, and the
hermit thrushes.--U.S. Dept. of Agri.




Report of Committee on Examination of Minnesota State Fruit-Breeding
Farm for the Year 1915.

DR. O. M. HUESTIS, MINNEAPOLIS; FRANK H. GIBBS, ST. ANTHONY PARK.


On the morning of October 12, 1915, your committee visited the State
Fruit-Breeding Farm, was met at the Zumbra Heights Station, on the M. &
St. Louis R.R., by Superintendent Haralson and were very soon in the
midst of a plat of over 3,000 everbearing strawberry plants all
different--some plants with scores of ripe and green berries as well as
blossoms, others with few berries and many runners. The superintendent
had already made selections and marked some 250 plants for propagation.
In another plat of 1,000 varieties it was very apparent that No. 1017, a
cross between Pan-American and Dunlap, was the superior, although others
were choice, both as plant makers and fruit-bearers. No doubt many
excellent kinds will come from those selected. It certainly was
encouraging to be able, even after the heavy frost of a week before, to