T H I S.......Y E A R I've planted several spruce (picea abies) trees in our yard. The circumstances have been rather demanding, the steep slopes and poor soil make it tough for the newcomers. The coming winter will test them all hard, but as well the dry periods in the summer can be harmful for young just planted trees and it requires heavy additional watering even daily to help them get rooted. L A S T......S U M M E R the potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, paprikas, peas and cucumbers grew well. The regular garden berries gave a good crop. The blooming season was unfavorable for the apple trees so the crop was clearly below average. One positive surprise: in September the plum tree gave an abundant crop for the first time since it was planted about 8 years ago.