Discussion on Strowberry Culture. 43 



consider two hundred cases (twenty-four quarts each) as a good 

 orop. Much less would not be considered a fine crop. I think 

 good management with good varieties ought to secure two hundred 

 cases, that is, one hundred and fifty bushels to the acre, with con- 

 siderable certainty. Let me say, I have been greatly interested in 

 the statement of Mr. Hale, both in his remarks here, and in those 

 published by him, regarding the importance of irrigation. I be- 

 lieve in it thoroughly. We have not tried it except in a small way. 

 3Ir. Cassell, of Mississippi — What is the subsequent treatment 

 after the season is over? 



The President — We take off one crop of berries and usually let 

 the field stand, doing nothing to it, except that we mow off the 

 weeds that come up, two or three times ; and then in the fall, as far 

 as we are able, we manure pretty well with barnyard manure. Af- 

 ter the second crop is gone we plow the field ; we take but two 

 crops from one field. We pick strawberries as soon as they are 

 colored a light red, and often they are picked at a somewhat greener 

 stage than this ; but we don't wait till they are ripe We must 

 pick them as soon as they are colored a good red on top and a full 

 light red underneath. We pick every day — seven days in the 

 week — all of our ground — from the beginning to the end of the 

 season. 



Prof. Colmant, of Mississippi — Mr. Smith remarked that a con- 

 dition of successful planting of the strawberry is, that the plants 

 should be watered. I have never watered a strawberry in my life, 

 and I have planted many acres in the Southern States. Again, 

 Mr. Hale remarked that one of the conditions of success with the 

 strawberry was the pulling of the blossoms. I have planted straw- 

 berry plants in February and May and had a crop the same year, 

 and never pulled a blossom. Again, we never mulch our strawber- 

 ries in the winter. These are the three points that I intended to 

 call the attention of the Society to. Have you ever tried, Mr. 

 Hale, to plant strawberries and not pull the blossoms? 



Mr. Hale, of Connecticut — Yes, and it has been almost a failure. 



Mr. Evans, of Missouri — I think the question of fertilizing straw- 

 berries should not be overlooked. I think it needs more investi- 

 gation than it has ever had, and I want to state the experience of a 



