50 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



may be ({nestioned if there is such a thing as a purely pistillate variety; 

 and the fact that a variety is claimed to be pistillate is rather against it. 

 There may be wholly j^istillate blossoms, but no such variety. 



Mr. N. J. Strong of Fairfield : The Crescent is one of the best varieties 

 lately tried. It is very early, hangs on well, and I have got most money 

 from it. 



Mr. Laing : We set Cumberland with Crescent, to fertilize it. We like 

 the latter pretty well but consider the former nearly worthless. 



Mr. S. G. Eaton: Is it profitable to set old strawberry plants, and when 

 should the strawberry beds be set? 



President Lyon: By no means set old plants. They have not enough 

 young roots. The best time to set depends upon the season, as to moisture. 

 The Crescent may, by its hardiness, induce more people to plant straw- 

 berries. It has many valualile qiialities for a near market, and it will 

 almost run out grass. Tliey get along very well shipping it into Chicago, 

 from Illinois, but not in re-shipping it out. Ninety-nine out of each one 

 hundred new sorts are worthless, yet there are enough good kinds for a 

 succession. Jessie is very large and beautiful, is hardy, and has other 

 virtues, but is not very good. 



Asked to name five best sorts to plant, Mr. Lyon recommended, for 

 early, the Alpha, and said that from one season's trial he liked the Haver- 

 land, also Mt. Vernon; but would not name more, as they might not prove 

 to be at all adapted to this locality. 



Mr. Edmiston : Of Crescent, Mt. Yernon, and Cumberland, I shall 

 increase my planting. The Cumberland sells well, though in quality 

 inferior, but Adrian people like it best of all. Mt. Vernon is good. I have 

 tried the Jessie; think its size and color satisfactory, but it does not 

 seem to be very productive and its ciuality is rather inferior. Summit 

 is large, most beautiful, fairly vigorous, and I think will be quite sat- 

 isfactory. Piper is of fair size and appearance, as good in looks as the 

 Wilson, but not as productive as some varieties. Nearly all in this vicinity 

 have quit growing Wilson. I know more than one hundred kinds, but 

 only a few are valuable. I have tried Livingston and been well pleased. 

 It is as early as Crescent and quality and color are very good. Man- 

 chester is considerably grown in my vicinity, and I tried it but found it 

 blighted badly. I grow by the matted row^ system chiefly. If I grew 

 only fruit for market I would not do so, but I grow both for fruit and 

 plants. Hills would produce more fruit. 



After the singing of a song. Summer Days, ]:)y Miss Sheffield, adjourn- 

 ment was made till evening. 



Tuesday Evening's Session. 



It was decided to postpone till morning the reading of Chas. W. Gar- 

 field's paper on asparagus culture, and the society took up the topic, 



APPLE ORCHARDS OF SOUTHERN MICHIGAN. 



EvART H. Scott of Ann Arbor: Apple trees in my vicinity are gener- 

 ally in good condition. But comparatively little top-grafting has been 

 done, as most of the trees were properly grown. Baldwins have suffered 



