246 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



JACKSON COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



PREPARED BY R. T. MC'NAUGHTON, SEC't. 



This society was organized April 3, 1880, electing at that time, for its officers 



President — W. K. Gibson. 



Secretary and Treasurer — R. T. McNaughton. 



At this meeting interesting remarks were made by Secretary C. W. Garfield 

 of the State society, Messrs. W. K. Gibson, S. 0. Knapp, and others. Some 

 discussion then followed on transplanting trees and shrubs, and those present 

 then joined the society by paying their fees, and the meeting adjourned. A 

 lovely bouquet of flowers was placed on the table by Mr. Elliott Armstrong at 

 the beginning of the meeting, which delighted every one by its beauty and 

 fragrance. 



The meeting of April 30 discussed the subject of strawberry culture, being 

 introduced by W. K. Gibson in somewhat the following remarks: — 



Of all the small fruits that are successfully cultivated here, none is perhaps 

 better for general use than the strawberry. Of its various methods of culture 

 I need say little, as all are familiar with their practice. The two most common 

 modes are, perhaps, cultivation in the hill and in the matted row. By the 

 former method the rows are placed two or three feet apart, with the plants one 

 foot apart in the row. This is, undoubtedly, the best method for amateur and 

 family use, as the plants produce larger and sweeter berries. By the second 

 plan the rows are made three to three and a half feet apart to allow of horse 

 cultivation, and the plants are allowed to run together and form a continuous 

 row six or eight inches wide. By this plan more fruit is produced for the first 

 year or two, though it is not as fine or well flavored. Some varieties, as the 

 Jucunda and President Wilder, cannot be successfully grown in this way, but 

 hardy early kinds do well. The hill system is required for the fine, large, 

 sweeter and more tender varieties. 



In cultivation, two points should be observed : Do not cultivate in spring, 

 and do not cultivate late in fall. On this point all best cultivators are agreed. 

 Simply keep the weeds pulled out until after bearing is past, and then when 

 the crop is off cultivate well and deeply until the 1st of September. The 

 ground should be mulched with clean straw around the plants during the 

 growth of the berries, and the plants during winter should be protected by 

 covering well after the ground lias frozen up solid. This keeps the plants in 

 place till spring and prevents destruction of the roots by freezing and thawing. 

 As to the time for transplanting, horticulturists differ. Perhaps, all things con- 

 sidered, spring is the best. If not set early enough in the fall to make a vig- 

 orous stand and growth, the plants are apt to winter-kill. All beds should be 

 reset as often as once in three or four years. The bed may be spaded up and 

 new plants set, or it may be renewed by allowing the runners to take root in 

 the row midway between the old plants. Sever the connection with the latter 

 as soon as the runners fairly strike root. New varieties are almost without 

 number, and the best ones ought to be raised more by people who wish a fine 

 berry, instead of in a measure wasting their time, labor, and money by raising 

 inferior sorts. It is just as easy to raise a fine fruit, flower, or vegetable as a 



