SUMMER MEETING. 43 



L. A. Goodman, Westport, Mo. : 



Dear Sir and Friend— I should like to receive specifications for a picking- shed that will 

 be the most convenient for handling the berries from 15 acres of ground, and If you will 

 submit my wants to some of the prominent berry-growers and ask for plans for such a shed, 

 I win give $5 to any one who will send me a plan that I think will be better than one that I 

 could construct myself. 



I expect to be at the meeting next week, and will have a few cherries and raspberres. 

 My strawberries are played out. Yours truly, 



S. W. Gilbert. 



Strawberries in 1894 at BUifffcoii, Mo. 



Before going into a description of the different varieties and their 

 behavior, I will give an account of the mode of culture of them. 



In the spring of 1893 I received from friends for trial, and bought, 

 quite a number of new ones. Of some I had ten, some six, and of one 

 twenty-four; of the latter only one variety, the Timbrell. These were 

 planted side by side in rows of six plants each ; were put in ordinary 

 good soil, that might produce 80 bushels of corn to the acre. They 

 were all treated alike, the ground kept clean and well cultivated. Ow- 

 ing to the drouth, it was necessary to carry a great quantity of water 

 to keep them alive and growing. They were allowed to make a certain 

 number of plants, when the runners were detached from the parent 

 plants, and about the first of September the young plants were dug up 

 and carefully set in beds, a few inches apart each way, so as to become 

 well established and to give the parent plants a chance to recuperate. 



In the latter part of September and up to the middle of October, 

 these young plants were set out in rows joining the original setting, in 

 ground well prepared. These, too, had to be watered well, several 

 times before cold weather set in. When the ground became frozen I 

 gave the plants a very slight covering with fine grass, and on top of 

 this laid long straight weeds that grow in side places, to keep the fine 

 stuff from blowing off. The past spring wh«n they commenced to 

 grow, the long weeds were taken off and Liid lengthwise in the middle 

 between the rows, the fine stuff loosened up. In a week or two after- 

 ward the fine covering was also taken off" clean and placed on the 

 other weeds. When dry these strips of weeds were burned, the whole 

 patch given a good hoeing, and then left until they were in fall bloom» 

 Then they got a fine bed of soft dry grass to keep the fruit clean, and 

 at the same time the promise of a splendid crop of fruit was grand. 



Now comes the question which, I fear, will be difficult to answer 

 correctly ; I, at least, won't pretend to do it. 



Was it the repeated cold rains during their blooming for a certain 

 period, or the late frosts, or both of them ? One thing is certain, that 



