SUMMER MEETING. 51 



they should be destroyed and not allowed to set any more plants. This 

 plan, for Southwest Missouri, is preferable to the one often recom- 

 mended, of keeping the runners cut off until late in the season and 

 then to set plants, in this, that the early set plants have more time to 

 develop and to form fruit buds than the late set ones, and in case of 

 drouth, by this plan one may get' good rows when by the later plan he 

 would fail. And again, it is much easier to pull off a few runners in 

 the fall where they have become too thick, than it is to fill up a gap 

 where they are too often thin or entirely missing. 



Of %'arieties for market and the table, the Warfield appears to be 

 in the lead. It is large, firm and of good quality and color, and is very 

 productive. 



For a late variety there is nothing better than the Gaudy. It is 

 very large and showy, and always sells at the highest market price. 

 The quality is good, the plant strong and healthy. The only fault one 

 can well find with it is that it is less productive than some others. The 

 -Cumberland is one of the best for quality, and if carefully and properly 

 grown, one of the most profitable. The Jessie and Seth Boyden are 

 both good varieties of fine quality, and the latter one of the showiest 

 of berries. 



My choice for shipping berries is Warfield and Capi. Jack, although 

 from one year's experience I am inclined to think the Eobinson from 

 Kansas will be better than Capt. Jack. It is of good quality, and I 

 believe the firmest berry I have. The Orescent I only name in order 

 to condemn. If all who raise berries for market would destroy it 

 utterly from their places and never set [another plant of it, I believe 

 they would be greatly benefited by the transaction. After the first few 

 pickings it is only fit to demoralize markets, and no amount of care 

 and selection will enable the grower to get it to market in good order 

 any distance from home, or to hold it long at home. The sooner we 

 quit it the better. 



All varieties of the strawberry appear to be unaffected by the cold 

 of winter while they are in a dormant state, especially if furnished 

 with a light covering of some kind to shade them from the direct rays 

 of the sun while they are frozen. After growth begins in the spring, 

 they are sometimes hurt by the cold, the Michel's Early, the Jessie and 

 the Sharpless appearing to be more subject to injury from this cause 

 than others. The best variety I have ever seen tried to resist drouth 

 while maturing its crop is the Capt. Jack. One year it was the only 

 variety I had that was worth picking, the others being wilted and 

 ■worthless, while it was apparently but little injured. 



