74 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



own natural proportions, and see the variety of forms — the white mo8» 

 reachinf:^ above your head ; Madame Plantier's long slender branches 

 weighted down with their wealth of snowy bloom ; Salet, with its wide- 

 spread head of lovely, mossy pink buds; Mabel Morrison, shooting up 

 in a straight pillar. Tbese, as well as every other rose or shrub, have 

 all their own individuality. Pruning to some extent weakens the 

 hardiness of shrubs. I once cut in an Exochordia; the following winter 

 the portion so trimmed died — the only case of winter-killing I have ever 

 noticed in it. This spring I notice all the dead wood in roses ; is that 

 cut back last year; occasionally the tips of the canes are killed, but 

 nature in that case has healed the injury, and no raw cats are exposed 

 to the weather. We have our weeping willows and birches in their 

 own natural forms ; why not our roses? 



Mrs. J. A. DuRKES, Weston, Mo. 



Thursday, June 7 — 9 a. m. 



The President called the meeting to order, and the Secretary read 



the following letters : 



Trenton, Mo., June 11, 1894. 

 L. A. Goodman, Westport, Mo.: 



Dear Sir — I have been urged frequently this season by some com- 

 mission men of Kansas City, to grow strawberries for that markets 

 They claim that it would be profitable, from the fact that our crop 

 ripens after their local crop is gone. 



I^ow I have never studied the Kansas City 'markets, so I would 

 like to have your opinion in regard to it. Our crop ripens here from 

 the 1st to the 20th of June on an average; this year is a little earlier. 

 Also, what do you know about the St. Joseph market^? 



Our strawberries this year were very unsatisfactory, yet consider- 

 ing the frost of the 18th of May, and the drouth which has prevailed 

 all season, they did fairly well. Late varieties like Gandy, Glendale, 

 Mt. Yernon and Robinson, were entirely killed by the frost. Wartield,. 

 Crescent, Capt. Jack and Windsor Chief were our most productive 

 sorts. Babaoh also produced abundantly of fine large fruits. But 

 taking everything into consideration, the Min. Chief is the best berry 

 we can grow here. What kind would you fertilize it with ? I use 

 Glendale and Miner, but neither are productive enough. 



Will you please give me a list including some of the newer varie- 

 ties which are the most productive, the largest, the best flavored, the 

 brightest colored and the firmest to grow for a home market ; also 

 for shipping. 



