288 STATE nOKTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



When sowing seed be snre and i)ut in plenty and press the soil firmly with 

 the back of the spade. When the seeds break the ground it is a good plan to 

 rake over the whole bed with a sharp steel rake, going lengthwise of the rows, 

 ■which will break the crust and allow the plants to come up. Good parsnip 

 and other fine seed will somt-times fail unless the crust be broken, as the 

 young plants are very weak and unable to push through, particularly if sown 

 thin. Use ])lenty of old manure, keep the ground clean and as level as may 

 be, not digging out deep paths and making high beds, but plant in rows the 

 whole length of the plot, aiid the labor to keep clean will be much less. 



The June meeting was given up to 



PLUMS AND BEliRIES, 



Dr. Marshall speaking of plum growing, and Ezra Jones, Messrs. Johnson, 

 Beal, Van Auken, Stebbins, Gardener, and others discussing strawberry grow- 

 ing. 



Mrs. D. L. Case said, concerning canning, the fruit should be rare, ripe, 

 and fresh. Fruit from the market or brought from a distance will not keep as 

 ■well as when taken fresh from the garden. She steams her fruit instead of 

 boiling. She likes to put sugar on iier strawberries and let them stand over 

 night before canning. This hardens the berries. She does not heat the jar but 

 stands a knife in it, and the hot fruit will not break it. She believes drying 

 fruit by improved processes will yet supersede canning. 



Mrs Emery said a glass jar will not be broken by the hot fruit if stood on a 

 "wet cloth. 



Mr. Mann said sour fruit well sweetened will keep better than sweet fruit. 



The J;ilv meeting continued the discussion of small fruits begun in June. 



I. W. Van Auken exhibited eleven kinds of strawberries that were named as 

 follows: Sharpless, Captain Jack, Green Prolific, Marvin, Cumberland 

 Triumph, Kentucky, Crescent Seedling, Col. Cheeney, Endicott, Windsor Chief, 

 Triumph of America. On being asked to make a choice of the best three 

 varieties, he named the Crescent Seedling for earliuess, productiveness, hardi- 

 ness, and good quality; Triumph of America as largest and among the first, 

 and Marvin last but not least, as it has all the good qualities desirable for a 

 first-class shipping berry, and good enough to please the most fastidious epicure. 

 F. B. Johnson was asked to name the best three varieties on his grounds. He 

 named the Crescent Seedling for early, Sharpless Medium, Cumberland Triumph , 

 and Windsor Chief for late. 



