38 State Horticultural Society. 



hold to it. thev will have no trouble in selling this way. Our growers 

 are making about twice as much money as they did before. 



It is dry in our section — one rain in about six weeks. I believe the- 

 best thing is to have your ground well prepared. Plow the ground four or 

 five times eight or i6 inches and don't put on any mulch except a little 

 bit of fertilizer. I used to think our land in my part of the State was not 

 very rich, but we don't use any manure for straw'berries. They grow 

 the Warfield more than any thing else at Peirce City. At Monett they 

 grow the Warfield and Haverland. The Aroma is taking the place of the 

 Gandy. The Clyde is not so popular as it was a few years ago. It lacks 

 in leaves and is not h^gh colored enough. The Sample is the best berry. 

 Then we have the Republic and the Bubach as a great favorite. We 

 feel like congratulating ourselves on the strawberry question. Our yield 

 is a little short this year. Last year we shipped out 339 cars. Sarcoxie 

 shipped out 238 cars three years ago. Last year Fayetteville, Ark., came 

 to the front with 66 cars. Sarcoxie about 60. 



Mr. Barnes of Kansas. — I started in the berry business in '73 in 

 Kansas. One thing I do not believe that it is necessary to fertilize. I 

 never saw land anywhere that made the berries better by fertilizing. I 

 do not believe in it at all. I don't believe in letting your land lie idle 

 for a whole year. I believe in keeping something on it. Raise two or 

 three crops a year. I. have raised two crops in a season. I would pre- 

 pare the ground for berries. I would put the ground in some garden 

 crop first, then I put manure on it about knee deep. The plow it under, 

 cover it up and put your plants in in the spring. You will never have 

 better berries in you life. I tried this. The winter storms and snows 

 made it just right. Xow that ground was as rich as can be found any- 

 where. I paid $100 an acre for it. It is creek bottom. 



Last Friday I was in a horticultural meeting of a county associa- 

 tion in Kansas. They raise lots of berries out there. All of them fa- 

 vored the Gandy and Clyde, the Brandywine and Tennessee Seedling. 

 All of these are fine berries. 



About planting them. I would plant them in rows about four feet 

 apart to leave room for cultivation. Two feet is too close to cuUivate 

 handily. I would set them about eight inches to a foot in the row. I 

 think it would pay to set our plants closer than we do in the row. 



Mr. Erwin.— I don't live in land that cost $150 per acre, but have 

 pretty good soil. I am just beginning. I want to put out a bed for next 

 year just as soon as it rains. I am going to plow up the bed that I have 

 now and pick up the plants that are in it and put them in the ground 

 that I have been working all spring so they will begin to grow right 

 away. Next year I hope to have a fine crop of berries. 



