264 TRANSACTIONS OF THE HORTICULTURAL 



We then put on another mulching, just sufficient to keep the berries 

 clean. 



The plants had started to grow before they were burned, and 

 the fire gave them a pretty severe check. They began blooming five 

 days later than those not burned, and the first ripe berries were four 

 days later. In two plats of the same size, those not burned pro- 

 duced seventy quarts, while those burned produced forty-four and one- 

 half quarts. In size, those not burned were a very little larger than 

 the otliers. Those of the burned part, although later in beginning 

 . to ripen, did not last any longer than the others. I did not expect 

 to get as large a yield from those cultivated as from the others, be- 

 cause too many plants w^ere destroyed in the operation ; but I did 

 expect finer fruit. Our season of picking, this year, compared with 

 the two preceding, was very short. In 1885, it was from June 6th 

 to 30th — twenty-five days. " In 1886, from May 28th to June 16th— 

 twenty days. In 1887, from May 31st to June 15th — sixteen days. 

 Our fruit is grown on the black prairie soil. One of our neighbors, 

 Mr. J. G. Thompson, is growing fruit on a white timber soil. Mr. 

 Thompson began picking, this year, eleven days before we did. 



We have, this year, only sixteen varieties of strawberries that 

 have fruited. Of these, the one we are growing most of, we are not 

 sure of the name. Until two years ago it had been called Crescent 

 Seedling, Uut it differs from that in the plants being more robust, 

 the Ipaves larger and broader, and darker green. The fruit is larger, 

 lighter colored, and more rounded in outline. It does not set so 

 much fruit as the Crescent, and the later berries are apt to be imper- 

 fect and knottv. I sent specimens to 0. B. Galusha, of Peoria, and 

 Matthew Crawford, of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, for names, but neither 

 of them knew it. Prof. Burrill and 11. K. Vickroy think it is 

 Green's Prolific, but are not certain. A. S. Fuller describes Green's 

 Prolific as being a ])erfect berry, while th;s is a pistilate. It is an 

 easy berry to pick, because the stem is so brittle that it breaks of£ 

 without any difficulty. 



The ['id well bears a full crop of good-sized berries. They are 

 smooth, nice-looking, firm, and of fairly good quality. This year 

 they began ripening at about the same time as the rest, but we 

 could get berries from them for three or four da3'S after the others 

 were ail gone. They are good strong growers and nearly free from 

 rust. 



TliH Piper bears a very full crop, and the first berries are of fair 

 size, but toward the last they get small. When fully ripe they are 

 highly colored and of very good quality. The plant is a good grower 

 and hardy. 



The Sliarpless is too well known to need much note. It does 

 not produce many berries, but they are large, and when ripe all over 

 they are very good. It is not as much of a plant to spread as some 

 of the others, but is hardy and free from disease. 



