Discussion. 37 



several years. Then if the strawberries are large it is 

 through nature. I tira careful to keep the runners cut. Some 

 strawberries send out more runners than others, some send 

 out very few, and others very many. In a patch of from 

 two to three thousand seedlings we have to cut over them 

 as often as once a week. I know by the habits of a plant 

 whether it will be a large strawberry or not, from the foli- 

 age and general habits of the plant. That is acquired by hav- 

 ing so much experience in the business. I am rambling in 

 my talk and I do not know as it interests you. It would 

 take me a whole week to tell you all about it. 



Mr. Ring — You think, then, fall seeding is the best? 



Mr. Loudon — Yes. I set them out and keep the ground 

 stirred around them. 



Mr. Stickney — In late fall planting, do you not get winter 

 losses by late setting? 



Mr. Loudon — Some, sir; there is no strawberry I have 

 ever raised except the Jessie, that will winter without cover- 

 ing. This is a general failing. I don't think it is a good 

 plan to winter strawberries anywhere in the north. The 

 difficulty with the Sharpless does not arise from losing the 

 plants but from losing the foliage. Something is wrong 

 with the fruit blossoms of ihe plants, I think. I don't think 

 there was ever over 100 bushels of them raised to the acre 

 and possibly not over fifty bushels. 



Mrs, Smith — Do you mean to say that you prefer fall 

 planting all strawberries? 



Mr. Loudon — No, I meant only for seedling strawberries; 

 what I know about strawberries is not so much but what I 

 can learn yet as far as raising them for market is con- 

 cerned. 



Mr. Stickney — What proportion of the plants stand it, do 

 you find in common ? 



Mr. Loudon — Just about eight per cent., never above ten 

 and as low as five. The reason I take others up is to give 

 the good ones room. Sometimes we find three or four with- 

 in fifteen inches of one another. Then we have to be very 

 careful that we don't get things mixed up. 



