258 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



keep them clean as possible during the growing season; set 

 a new bed every spring, and turn under an old one. The first 

 season we cultivate and hoe among the plants, being care- 

 ful not to destroy the runners, keeping the bed clean until 

 about the middle of August. After this there is nothing 

 more done on the bed except to pick three crops of berries; 

 then it is turned under again. The weeds that grow after 

 the middle of August will not ripen seed before the frost 

 kills it, and this growth of weeds forms a good covering for 

 the plants, and makes an excellent winter protection. The 

 first season's picking I get the largest berries, the second 

 season the most quarts, the third and last season about as 

 many quarts as the first season, but smaller berries." I will 

 say Mr. Young is the largest small fruit grower in Green 

 county. 



New, or Specially Valuable Sorts, and Their Tests With 

 Regard to Hardiness and Adaptation. 



I have not much to say on this subject. Perhaps I ought 

 to mention the Roman Stem apple. All the trees of this 

 varie'ty that have been set in this county that I know any- 

 thing about (except a few I grafted and sold to parties near 

 Albany a few years since, and I have heard nothing of them 

 since), were brought from Ohio in 1850, and set m a few of 

 our old orchards. A part of my trees were injured some 

 two years ago. One of my neighbors set a small orchard in 

 1850. There were six Roman Stem trees among them. The 

 orchard is now all dead except the six Roman Stem; five of 

 them are still healthy, one was injured two years ago. 



I must not fail to mention the Jessie strawberry. That, 

 as I saw it on Mr. Loudon's grounds the two last seasons, 

 growing along side of all the most popular strawberries, 

 stands at the head of all strawberries yet introduced for 

 size, quality, productiveness and healthy, vigorous foliage. 



