472 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Mr. Cravens: Now the succession of fruits to last a family during the 

 season. I ask for the best that you would recommend for an individual, 

 private grower. 



Mr. Duncan: That is a hard question to answer. I believe, for fam- 

 ily use, 1 would set out the Crawford first; then I would come in with the 

 Haverland a little later, and I would take the Gaudy as a late berry. 



Mr. Cravens: Now, Mr. Fawcett, will you change that? 



Mr. Fawcett: I understand you want a succession that would be de- 

 sirable for family use. That would be a little difficult to decide upon, for 

 you want to consider quality when it comes to a berry for strictly family 

 use. You want what is good, what is excellent, when you are planting for 

 yourself. In that case, the early berry I would plant would be the Excel- 

 sior; it is a new variety, but it has fruited and has gone before some of the 

 other varieties come; it is a fairly good berry. The Crawford will come 

 next as a good berry. That is a very fine variety, and you can plant them 

 a little farther apart. You will have to be careful about their getting too 

 thick and in your road; they will not proauce many berries if they are a 

 perfect mat. Then the Clyde is a good berry for market or home use, and 

 the Bubach is as good. By the time they are gone you can have the Gaudy. 

 Now in regard to planting, If you make a little basin, or the ground is 

 hollow, if there comes a good, hard rain, the dirt will wash in and cover 

 the crown, and it will rot. When you receive your plants for setting, do 

 not dampen the leaves, especially if you have to hold them over a little 

 before planting; you may dampen the roots if necessary, but never dampen 

 above the crown. We want this ground as level as it can be gotten. If 

 you make a ridge the roots spring apart and separate, and the moisture 

 escapes. You want it as level as possible, so the moisture will not escape. 

 If you get it on a little ridge and go to working it, you are apt to plow the 

 dirt away from the roots. 



Mr. Cravens: Now of this catalogue you gave us. Are they perfect 

 berries, or do they need others to set out with them for fertilization? 



Mr. Fawcett: You won't need any if there is enough fertilizers to fer- 

 tilize these other plants. I should like to ask Prof. Troop, now, in re- 

 gard to the fungous growth and the spraying of plants. Some years ago 

 we had a great many of what is popularly called "buttons" on our plants. 

 Some say it is caused by a little freeze in the spring that tends to freeze 

 the ends of the pistils so they will not fertilize, but I do not believe that 

 is the case. On my place today you can find blooms and buttons there, 

 on plants that have never had a cold wind on them; and my opinion is 

 that it is a fungous growth, because some of the pistils, may be only two 

 or three, look like there is a fxingous growth. What causes this fungous 

 growth, and I want to know when to spray, how to spray and what to 

 spray with. 



