SUMMER MEETINCr AT CHILLICOTHE. 31 



The following- letter was readr 



Columbia, Mo., June 7, 1892. 

 Hon. L. A. Goodman, Secretary Missouri State Horticultural Society : 



My Dkak Sir— Greatly to ray regret I am unable to attend the meeting at 

 ■Chillicotbe, and must ask you to explain my absence. 



Thanks to the intelligent work of my friend and pi'edecessor, Professor Clark, 

 we have at the Station over 8000 seedling strawberries that are now in bearing, 

 and it is the midst of their season. 1 regard it of the first importance that tbe 

 fruiting of these plants be carefully watched and daily notes made. I am endeavor- 

 ing to keep track of them, and hope by careful selection to get from the great 

 number something worthy of more extended trial, i shall select the best, and let 

 them make plants, and set enough to get a small bed of each in bearing next 

 season. Then I want your Society to name men in different parts of the State to 

 test our seedlings. 



1 send you by express this evening 48 varieties of seedlings, each box labeled 

 viuth name of parent and number of plant. These are not necessarily the best of' 

 the collection, as a threatening storm has made it necessary to select them hastily. 

 In their selection the principal points have been productiveness, size, vigor of 

 plant. The very wet season makes it impossible to judge much of texture, and 

 the constant rains have undoubtedly impaired the quality. 1 triifst they may 

 interest your members. They will serve as an example of our work. I have sent 

 leaf and fruiting stem of each, so that you could better judge their habit. 



Having explained at length the condition of our work, I am sure your Society 

 will agree with me in saying that I am best serving the interest of horticulture at 

 this time by remaining at home. I shall hope to be with you at your next 

 meeting. 



Permit me to extend to all your members who may pass through Centralia 

 -en route home, and to all others who can do so, a cordial invitation to come to 

 Columbia and examine our seedlings and sample beds. 



The plantation is grassy, but there is much besides grass in it. I should be 

 pleased if at least a committee could come here and look over the work. 



Regretting exceedingly my inability to be with you, and assuring you of a 

 liearty desire to cooperate with your Society in every possible way, I am, dear sir, 



Yours very truly, 



Charles A. Keffer. 



Dr. Green answers Mr. Gilbert about strawberries. He must have 

 10 cents per box to make it pay. Blue-grass takes hold the first year 

 and clover the second year, and it costs more to keep the grass out 

 than the fruit will bring. Competition has put the prices so low that 

 he cannot raise them profitably. 



Mr. Gilbert — If I lived where blue-grass grew as easily as it does 

 here, I should be glad enough. We need better care and cultivation, 

 and we can grow them for less than 10 cents. People north will pay 

 for them, and they should average us $2.00 to $2.40 per crate through 

 the season. 



Mr. Blake was in "Egypt" last week and found home-grown straw- 

 berries in the market in abundance, and prices were very low. Some 



