304 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



MORNING SESSION. 



Small fruit culture. — Col. Oolmaii said it was a great mistake in 

 farmers only planting apples and peaches. Small fruits were more 

 valuable than anything else to a family. Many think it hard to raise 

 strawberries; it is not so, as it is as simple as raising potatoes, and 

 large crops can be raised with little labor. Keep the weeds down, and 

 in winter cover with straw — not for extreme cold, but to keep off the 

 ■winter sun. 



Wilson's Albany is the best of all for family or market. Oapt. 

 Jack was referred to, but this variety is new yet; his experience with 

 it was very favorable ; it was a little later. 



Houghton's Seedling gooseberry bore immense crops. Currants 

 did well on a northern slope, or when heavily mulched. Of raspber- 

 ries, the Miami or Mammoth Cluster was the best, very productive and 

 invaluable to the farmer. 



The Lawton blackberry was easily raised and generally profitable,^ 

 as well as the most productive for market. The Kittatinny was the best- 

 bearer and finest flavor. It grew in hedge rows. After the second 

 season mulch heavily, then don't cultivate any more. 



Col. Colman said he had found grapes a failure with him on the 

 Mississippi blutfs for five years. He was putting out a new vineyard, 

 and expected four or five crops before the rot strikes them. Every 

 farmer should plant at least a few vines ; they will live as long as he 

 does, and perhaps as long as the family. 



Mr. Slocum found the culture of small fruits, particularly rasp- 

 berries, very profitable and pleasant. He described his manner of 

 cultivating them. 



Of strawberries he considered Wilson's Albany the best. 



He found the Lawton blackberry no good, and plowed it up. Had 

 three or four good crops of Kittatinny, but they had the rust now and 

 he feared its effects. He tried to eradicate it, but thought his ground 

 was too rich. 



His grapes yielded a poor crop last year, the insects causing the 

 berries to fall off. He gave instances of failures and their causes, and 

 ■why they did not fail at Kelley's Island. Catawba does well on the 

 original vine in North Carolina on the Catawba river. He asked, are 

 ■we not doing wrong in pruning so closely ? He thinks the fungus 

 takes hold because of our manner of close pruning. Young vineyards 

 do well, old ones fail. He obtained five or six crops before his vine- 

 yard commenced to fail. His vines were mostly Concord. 



