ANNUAL WINTER MEETING AT WARRENSBURG. 213 



first and proceed as before. When the tree is well drawn together, 

 fasten with broom twine ; then take off , the ropes and proceed to put 

 on the straw, shingle fashion, commencing at the bottom, one man 

 holding the straw while the other puts the twine around and ties. Two 

 men will tie from 30 to 50 trees per day, according to size. After the 

 trees become seven or eight years of age they are somewhat difficult 

 to tie. The straw should be left on until the trees are done blooming, 

 and should be unwrapped on a cloudy day to keep the hot sun from 

 killing the tender fruit or bloom. 



The Crystal City if planted on rich soil will make too many plants, 

 while if planted on poor soil it will be more productive, and the ber- 

 ries will ripen earlier. While the Crescent Seedling, Chas. Downing 

 and Capt. Jack being very productive, require rich soil to mature the 

 berries. 



Early Washington, Wilson, Jucunda, Big Bob and'Manchester have 

 such short roots that they do not withstand the March freezing and 

 thawing, nor the hot dry summers of Southwest Missouri. 



F. H. King is testing an accidental seedling found growing in clay 

 and among rock thrown out of the bottom of a cellar. It came up in the 

 summer of '83, and withstood the two severe winters following without 

 any protection whatever, which proves its hardiness ; being a pistilate, it 

 did not set any berries in '84, but made a dozen new plants in tha 

 spring ofg'85. King set a number of Lening's White as a fertilizer, and 

 the seedling plants were loaded with fruit. The plants resemble Capt. 

 Jack. The berries are oblong, ovate in size, larger than Capt. Jack, of 

 fine flavor and the firmest berries I ever saw. King has taken great 

 pains to increase the plants, and now has several thousand; will test 

 it thoroughly next season, and report at summer meeting. I have 

 ^reat confidence in this new berry. 



Below will be found the product of one acre of the best varieties 

 of strawberries : 



