30 State Horticultural Society. 



Is it not a fact that some farmers and horticulturists ( ?) still 

 persist in shaking apples off and what they can't shake off, knock off 

 with a pole, to take to market? 



Is it not true that a great many have thought the more plants in 

 the row the more berries ? 



The same mistake is made in letting trees overbear with a hope of 

 getting quantity. I made the same mistake with a few grape vines I 

 let overbear. The grapes wilted, couldn't mature, were worthless and 

 the vines got awfully sick and are sick yet. But I want to hit still a 

 little closer in support of my proposition that quality is of first consid- 

 eration. Berry growers all over the country are now agitating and dis- 

 cussing the question of limitation of acreage in order to reduce quantity 

 and produce better quality. 



Four years ago, strawberry patches in this section (except Sarcoxie) 

 were few and small. The season was favorable. Some growers blow^ed 

 their horn of having made at the rate of one thousand dollars per acre. 

 Strawberry fever set in. A great many planted strawberries that knew 

 nothing about the business, except perhaps what they learned from 

 catalogues by men who wanted to sell plants. Some reasoned ( ?) : That 

 beats corn. I'll just put out sixty acres of strawberries and make 

 $60,000. 



Van Buren, Ark., boasted of 3,000 acres of strawberries. Rumor 

 has it that the large acreage ^'busted" some of the growers. Some 

 people have too much land anyway. 



It is rather a risky move for any one to invest all his savings and a 

 year's labor in a specialty, a product perhaps little understood, under 

 a fever of producing larger quantities regardless of quality, a thing, most 

 perishable, that won't wait on you forty-eight hours until it goes back to 

 water — only changing form. Anything 3'ou can store away and 

 keep in good condition (hold its quality) until the market suits 

 you, is much safer, especially in large quantities. The appearance or 

 looks, such as size, color, firmness, ripeness, etc., is of more importance 

 than certain flavors. Tastes differ. I have seen people using sugar 

 on salad. The popular taste adapts itself to something pretty and lots 

 of it. Ben Davis is a good example on this point. AVliere a mistake has 

 been made in planting undesirable varieties, for instance, quality good 



