SUMMER MEETING, 1879. SI 



Wednesday Morning. 



After the rending of some correspondence by the secretary the discussion 

 was resumed upon 



THE IDEAL MARKET STRAAVBERRY. 



The secretary stated that the gentlemen in discussing the question had not 

 struck at the point aimed at in framing the topic. The naming of varieties 

 that come nearest to the ideal one was subsidiary to the main query, to wit : 

 AV'hat are the characteristics which make up an ideal market strawberry? 

 Shall it be large or small, dark or light color, acid or sub acid, hard or soft, 

 seeds i)rominent or sunken, glossy or dull, etc.? 



J. P. Thompson. — In the face of our secretary's statement, and only with a 



desire to pin the discussion down to something definite, I offer the following 



resolution : 



liesolved, That the strawberry known as AVilson's Albany is our ideal market 

 berry. 



The resolution having received a second, Mr. Thompson proceeded to say : 



I have been watching the markets a long time, have been consuming large 

 quantities of strawberries in my family, and I find the following are some of 

 the facts about the Wilson. It is brought into market on all the roads, and is 

 found in every market in the greatest profusion ; it is a heavy producer of 

 fruit, outstripping almost everything else ; it is a good carrier, and from this 

 attribute receives the praises of producer, expressman, railroad man, commis- 

 sion dealer, retail dealer, and the consumer even praises its firmness. I refer 

 you to our catalogue prepared by our worthy president (and I wish no better 

 authority than he) ; see how the Wilson is marked there I — te7i for marJcet, 

 What does this mean, when the scale runs from one to ten? It means that 

 the Wilson is there graded as perfect for market, and we can not get around 

 our own catalogue. It is already our ideal market berry until that figure is 

 lowered. Are you prepared to cut that figure down? When you come to can- 

 vass the matter, gentlemen, if the Wilson is not your best market berry, what 

 is? You will find it very hard to make a substitute. 



C. N. Merriman, of Grand Rapids. — I can by no means endorse the senti- 

 ments expressed so forcibly by the gentleman just up. A year ago I heard 

 him speak very differently regarding this berry, and saw him make wry faces 

 at the mention of its name, and was much pleased to endorse him in these 

 manifestations, and regret exceedingly that he should have been a backslider 

 in this business. 



Mr. Thompson. — I was talking about a berry to eat, then, and not one to 

 market. I was speaking from the stomach's standpoint. It is money now. 



Mr. Merriman. — For my own part I would willingly throw the Wilson over- 

 board, and would not hesitate even to make the substitution that has been 

 suggested as so grave a responsibility. 



Mr. Johnstone, of the Michigan Farmer. — What is the standard, is our 

 question. The resolution regarding the Wilson berry I know has been thrown 

 in; still our original question is looking to a berry without a name, but with 

 satisfactory points for market purposes to place it at the head of the list. I 

 do not believe we have reached perfection as yet in this line, and would hesi- 

 tate very much to put the Wilson in that distinguished position. It is a good 



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