82 STATE POMO LOGICAL SOCIETY. 



berry and I tliiiik a good deal of it. Not long hence it may be superseded by 

 a better sort, one that will *' scale higher," as we say in grading shorthorns. 

 I knew Mr. Wilson very well when lie was performing his experiments which 

 culminated in the berry named after him. I know very well, too, that he did 

 not think he had reached an ideal market berry, but he had the best one then 

 extant. There may be others already in the held that will easily take the 

 precedence, but whichever way we move as a society let us be cautious. 



Mr. Bridgman. — Nature has not put all the desirable qualities in a straw- 

 berry, and the conditions are against her doing so very soon. For instance, to 

 have an ideal market berrv I would have it last at least six weeks. I would 

 ask the gentlemen who are reaching after the ideal, what berry approximates 

 to this standard? 



President Lyon. — In a market berry we want, first, size, — not a few large 

 berries and a large number of small ones, but a good many large ones. In other 

 .words we want plants that will grow large berries throughout the season. The 

 Wilson is very much below this standard. Second, we look to firmness; that 

 is a quality of fruit when ripened that will enable it to be transported to mar- 

 ket under proper precautions and reach there in a fair condition. No one 

 desires to purchase strawberry mash. Third, color is a matter of importance. 

 The color attracts the eye, and secures oftentimes the purchaser. The perfect 

 berry should not only have good rich color, but persistency of color, and fur- 

 ther, should not take on that color too soon, so as to deceive in the ripeness of 

 the fruit. I never have seen a perfect man or woman, — I may have my favor- 

 ites and i")rejudices in this matter, — neither have I found perfection in a straw- 

 berry, nor do I ever expect to, but by carefully making the most of the 

 aggregate of experience, I hope we shall grow nearer to our ideal. 



Mr. Wilde, of Berlin. — I sent for the Wilson berry twenty years ago, and 

 have grown it ever since in considerable quantity. I have sold this berry for 

 811.00 per bushel in the Milwaukee market. It has stood a good test. I am 

 loth to give it up, but as sure as it has risen, it will fall, and its place will be 

 filled by another. I am very much pleased with the Champion, and were its 

 flower perfect it would immediately step in ahead of the AVilson. 



W. A. Brown. — We have in Berrien county over 4,000 acres in strawberries, 

 and 90-lOOths of them are Wilsons, at a safe estimate. Even with this knowl- 

 edge, I should hope the gentleman would withdraw his resolution. 



Mr. Thompson expressed a willingness to do so, and the following was 

 ollered as a substitute bv Mi'. Merriman and carried. 



liesoUed^ That we have not as yet reached so high a standard of excellence iu the 

 strawberry as to name any variety as '' an ideal market berry." 



The next topic was announced by the president. *^ What is 



THE IDEAL FAMILY STEAWBEKRY, 



and what sorts come nearest to it?'' 



The discussion was opened by a short essay from the pen of Benjamin Hath- 

 away, of Little Prairie Ronde, as follows : 



It should be a sure producer under all circumstances — at least under all cir- 

 cumstances in which it is reasonable to expect fruit. To this end it must be 

 hardy, as hardy as the native strawberry — the old Virginia Scarlet. 



The fruit should be fair in quality, but not the best, for to have the highest 

 flavor we must give up measurably both quantity and the certainty of product- 

 iveness. It should be better tlnm the AVilson, but not as good as the Chas. 



