WINTER MEETING. 297 



all the blackcaps. These latter have fruited and promise great 

 things. 



Coming to a late date, I will tell my last misfortune. Nearly an 

 acre of strawberry plants set out in the fall of 1896, which were to be 

 treated all summer, so as to make a big show next season, have all 

 gone where the woodbine twineth. Am just waiting for a man to plow 

 the whole thing under. How did this happen? some will ask, that a 

 man like old Miller can fail thus? The answer is simply this, that 

 when the better crops of berries were gathered, and the cultivation 

 should commence, there was already a fair start of weeds, crab grass 

 the leader; when rain after rain came, and the ground at no time tit to 

 work properly; when the rains ceased, the weeds had encb a start that 

 it would have been a useless job to clear them. The strawberry plants 

 seemed to hold their own for a long time, and by mowing the grass 

 down even with the plants, I hoped to carry them through. 



But when no rain fell for two months to amount to anything, and 

 the mercury for days and weeks ranged from 90 to 100 degrees and 

 more, they bad to give up. 



All I have lefc now is perhaps a few thousands of the newer 

 variety, that were near the spring, and which I kept alive by carrying 

 ■water to them. Bui. will this stop me from growing strawberries'? .Not 

 if I am spared. So long as able the band-spade, trenching-fork and 

 trowel will be wielded. I feel like the late Mr. Muencb, who said he 

 expected to die in the harness, and today it was fulfilled, for he was 

 found dead in his vineyard with the prnning-shears at his side, as I 

 have been told. 



Horticulture has its ups and downs like everything else, but if 

 there is any occupation in life that gives more pleasure, I have not 

 been able to discover it. Soon my time will come to be ferried over 

 the dark stream, but one of my last wishes will be that this noble pur- 

 suit of horticulture will receive the attention that it deserves. 



And now when we have all the new apples that we are so proud 

 of, how many have we to surpass in real value the yellow BelMower, 

 Sambo Ked Romanite, Winesap and. Newtown Pippin, which are about 

 100 years old. 



Talk about a fruit running out, 1 don't believe it. It is the want 

 of proper attention that causes the degeneracy. I have gathered as 

 ■fine Eomanites this season as ever I saw. Among my collection ex- 

 hibited here are two new ones, that promise well. A sweet one that 

 our late Brother Holman gave me some years ago, and the Lexington. 

 '3^he latter on young trees in the nursery five years old. 



Sah'l Millek, Bluffton. 



