PROCEEDINGS OF THE SUMMER MEETING. 35 



A. Last year I found it was not good practice. The first two seasons 

 I thouj^lit it was. Last season they didn't do as well where I cultivated. 



Q. How deep do you cultivate? 



A. Two inches. I notice that berries here on the college ground have 

 not been cultivated, and I would like to hear from Prof. Taft. 



Prof. Taft: You notice that on the north side of the drive the berries 

 are very uneven. That was due to the drought of last year. Sometimes 

 I thought every plant was killed. You couldn't find a green leaf the first 

 of August. Nine tenths of the kinds show very few green leaves, and 

 the worst of them failed to start after the rains came. We have a fair 

 growtli coming on now. The piece on ihe south side of the road is now 

 three years old and will give us a good crop. We have only given it two 

 fair applications, and it did not take over a day to water it, and you can 

 see what the effect has been from that small amount of labor and water. 

 The condition of those on the north side of the road is due entirely to the 

 dry season. Regarding cultivation in the fruiting year, if you are sure of 

 a wet season, and use only a fine-tooth cultivator, you will have improved 

 results unless it is very heavily mulched. 



Q. What time did you put the mulch on? 



A. Not very far from the middle of November, between that and 

 Thanksgiving. 



Q. You always mulch in the fall? 



A. Always in the fall. 



Q. Do you cover from frost in the spring? 



A. This spring, I think about Monday of the week when the frost 

 commenced, it seemed they were covered enough. Friday we thought it 

 time to take the covering off. We took it off when we thought the 

 weather had turned, but that night we had a hard frost which of course 

 nipped them, all the worse, perhaps, because they had been covered. 



Mr. Gladden : I would mention as of especial value here at the college, 

 Greenville, Brandywine, Judsonia, Weston, Thompson, Epping, and 

 Bisel. I might also name Princeton Chief, Edwards Favorite, and Max 

 well of the newer sorts. 



Q. What berries were the poorest? 



A. Wilson did the poorest of the common kinds this year. Cres- 

 cent also gave a poor crop. Haverland has been one of the best in the 

 long run. 



Q. What are the characteristics of Bisel? 



A. T value it chiefly for its vigor of growth and its fruiting qualities, 

 although we can not judge fairly of its productiveness this season. 



Mr. Morrill: Our section is a pretty dry country. What with frost 

 and dry, hot weath<^r combined, I have never seen strawberries so dry 

 as they were with us. The temperature (I am not speaking accurately) 

 was probably from six to ten degrees above normal for the last half of 

 June, and I believe it was heat as well as lack of moisture. I might 

 speak of the varieties such as a discussion of this kind brings out. We 

 must learn that every variety has its own graces. Warfield I consider 

 the best market berry that grows. The roots are very short, and that is 

 against it in the droughty season. Still, there is no plant of more vitality 

 on the ground. On the other hand the Haverland roots very deeply. If 

 the roots of Warfield are not deep in the fall you will have a large crop. 



