36 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



These are some of the things we have to learn by experience. Now, 

 Michel Early has become quite a favorite. It does not bring so large a 

 crop but it is early. Jessie is one of the finest of berries, but a little 

 frost kills it. These are things we have to learu by experience and experi- 

 ments, and the more we know of them the further it puts to sea. We can 

 not guess on the future. There are more of those things which I wish our 

 experimental station would get at, that they would notice such character- 

 istics of varieties and their ability to resist frosts. I have come to the 

 conclusion that I will not cultivate too deeply. It must be a moist 

 season it you get as good a crop as you would otherwise. The average 

 season is against you if you cultivate. On my soil I have a little of every- 

 thing, but liave groAvn strawberries mostly on sandy soil. I will not 

 mulch in the fall and leave it there until spring, but after the fruit is set I 

 will put il. on. 



Mr. T. T. Lyon of South Haven: So far as our experience at South 

 Haven is concerned, I can only say that it has been quite similar to that of 

 others. Last year we all understand was not a particularly favorable 

 time. Th«3 frost came about the middle of the strawberry season, so that 

 we lost about a third or a half of what would have been the crop. So we 

 feel this year more the effect of last year's drought. We had to depend 

 upon what the soil already contained for this year's growth. We had a 

 frost, a very unusual thing at our place, which blighted the blooms that 

 were already out. The crop set was a. large one, and more than half has 

 failed to develop on account of the drought and the extreme hot weather. 

 This is true especially of strawberries, and to some extent with currants 

 and gooseberries; at least they are not producing a full crop. So far as 

 the larger fruits are concerned, I have no reason to complain. We are 

 doing as well as usual, I think. I fancy if this type of season is to con- 

 tinue we would better resort to something beyond the mere cultivation of 

 the surface, so far as strawberries are concerned, for the reason that we 

 are obliged, in order to keep our crop in condition, to mulch it. Besides, 

 the tramp of feet during the season of gathering compacts the soil, so we 

 lose the benefit of the fruit. 



C E. Whitten: I live on the lake shore some fifteen miles further 

 south than Mr. Morrill. We had fair prospects at the start but were 

 bitten by the frost and dried out by the hot weather. Some varieties 

 seemed to resist the frost more than others. Haverland and Barton's 

 Eclipse show the most fruit — the most uninjured. We had fruits that 

 were half grown that were dead — never ripened. Then we had good 

 growing weather, but no rain and extremely hot, and the crop was prob- 

 ably a third cut off. We probably fared the best with the Barton crop, 

 so far as money goes. 



Q. What is your mode of cultivation? A. W^e usually depend upon 

 the matted row. 



Q. Don't you mulch at all? A. Very little mulching is done. 



Q. Can you keep your berries clean? A. If we don't get any more 

 rain than this year. As to cultivation in the spring, some practice it, 

 some do not. If you cultivate at all I should do it very early and then 

 stop. Do not disturb the roots after the plants are in bloom. 



Q. Have you fruited any of the later varieties, and which give the 

 greater promise? A. It is hard to give any idea of what the very latest 



