6 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



purpose, and would be largely set for market but for its rusting so 

 badly some seasons. 



Parker Earle is well spoken of and will be largely set this spring. 

 It has done best in narrow rows and on good soil. The objection to 

 it is that it over-bears. The berries run quite small on the latter pick- 

 ings, and the plant seems to exhaust itself in bearing the first crop. 



(iandy is claimed to be the best late berry. It is a light bearer and 

 lequires good soil. It blossoms late. The ])ast spring it had not blos- 

 somed yet when we had our late frost, although all other varieties had. 



From every grower that has tried it there is nothing but praise for 

 Beder Wood. It is early, large, of good color, and hardj^, makes plants 

 freely- — a fine berry with which to fertilize Warfield. 



Princess has been but little grown, but promises well. 



Eureka, so far as grown, has proved of doubtful value. 



Cumberland has become unreliable because of its rusting so badly. 



Michel's Early is well spoken of as an early berry. It furnishes a 

 few good pickings before other varieties ripen. 



Swindle seems to be true to name. 



Great claims are made for Timbrell, by those who have fruited it, as 

 being a rather late, good-size, fine-flavored, and very productive berry. 



Enhance, Brandy wine, and Marshall have not been thoroughly tried 

 with us yet, but promise to be valuable additions to our list of market 

 varieties. 



But, for all conditions of weather and all kinds of soil, no berry 

 ever grown with us has become so gcmerally a favorite as Warfield. 

 It is one of the best shippers we have. However, it does best in rather 

 thin matted rows and on good soil. 



BY ME. E. L. BKILLHART OF LUDINGTON. 



The first requirements that present themselves to my mind, for any 

 kind of fruitgrowing, are these: A person able to stand disappoint- 

 ment, and live with a happy heart on the prospects of a future crop; 

 one with natural desire for, and sole interest in, fruitgrowing, the grand- 

 est of all callings. He should be intelligent, energetic, and ver}- par- 

 ticular; and with two more well-developed '"bumps,'' one for neatness, 

 the other for punctuality. 



With these qualifications assured, it would be safe and advisable to 

 look for a suitable location, which should be as close to market as 

 possible. Low, wet, or valley land should be avoided for strawberries, 

 on account of plants ''heaving" in winter and always catching the slight- 

 est frosts in the spring. Select if possible a level piece of ground, ele- 

 vated above all adjoining land, a place that is exempt from all common 

 spring frosts, our greatest drawback here. Th(^ soil best adapted is a 

 rich sand and clay loam, with clay subsoil. 



I would first clean the ground of all stumps and stones, to the depth 

 of ten incites, then cover the ground from sight with good, decomposed 

 manure, prepared for the jmrpose. Plow as early in the spring as pos- 

 sible, and as deeply as the soil will permit. I aj)i>ly ashes and all other 

 kinds of fertilizer on the fui*row, before dragging. For |)ulveriziug the 



