REPORTS OF AUXILIARY SOCIETIES. 321 



before the public for the past ten years, and has probably received more praise 

 than any other. The plant is remarkably vigorous, the blossoms large and 

 conspicuous, and on long foot-stalks, the fruit enormously large, rather irreg- 

 ular, clear, bright red, firm and sweet, and always of good quality. For can- 

 ning purposes it is superior, as it retains its size and shape remarkably. 



At the exhibition of the Massachusetts horticultural society, in 1881, a 

 special prize of a silver cup, valued at $25, for the best four quarts of straw- 

 berries, of any kind, was awarded to the Sharpless; and in 1882 a similar prize 

 was again taken by the Sharpless, for the same quantity of berries over all 

 others offered. It undoubtedly heads the list of all big and commendable 

 berries at the present time. 



The Warren came to me highly recommended, and for which I can vouch 

 as being a strong grower; fruit large, firm, and exceedingly sweet and rich, 

 its only seeming fault being short fruit-stalks. In addition to these, Mr. Cady 

 commends the Bidwell and Manchester as being especially fine and desirable 

 in every way; the former being a strong grower, very productive, and succeeding 

 well on all soils. The latter is claimed as a good market berry, and is said to 

 be one of the most desirable sorts grown. The setting of the plants and their 

 mode of culture, are of course largely determined by the location and area to 

 be planted. Town people who have only their small plots of ground must grow 

 them in beds, and for such, hill culture seems most desirable; and where the 

 finest and largest fruit is most sought for, the plants should be set one foot by 

 eighteen inches apart, all runners kept clipped off, and a liberal feed of well- 

 rotted compost given them once a year, the most desirable time being immedi- 

 ately after bearing. I am assured that a strawberry bed with such attention 

 will need no replenishing for five years. I notice, however, that such beds 

 require some protection from our feathered marauders, and the owners of such 

 beds frequently "rise to explain" their views on the bird question. Our 

 experience has been that of matted rows, and, in some respects, it seems far 

 preferable. Setting the plants in rows, each row three feet apart, and the 

 plants twelve to fifteen inches apart, the cultivating may be mostly done with 

 a horse; the vines will soon cover the ground, the leaves protecting the fruit, 

 and the ravages of the grub will not be so destructively apparent, as the princi- 

 ple damage done to the strawberry is done the first year while the plants are 

 small. 



Although the strawberry grub is a serious evil, I would choose it in prefer- 

 ence to a robin — a gormandizing little brute. Protected by law he commits the 

 most atrocious depredations, and insolently challenges admiration for his 

 ungallant behavior. The grub may be destroyed by prompt measures. When 

 a strawberry plant is seen to have wilted, by pulling it up the grub will be 

 easily found very near the root ; or if not there, with the use of a small trowel, 

 or old knife, digging down near the roots of other plants will be sure to dis- 

 cover it. 



In propagating plants from runners, it is worthy of notice that the offshoot 

 nearest the parent plant is apt to produce a stronger set than the ones more 

 remote, and of late I have noticed the liberal use of unleached ashes advo- 

 cated as a dressing for beds of more than one year's planting. 



But whatever the mode of planting, whatever the varieties you select to plant, 

 whatever your convictions may be about the robin nuisance, I am sure that 

 after you have once cultivated strawberries, you will not be content to relin- 

 quish the privilege. After you have tasted the fruit that no " dealer's " touch 



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