Proceedings at Semi- Annual Meeting. _ 51 



REPORT OF W. M. HOPKINS. 



Missoiiri State Horficnltural Society : 



At the request of your secretary, and as one of the committee 

 on small fruits, I submit tlie following report : 



Black Cap Raspberries — Davidson, Thornless and M Cluster 

 badly injured ; at least one-half. Hopkins and Greggwent through 

 the winter with very slight injury, if any. The rust has again 

 made its appearance quite extensively on the old Doolittle and 

 M Cluster. Hopkins and Gregg, entirely healthy. This question 

 of rust is becoming quite a serious matter. 1 know of no remedy. 

 I think the red varieties all more or less injured. Cuthbert very 

 badly. Thwack to some extent. There will be but little over half a 

 crop of either red or black caj)s. Blackberries, Kittakinny, all about 

 gone with rust. Snyder and Taylor's Prolific went through with but 

 slight injury, and promise a good yield of berries. Strawberries 

 properly mulched came out of winter quarters in very promising- 

 condition and most varieties bloomed profusely and set a very fine 

 crop of berries. The growth of foliage seemed rather slow, caused as 

 we supposed by the cool backward spring. Up to about the middle of 

 May I thought I had as fine a prospect for a full crop as I ever had. 

 About that time my Downing and Miner showed signs of disease. 

 Foliage ceased to grow and showed a rusty, sickly appearance, the 

 calyx turning to a brownish purple hue. Reports come from diif- 

 erent localities around Kansas City, that the Capt. Jack and other 

 varieties are more or less affected in the same way. I have had an 

 expert botanist to examine mine and submit his report. The crop 

 will be about three-fourths in this vicinity. The healthiest plants 

 I have are the Phelps, James Vick, Sharpless and Manchester. I 

 have not fruited the Yick sufficiently yet to form an opinion but 

 fear the berry will be too small ; the plant is all that can be desired. 

 I now place the Manchester at head of the list of all the new va- 

 rieties I have tested. If I were called on to make a list to plant and 

 keep in hills or stools, for I am about ready to confess that this is the 

 best way to raise them, I would say (my preference being in the order 

 named), Manchester, Sharpless, Phelps and Crescent. I fear I 

 shall have to give up the Downing. It seems like the old Wilson 

 to be on the down grade and will soon be numbered with the good 

 old berries of the past. 



The Crescent is undoubtedly the berry for the farmer ; though 

 inferior in quality it will stand more neglect than any other berry. 



