o8 State Jiorticiiltiirai Socictw 



writer or speaker. If he is a theorist only, or one whose experiences have 

 not borne the fruit of success, he is not a safe adviser. 



I employed a man once to take care of our dairy cattle. Within a 

 few days a valuable cow showed signs of discomfort and there were 

 signs of fever about the head. He proceeded to -cut a slit in her tail 

 near the bushy end and insert salt, binding up the wound full of salt. 

 I am often reminded of this remedy by some of the articles I read re- 

 garding fruit raising; results attributed to causes which have absolutely 

 no relation. The young horticulturist, and, indeed, all of us who are 

 trying to be progressive, are constantly in danger from the advice of these 

 theorists. 



There is perhaps no other business, unless it be in the practice of 

 medicine, in which there is so much room for rank guessing. In spite 

 of this condition horticulture is a business and to be successful must be 

 conducted as such. That is simply saying that we must use our judg- 

 ment, carefully considering and weighing every advice and selecting 

 from the mass of possibilities with the best wisdom at our command. 



The merchant must study his markets both in buying and selling 

 and has a wide field, but it does not compare with the field that is open 

 for the horticulturist. If he masters his business he must study the laws 

 of nature as governing soil conditions, effect of atmospheric changes, 

 plant life, insect life, processes of growth and ripening, fertilization both 

 of bloom and soil, and when he has covered all these fields of knowledge 

 he is just where the merchant is when he starts Jn — he has still all the 

 problems of market which the merchant has. He must know what to 

 produce and where and how to dispose of his production. All honor to 

 the man who has mastered the intricacies of such a business sufficiently 

 to make i success of it. 



THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 9 A. M.— BERRY GROWING. 

 MY EXPERIENCE IN GROWING STRAWBERRIES. 



(J. R. Helfrich. Eldon.) 



Our Vice-President, George T. Tippin, in liis response to the ad- 

 dress of welcome at our meeting last summer said : "One of the greatest 

 sources of learning is the failures of others, engaged in horticulture." 

 If this be true (and I believe it is) my experience in growing strawberries 

 will surely be a great source of learning, for it has been more of a 

 failure than a success. 



