Winter Meeting. 263 



rise, Bismark, Sharpless, Glen Mary and many others have been dis- 

 carded, as they failed to produce fine berries enough to be profitable. 

 The Parker Earl is almost an entire failure with us and yet one man 

 only a few miles west of us plants that variety almost exclusively 

 and with good results, and for this reason I say it would be useless 

 for me to name most profitable varieties for North Missouri, as that 

 comprises a large territory. Another thing that must be taken into 

 account in planting for commercial purposes is your market. If a 

 near-by market, some varieties that are termed soft could be used, 

 while if they were to be shipped several hundred miles they would be 

 worthless. We get fine results with Bubach, but our market is near 

 at hand and they carry all right, while if to go to Chicago or St. Paul 

 they would arrive in bad condition and thus be unprofitable. As much 

 or more depends upon the right varieties for the section where grown 

 as cultivation, etc. AVe are testing anuml)er of the new varieties in 

 a smajl way and in a year or two our list might not be as today. 



As to cultivation, we practice thorough level cultivation, using Iron 

 Age 14-tooth harrow, Hallock weeder and the hoe. Unless thorough cul- 

 tivation is given and plants restricted so as not to get too thick, or 

 grown in what is termed the hedge or thin matted row, much of 

 what might be profit is lost. We find with the thick matted row we 

 get too many small berries and too manv buttons. Care for winter 

 consists in having your beds olean. a good stand of plants, not too 

 thick, and then as soon as ground freezes solid mulch with slough 

 grass or clean straw lightly over the row, hoeing between rows. 

 Without mulching in our part of the State the vines freeze out and 

 what few live produce Inferior berries and would be covered with 

 sand, and thus be a failure. With proper varieties and care an acre of 

 strawberries can be made to yield $200 to $700 worth of berries and 

 while not all profit there will be a large margin left to pay you for your 

 trouble, besides furnishing yourself and friends one of the best fruits 

 grown. 



DISCUSSION ON STRAWBERRIES. 



Mr. Meyer. — We have some fine strawberry land in St. Louis 

 county and we hope to have some fine berries to show you at St. 

 Louis next year. 



Northern Plants vs. Home Grown. — I\Tr. A. Chandler: I have been 

 growing strawberries more than fifty years. Then we had the old 

 Hovey's and other kinds, but they are all gone. Later the Sharpless 

 had the market. Now it is seldom seen. Perhaps these old kinds have 

 been "run out" by poor care and cultivation. As to northern or south- 



