THE SUMMEK MEETING. 37 



ripened Wilson, that everyone likes and appreciates, which they can sell at a 

 profit and not prove a total loss should they have to carry any over to the next 

 day, which they know by experience they cannot do with any other variety. 

 Should the Sharpless, one of the best of the newer claimants for public favor, 

 both in color, size, and flavor, prove capable of superseding either the Tri- 

 umph DeGand or the Wilson as a successful market berry, I shall be greatly 

 surprised, for I do not at this date know of a berry capable of dethroning either 

 the Wilson's Albany or Triumph De Gaud from the proud position they have 

 maintained so many years. 



Mr. Webster, Benton Harbor : There is no question but the Wilson is the 

 berry for us to raise for the Chicago market. 



President Lyon : The Sharpless, I apprehend, for many purposes is a supe- 

 rior berry, but I do not suppose anyone would think of growing it for a distant 

 market. The advertisement for the Wilson L that it gets its color early, 

 before getting anywhere near ripe, and thus can be put on the market in a firm 

 state, even although when thus thrown upon the market in its half-ripe condi- 

 tion it is hardly fit to eat. 



Mr. Steele : I have a correspondent in Ohio who has put out ten acres of 

 Sharpless for Cincinnati market. 



Mr. Nowlend : Plow long has the Sharpless been tried? 



Mr. Lyon : Li our own State only two years. 



Some one in the audience called for a rising vote upon the question, "Have 

 we anything as yet to supersede the Wilson for market purposes?" The con- 

 vention voted almost unanimously in the negative. 



Mr. W. A. Brown made a very enthusiastic speech in favor of Wilson's 

 Albany, giving a brief history of the discussions upon the variety in the meetings 

 of State society, and closed by saying: ''Notwithstanding the attempts to 

 place this splendid old variety in the background, it still retains its place of 

 honor. The State society may mark it as they please, growers of new-fangled 

 varieties may deride it as they will, still the Wilson will retain its position until 

 a berry tliat can stand a long-continued test shall prove itself to have more 

 excellent qualities." 



A. L. Tucker, Chicago : As a commission merchant of considerable expe- 

 rience I will say, that from outside the city, where we send the greater part of 

 our stock, we get no orders save for the Wilson. The Kentucky may do for 

 Cincinnati, but put up in their crates and sent here to Chicago, will not sell 

 well. The finest Jucundas arc raised on the hills of this county, but the 

 variety will not grow except on special soils, and hence cannot be recommended. 

 We sometimes get a fancy price for a few crates of a new sort sent to us, but 

 this never lasted long. It takes a long time for any variety of fruit to get a 

 permanent place in market, and it is difficult to displace it when once it takes 

 a first position. 



Mr. Steele : I think the vote was taken too quickly. The Wilson may be 

 the berry for Chicago market, but so much the worse for Chicago. In other 

 cities there certainly is more money in other varieties. 



Mr. Gulley: We work for the money here in West Michigan. We do not 

 raise strawberries for the fun of it, but to get a living. We are going to raise 

 that variety which will give us the largest net income. We can grow three or 

 four times as many Wilsons with same care and expense as we can of any other 

 sort; this settles the question for us. 



