SUMMER MEETING AT OREGON. 85 



Mr. Miirtfeldt corroborated the statements of Mr. Durand, stating 

 that it was a perfect success, if the sacks were applied as soon as the 

 berries formed. 



Mr. Evans put on two thousand sacks last year and was so pleased 

 with the result that he expected to use ten thousand this year. They 

 not only protected against rot, insects and birds, but allowed them to 

 hang on the vine several weeks after unsacked grapes were gone. 



Dr. Goslin read the following letter from Mr. John Burr, of Leaven- 

 worth, Kansas: 



Leavenworth, Kan., May 28, 1888. 

 Mr. a. Goslin, 



Dear Sir : — The postal card inviting me to attend the meeting of 

 the State Horticultural Society of Missouri, at Oregon, was duly receiv- 

 ed — it would give me more than ordinary pleasure to meet with and 

 have a social chat with the members of the society, but I regret to say 

 that old age with its many infirmities precludes the possibility of my 

 being present to enjoy its pleasures with you. 



Very respectfully yours, 



JOHN BURR. 



Possibly an item or two relative to myself may interest some mem- 

 ber more than the declination of the acceptance, as in my long life I have 

 had considerable experience in horticultural pursuits. My first was over 

 60 years ago, assisting my father (in Conneticut) in raising pears, peach- 

 es, grapes and strawberries, at that time — 1824, my first attempt to graft 

 a grape vine, using a scion of the Isabella on a fox grape, which made 

 a growth of 20 feet the first season. Over 40 years ago I exhibited at 

 a meeting of the horticultural society of Columbus, Ohio, of which I was 

 then a member, 60 varieties of seedling strawberries of my own plant- 

 ing, and creating quite a sensation, and I believe, creating the first great 

 furore in strawberry planting for new varieties. 



My last 30 years here in Kansas, near 20 of which has been entire- 

 ly given up to raising seedling grapes, except the portion I have had to 

 yield to my ever constant but cruel and relentless companion, Mr 

 Rheumatism, and am now so crippled that it is with difficulty that I get 

 about, even with crutch and cane. I am now 87 years old and unable 

 to give proper attention to my grapes, have put them into the hands of 

 Stayman & Black, Leavenworth, for propagation and dissemination, some 

 of which will probably be ready in a year or two from the coming fall. 

 From my experience in raising grapes from seed for permanent improve- 



