SUMMER MEETING AT LOUISIANA. 49 



Grapes — Promise well, but I have observed some mildew already. 

 I cannot be with you at Louisiana — too lame to travel in any way. 

 Hope you will have a good time of it. 



Yours fraternally, 



S. MILLER. 



3Ir. Thomas. — I might say that I have made a success of growing 

 small fruits, but to tell you how to succeed might be easier for soine 

 one else than for me. We have had a good crop of strawberries, but 

 the price has been too low to talk about. We have the promise of a 

 fine crop of raspberries. We have discarded all blackberries but the 

 Snyder and a few Taylor. 



In i>lanting strawberries I am to plow the ground in the fall and 

 xeplow in the spring to get the ground in as good condition as possible. 

 I plant two rows of Crescent and one row of the Wilson, Captain Jack 

 or Sucker State. The Sharpless would do were it not for the danger 

 of a late frost. I cultivate thoroughly and remove the blossoms as 

 soon as they appear, and the next year we get plants from these beds 

 and thus get no seedlings as we would have done had we let them 

 mature fruit. Sometimes I mulch in the fall, but if it is wet I let the 

 crab grass grow and they need no other mulch. If the plants get too 

 thick we plow a row and mulch. 



The old Wilson has of late been troubled with the crown borer, 

 and is sometimes badly injured by a worm that rolls up the leaves. I 

 think the Crescent is the only berry we can grow at the present low 

 prices. We are compelled, even in local markets, to compete largely 

 with Chicago and St. Louis prices, and all the profits, if there are any, 

 goes to the express company. I wish some of the rest of you would 

 get out of the business and let us have a better chance. 



I still grow the Doolittle raspberry. The Gregg seems to die if 

 you cut the tops off". It is also too late to ship north as it would have 

 to compete with home grown earlier kinds. 



The Charles Downing strawberry has the same fault as the Sharp- 

 less, if you have late spring frosts it is gone. The Sucker State I like 

 very much, except it does not produce enough fruit. The second year 

 it does better. I hope to find a berry that will be ironclad, produce 

 with the Crescent and ship with the Wilson. 



2Ir. Broicn — Has the gentleman tried the Ohio raspberry'? 



Mr. Thomas — i^o. 



H. R. — 4 



