ANNUAL, MEETING AT LEXINGTON. 177 



The latter is the treatment thej usually get from the common 

 farmer, and then they say th6y don't do well. 



For the suckering varieties, let but three or four canes grow in 

 good soil, pinch at three feet, keep clean as above stated and the fruit 

 will be tine. While if left to sucker all over the ground and the weeds 

 left to grow, the fruit will be small and inferior. It is so with nearly 

 all fruits. 



Blackberries, we have but three varieties in fruit here, Snyder, 

 Western Triumph and Taylor ; the latter bore some excellent berries 

 the past season, but were too small to suit me. This may, however, 

 have been caused to some extent by the mass of suckers that spring 

 up, which we want for future planting. 



Snyder and Triumph are good ones and don't fail to bear good 

 crops. The latter suti'ered somewhat one winter. Kittatinny and Law- 

 ton are winter killed too often here in our rich soil. Cheriies were a 

 failure. Gos8berries,as usual, a splendid crop. The Orange and Rocky 

 Mountain or Oregon promise well. These with Downing and Hough- 

 ton are all we have. 



Currents were fine. Eed Dutch and AVhite Grape. These and 

 Fays Prolific are all we have, the latter has not born fruit yet. 



Grapes were a full crop at the start, but the rot levied a heavy con- • 

 tribution on them, and what ripened were nearly all claimed by the 

 birds, bees, wasps, hornets and yellow jackets. I never saw such an 

 outslaught as they made for a few days. About all we got were those 

 put in paper sacks. 



The ]S'iagara, Empire State and Woodruff's Eed have made a fine 

 growth, and may show us fruit next year. 



,0f one thing I am convinced, that is, that to lay down the half 

 hardy vines in the fall and cover lightly, and as sOon as the fruit is well 

 set put paper sacks on the bunches, we can raise some of the finer 

 kinds that will almost invariably fail with ordinary culture. The past 

 season I grew the first bunch of Black Hamburg out doors. The vine 

 grew well and is down and covered now for next season. 



As to the profit, the growing smaH fruits depends on situations. As 

 I am, there is no profit in it, but as the boy said, what fun ! But a few ^ 

 hours ago I finished dinner with a dish of strawberries and cream 

 that was easy to take. 



If farmers would raise and eat more fruit and less meat there 

 would be fewer doctor bills to pay and much sickness avoided. 



I eat less meat in a week than many a man consumes in a day, yet 



H. K.— J2 



