22 ANNUAL REPORT 



be seen. This was due to the free eirculation of air over the ele- 

 vations and slopes referred to. One other thing he had noticed 

 this spring that was novel and peculiar to him, and that was that 

 when the potato tops were killed to the ground, the after growth 

 sprang from new and previously undeveloped buds. 



Secretary Gibbs mentioned a plan suggested to him by George 

 H. Nichols, now of Minneapolis, who owned a very successful vine- 

 yard at Prescott, Wisconsin, and that was to protect grapes from 

 frost by hanging over the trellises sheets of express paper, or straw- 

 berries, by laving this paper over the beds. It can be bought at 

 six or seven cents per pound, and in size is four feet by seven. A 

 few cents worth would cover a good many dollars worth of fruit, 

 and it was worth trying. 



Mr. Kellogg advised being careful not to tie up the grape vines 

 too early in the spring. With him the proper time was usually as 

 soon as he got a bite from the mosquitoes. This year he did not 

 dare to wait for that sign. 



Mr. Wilcox thought mulching did not retard the growth of trees 

 in the spring. 



M. Pearce, of Minneapolis, agreed with Mr, Wilcox that eleva- 

 tion was the only sure protection, but spoke of the favorable in- 

 fluence of bodies of water, as seen by the exemption of fruit from 

 frost this spring along the shores of Lake Minnetonka. 



DISCFSSICN ON STRAWBERRIES. 



Wyman Elliot, of Minneapolis, was called upon to give his re- 

 cent experience with strawberries, said: "The general opinion 

 around Minneapolis is that the Crescent Seedling is the coming 

 strawberry, but you must not give it too high cultivation. He 

 spoke well of Minnetonka Chief, Mr. Woolsey's new seedling, and 

 of Hart's Minnesota seedling. Th'^.se might be stimulated without 

 injury. His experience so far was satisfactory with the Bidwell. 

 For general cultivation he would recommend setting plants of all 

 sorts before the 15th of [May; but for trial of new sorts it would 

 do in August, to a limited extent, or with potted plants, and a fair 

 crop obtained the next year, 



Mr. Pearce concurred. 



Mr. G. S. Woolsey, of Minneapolis, preferred fall setting. Had 

 no difficulty in making the plants live. 



President Harris said if the fall setting meant in August he was 

 opposed to it, but later in the season, soy after the fall rains come 

 on, they would often do well. 



