262 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. C. S. Harrison (Neb.) : You ought to move up into a 

 warm climate. (Laughter.) 



Mr. Reel : Not having had any experience except in the Minne- 

 tonka region I cannot say. 



Mr. Brackett: Most of the grapes were girdled. 



Mr. Reel : I had ripe Concords at the time of the state fair, but 

 they were from some buds that were not covered last winter. I had 

 to be very rapid with my work, and a lot of my varieties were left 

 uncovered. They started up quickly, and the grapes on those shoots 

 matured sooner than those that were covered. I have noticed that 

 frequently. 



Mr. Kellogg: What is your aspect? 



Mr. Reel: Southeast. 



Mr, Kellogg : How early do you begin to tie up ? 



Mr. Reel : As close to the first of May as I can. 

 .Mr. Kellogg: What is the condition of the vines when you 

 begin to tie up — are the buds swollen? 



Mr. Reel : The buds are usually swollen, but they ought not to 

 be ; they ought to be gotten up before they begin to push out. 



Mr. Prosser : How does the Janesville compare with the Con- 

 cord in hardiness and productiveness? 



Mr. Reel : I have not the Janesville on my place, but I think in 

 quality if the Janesville is allowed to get thoroughly ripe it is nearly 

 as good as the Concord. It is hardy and productive, but not more 

 so than the Concord. 



Mr. Kellogg: I want to say just a word about the Janesville, 

 and that is that it is good for anything except to eat. 



Mr. C. S. Harrison : One of the most impressive things I ever 

 saw was the old Concord grape, the original vine that was grown 

 by its originator, Stephen Bull. I imagined it was alive, and I' 

 said, ''You grand old mother, you do not know what you have done ' 

 Train loads and train loads of luscious fruit has gone from you. 

 and train loads and train loads have gone from the vineyards of 

 your children. You are the mother of ten thousand children and the 

 grandmother of hundreds of thousands to come!" (Applause.) 



Plant an acre of Snyder blackberries next spring. Let the 

 plants stand eight by eight feet. This will take 680 plants, worth 

 about $5. Give shallow cultivation, and sow grass seed over the 

 whole surface in September. Any time after the leaves fall in 

 October, cut off one half the season's growth. This annual prun- 

 ing is all the care required for perhaps 10 or 15 years. The grass 

 will grow up and ripen and fall down, and the blackberry roots will 

 grow as they ought to, and will never be broken with cultivator or 

 or plow. This is not the best way to raise blackberries, but prob- 

 ably the most profitable way. M. Crawford. 



