474 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Prof. Green : I think the ideal covering for strawberry plants 

 is cornstalks. Two bundles of cornstalks laid one on each side of the 

 row with another put right on top, makes the finest covering for a 

 strawberry bed that can be found. Wliere people have lots of that 

 kind of stuff around it is just ideal. 



Mr. Husser : How about rats and mice ? 



Prof. Green : O, you take care of them with a little strychnine 

 scattered about. 



Mr. Brackett : Unless you get snow the marsh hay will roll 

 off worse than straw. 



Mr. J. F. Benjamin: I use marsh hay and then take a load of 

 manure from the barn and scatter it on to hold it down, and in that 

 way I have no trouble whatever. 



Mr. C. J. Hart : I have not covered my strawberries yet, but 

 I have quite a lot of buckwheat. How will that do? 



Prof. Green : I am using a little buckwheat straw this year, 

 and am also using about two acres of corn fodder. We have trouble 

 in getting straw, and then there is the trouble with weeds; the 

 land is seeded with weeds. 



Mr. Benjamin: Has any one had an}- experience with bagasse? 



Mr. Brackett : I tried that thoroughly. I had a piece of ground 

 in strawberries, part of which I covered with hay, part with straw 

 and the remaining part with cane stalks, and I must say that under 

 my cane stalks I got nearly a third more berries and nicer than 

 with either of the others. 



Mr. Geo. J. Kellogg (Wis.) : I have had success with bagasse; 

 it makes a very good mulch. 



Mr. Seth Kenney : It takes less mulching and stays on very 

 nicely, and the following season it keeps the ground in splendid 

 condition, especially if the ground is a little dry. 



Prof. Green : It breaks up and works into the soil. 



Mr. Kenney : Yes, it does. 



Mr. Philips : I mulch mine with cottonwood leaves and hold 

 them down with straw. 



Mr. Husser : Strawy or horse manure is also good stuff. 



Prof. Green : If you use stable litter very lightly, it will do very 

 well, but if it is not used with caution it will kill out the vines. 



Mr. Richardson : I used the litter, and I had good results from 

 it. 



Prof. Green : I knew a man who lost two acres of strawberries 

 by using that stuff ; he used too' much of it. 



Mr. Kenney : I would like to ask if buckwheat straw does not 

 scatter some seeds, so that they will spring up in the strawberry bed. 



Prof. Green : That is not a bad weed ; it is not like rye, wheat 

 or oats that will come up anywhere. 



Mr. Wedge: Still buckwheat straw has a good deal of buck- 

 wheat in it and will cause considerable weeding. 



