346 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



conditions, a moist atmosphere; especially is this true of the black- 

 berry. It is the lack of this condition of atmosphere at the season 

 when needed that makes it doubtful if South Dakota will ever be the 

 natural home of the small fruits. I do not wish to be thought an un- 

 believer in small fruits in South Dakota, nor unloyal to the best 

 interests of our state, as the real estate man would count one who 

 did not always paint our possibilities and capabilities in the most 

 roseate hues. I believe, as I said in the beginning-, that small fruits 

 can be profitably raised in this state. We have advantages which 

 offset in a measure the disadvantages. The larger profit we get from 

 what we do grow enables us to take a risk and bear the added ex- 

 pense our locality forces upon us. 



My thoughts in the foregoing have been chiefly upon the fruits 

 which are borne on canes or vines, such as the raspberry, blackberry, 

 dewberry and grape. The strawberry.although exempt from winter- 

 killing suffers, with them, from the frost and heat. The strawberry 

 I believe to be a safer investment than any of the other fruits named, 

 for the reason that its season of ripening is fully three weeks or a 

 month earlier. We do not, as a rule, suffer from the south winds 

 until the latter part of June or the early July days. The strawberry 

 is the king of small fruits, and the man that can raise this delicious 

 berry on the South Dakota plains is sure of a place in the affections 

 of the people. As to varieties, I cannot speak with much authority, 

 for my experience has been necessarily limited. We must turn to 

 the heads which have grown gray in fruit culture on the western 

 prairies. My own selection, if I should be asked to make one, for 

 this locality would be as*[follow8: For strawberries, the] Warfield 

 fertilized by the Bederwood. You will make no mistake if you 

 plant these two varieties. To them might be added the Crescent, 

 Wilson, Meek's Early and Jessie. We are now testing about fifteen 

 different varieties, but would not venture an opinion on them at 

 present. 



For red raspberries I would recommend the Cuthbert,Sodem (?) and 

 Shaffer. Have tried others but have not succeeded with them. For 

 blackcaps the Gregg, Older and Kansas are No. 1. We have limited 

 our culture to the two first, which are large and delicious. In the 

 blackberry line nothing can approach the old Snyder. We have 

 tried the Ancient Briton, highly spoken of in Wisconsin and other 

 varieties, but they did not compare with the Snyder. 



Any of the above varieties I would recommend for this climate 

 and soil and at the same time would earnestly advise no one to sink 

 money in untried fruits. Why not profit by the experience of others? 

 We all know how alluring are pictures and the praises sung of some 

 new and remarkable variety that almost every seed house or fruit 

 grower has discovered or put out as]a leader. If any variety has 

 intrinsic value it will soon show it by its general acceptance and 

 by becoming a "good old variety." 



You ask what about the hardiness of the above fruits? They are 

 not hardy. There are none of these that will stand ,our average 

 winter. Therefore, in the selection of varieties I do not think hardi- 

 ness should weigh against productiveness. All must have protect- 

 ion, so that the largest yielder should have the preference. 



