1/6 .MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



one. Last year was a dry season, and his stand was remarkable, 

 also the amount of fruit he raised. 



Mr. C. H. True (Iowa J : I would like to ask the writer 

 whether he has found any difference in the productiveness and vigor 

 between the last formed plants and those set earlier in the season. 

 This question was brought before our society last year, and there was 

 quite a difference of opinion. 



Mr. Cashman : It stands to reason that the stronger the plants 

 the greater will be the productiveness. Take a weak plant sparsely 

 rooted, and it will not produce as much as a strong plant well rooted. 



Mr. W. P. Rogers : You cultivate one way so the runners will 

 run one way? 



Mr. Cashman : Yes, the runners will stay where they belong. 



Mr. J. L. Herbst (Wis. ) : Talking about productiveness, it was 

 stated, I believe, that those that were started first were more pro- 

 ductive, but if you will take notice you will find that the plants on 

 the outside of the row will produce larger fruit than those that are 

 first set in the season. We want to find out why this is so. Berries 

 will be larger on the outside rows than on the inside rows, and they 

 will be larger on late set plants than on those set earlier. 



Mr. Cashman : I find that true in my experience, and I find they 

 are better in new beds, but there are one or two growers in Michi- 

 gan who say the first few plants are the best. I think it is rare. 



Mr. F. I. Harris : I have not been engaged in strawberry 

 culture for the last ten years. I do not wish to criticize the paper, 

 but I found, my land being rather heavy, by planting the rows five 

 feet apart I got better results than by planting four feet apart, and 

 I have no difficulty in getting the proper distance, I have a new 

 field in which it would be impossible to go through the rows, and I 

 planted them five feet apart but have not so many rows. That does 

 not give too wide a row for the pickers by having one on each side. 



Mr. R. A. Wright: How far apart are the plants? 



Mr. Harris: 16 inches. 



Mr. Wright: Does it not make more work? 



Mr. Harris : No, it is all right. 



Mr. Cashman : In my experience I find with the berry pickers 

 I secure to do this work, who are mostly little people, that if 

 the rows are too wide they will lie over on the row, and if the row 

 is very wide they will not get the berries in the middle of the row. 

 That has been my experience. I would not wish to have the rows 

 wider than two feet. 



Mr. Wright : That is my experience exactly. Picking straw- 

 berries is very hard work, and when you reach over a couple of feet 

 it stands to reason, at least it has proved so in my experience, that 

 the pickers become very weary and will rest upon their elbows or 

 will lie down and miss many berries in the row. 



Mr. Harris : I think that depends largely upon the kind of 

 pickers you have. I think the best pickers are those from eighteen 

 to forty years old ; they come to work, and they do not get tired, and 

 their work is a great deal more satisfactory, and they will work 

 better if thev do not have to run all over the row to find the fruit. 



