STRAWBERRIES BY THE ACRE. 1 77 



If you have a wide row they will stay there and attend to business 

 because it pays them to do so, but with children I think, perhaps, 

 it would be better not to have the rows so wide. 



Mr. "Clarence Wedge: This point of assisting plants to take 

 root is a matter of considerable interest, but there seems to be a 

 difference of opinion in practice. I would like to see a show of 

 hands of those who practice the method of assisting plants to make 

 runners, and of those who do not think it profitable to take that 

 trouble. 



(A show of hands indicated that a proportion of about two in 

 six practiced the method of assisting the plants to make runners.) 



Mr. Wright : It seems to me you would get too many plants 

 started during May and June if it is a wet season. I plant the 

 middle of May and never assist the plants to take hold, but I have 

 them plenty thick enough. 



MARKETING FRUIT BY ASSOCIATION. 



ROLI<A STUBBS, BEDERWOOD. 



Four years ago we organized ourselves into an association, under 

 the laws of the state of Minnesota, for the purpose of disposing of 

 our fruits under a better system than that of former years. 



Our association's name is the Minnetonka Fruit Growers' Asso- 

 ciation, consisting of the farmers on the north shore of Lake Minne- 

 tonka. 



The association's officers are a president, secretary, treasurer, 

 board of directors and one general manager. 



The majority of the fruit growers have for sale a general assort- 

 ment of small fruits, which are inspected by the general manager 

 when delivered at the depot and graded, every member receiving the 

 same price per case for each day's shippings, regardless of the place 

 of sale, making the average alike on each day's sales. 



The general manager superintends the sales, looking after the 

 fruit, and distributing it throughout the northwest, including St. 

 Paul and Minneapolis. 



Under this system the fruit is distributed to the retail and whole- 

 sale trade, and we receive much better prices for all fruit 

 sold. Usually the expenses are 3 per cent each year. 



Our sales the last two years on fruits by this method have been 

 from seventeen to eighteen thousand dollars annually on small 

 fruits. We estimate that with the present amount of small fruit set 

 and what will be set the coming spring of 1902, there will be nearly 

 500 acres in small fruits in the town of Orono, Hennepin county, 

 under control of the Minnetonka Fruit Growers' Association. 



