124 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIET\. 



Mr. Elliot: At what time? 



Mr. Brackett: Early in the spring and just before the fruit 

 begins to set. I always dip all my plants in Bordeaux mixture be- 

 fore setting them. That makes them free from any disease before 

 they are planted. 



Mr. C. C. Hunter: Do you firm the dirt around the plant? 



Mr. Brackett : I put my whole weight on the dirt when I let 

 it drop back from the hoe. I draw the dirt away with one motion 

 of the hoe, then set my plant and let the dirt drop back and step on 

 it, and then I push a little loose dirt over the place where I firmed 

 it. I never knew a man who planted a half acre of strawberries 

 with the hoe who did not use it ever afterward. 



Prof. Robertson : What variety would you use for a small bed ? 



Mr. Brackett : I would plant the Senator Dunlap. My wife 

 would have nothing else but the Senator Dunlap for canning. 



Mr. S. O. Tuve : How deep a hole do you make ? 



Mr. Brackett: I dig deep enough so the plant will set at the 

 proper depth, and then I remove my hoe and press the dirt with my 

 foot. 



Mr. Gust. Johnson : What is your experience with the 

 Countess ? 



Mr. Brackett: I should judge it was pretty good, but I hav. 

 never given it a thorough trial. 



THE HORTICULTURAL NEEDS OF THE MINNESOTA 



FARMER. 



FRANK YAHNKE, WINONA. 



The interest in horticulture has been increasing in this state for 

 the last few years. The state fair, with its splendid fruit exposi- 

 tion, the horticultural society, the farmer's institute, all have helped 

 to awaken this interest. It is now the duty of the above mentioned 

 institute to foster these awakened interests until every, farmer in 

 this state grows his own fruit and we have enough commercial 

 growers to supply the demand of our cities. The press is awakened 

 to the importance of horticultural interests. 



There is no farm journal of note which has not a horticultural 

 editor ; the daily papers pay attention to horticulture ; but, however, 

 great eflfort ought to be made by all these means to reach every 

 man, women and child in the country, so that every one may be 

 interested in horticulture, and that our country schoolhouses, in- 

 stead of being the most forlorn places, should be the most beauti- 

 ful and object lessons to all passersby. Is it not a shame to the 

 public that the place where the farmers' children spend the best 

 time of their lives is so bare of all beauty and homelike surround- 

 ings? Is this not a reason why so many children will not stay on 

 the old home farm? 



