SMALL FRUITS IN 1896. 75 



SMALL FRUITS \N 1896. 



A. M. SHEPHERD, MINNEAPOLIS. 



The usually very pleasant duty of reporting small fruits is for the 

 season just past alloyed by discourag-etnent to the pecuniarily inter- 

 ested. In the vicinity of Minneapolis, as in the Northwest generally, 

 small fruits were about one-half a crop, strawberries practically a 

 failure. We are at a loss to account for this in any way except from their 

 going into winter quarters unusually dry, this being followed by a 

 light snowfall, and their vitality being thereby impaired or wholly ex- 

 hausted. We noticed in our plats that where we covered heaviest 

 the plants came through in best shape and that in portions where 

 there was what is generally considered excessive covering there was 

 marked increase of vitalit3^ We believe that we do not cover suffi- 

 ciently and that instead of covering so that the vines may be seen 

 slightly through it, enough coarse litter (say two inches or more) 

 should be used to completely bide them from sight. It has been 

 our experience that all fruit covered heaviest came through best. 



In this connection, we wish to suggest that instead of waiting, as 

 is customary, until ground is sufficiently frozen to bear a team and 

 drive onto the beds, that we try, at least a portion of our beds, by 

 covering lightlj' as soon as first severe frosts occur, pvitting on the 

 balance, or heavy covering, after being frozen, as usual. We have 

 not tried it sufficiently to express any decided opinion, but be- 

 lieve that (as in nature, where plants are covered by falling leaves 

 and drooping grass long before our usual time for covering) a cov- 

 ering at this season will, by obviating the alternate freezing and 

 thawing that occurs before settled freezing, be a great factor in 

 success in our cold climate. 



A peculiarity we noticed this spring in our strawberry beds was 

 that though the foliage was as bright as usual when opened, in a 

 couple of weeks in some varieties (notablj^ pistillates and especially 

 Warfield, which is usually specially hardy), that they were begin- 

 ning to die and inside of a month were entirel}^ dead. Other varie- 

 ties lived with impaired vitality. Staminates made the best show- 

 ing. These beds were all new and should have been most vigorous 

 Is the fact of the greatest propagatqrs having least vitality due to 

 excessive plant production? If so, what would be the remedy? In 

 our own experience and as far as we have learned from some of our 

 largest growers, strawberries were a practical failure, exceptions 

 being in favored and lon^ locations — showing lack of moisture last 

 fall. 



We picked our first fruit, Michael's Early, June 5th, showing the 

 season to be nearly two weeks early. The standard sorts ripened 

 from two to five days later. Red raspberries were one-half a crop 

 and of inferior quality, except on some new plantations, the Cuth- 

 bert and the Marlboro giving the best returns. The Loudon is 

 very promising. Black-caps, where covered, were a little better than 

 the red, and quality was better also. Blackberries promised an im- 

 mense crop, but when the season was at its height, rain followed by 

 abnormal heat scalded both the ripe and the green fruit, probably 



