'NINETY-SIX AS A SCHOOL MASTER. 181 



'NINETY-SIX AS A SCHOOL MASTER. 



F. W. KIMBALL, AUSTIN. 



To those who can read the secrets of nature, and have been inter- 

 ested and kept their eyes in close touch, the year 189G has yielded 

 many lessons, and especially so to the trained horticulturist. Even 

 the amateurs in the ABC classes have not failed to gather a few of 

 the lessons. Yet of what g'ood to mankind in general except im- 

 parted to all interested?— and to this end is our yearly meeting-, that 

 all may participate in the knowledge garnered. 



The years 1894 and 1895 were trying ones for the horticulturist 

 in many parts of our state. The fall of 1895 found the ground dry 

 and the trees, bushes and vines in poor shape to stand the winter. 

 Our first disappointment of the season was the short strawberry 

 crop, after fine promise of rich, luxuriant vines and a full bloom. 

 Many claim that the vines were injured by the drought of 1895 and so 

 failed to mature a crop. I have no doubt that it was in part the rea- 

 son, but I think only in part. In addition to this was the rust, which 

 seemed to be pretty general, though in some sections worse than in 

 others; but I can hardly believe that a vine that could grow so 

 vigorously as did mine and njany of my neighbor's could be badly 

 injured by the drought. I think I am right in believing that the 

 short crop was mostly caused by excessive rains at the time of 

 flowering, thus washing off the pollen and preventing perfect 

 pollenation. One reason I can advance for this belief is that the 

 staminate varieties yielded the best, staminate rows jaelding, I think, 

 fully twice as manj'- as the pistillate varieties side by side. The stam- 

 inate, having an excess of pollen, did not suffer from the washings as 

 badly as did the pistillate. Another thing that helped to confirm this 

 conviction was that Mr. O. Gregg, of Windom township, this county, 

 had a large patch that he covered heavily with straw in the fall of 

 1895, and did not remove any part of it in spring. I was at his place 

 when my berries had passed the prime — he had made his first pick- 

 ing that day. I examined his vines, and while they were rather thin 

 on the ground, they were filled with an abundance of berries and 

 those of good size and perfect form, few or none with the hard, 

 woody point. These vines he reports as giving him a good crop, 

 and they must have been in bloom at a time after our excessive rains 

 had passed, as shown by the time of the first picking. The lesson I 

 would learn in this connection would be to search for the best 

 staminate varieties and plant them more generally, especially 

 amateurs and farmers; again, when setting staminates and pistil- 

 lates, to set in every row alternately staminates and pistillates that 

 they may intermingle as much as possible, setting special beds for 

 vines to transplant. 



One experience we have had this year which is hard for the average 

 amateur to garner facts or gather experience from which will aid 

 him in the future, is the apple tree blight. It is so erratic in its 

 effect that it seems as though the lesson learned in one neighbor- 



