242 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. — 
pictures displayed on the walls of the gymnasium, where the gath- 
ering was held, duplicates of photographs which had been sent to 
the Omaha Exposition. These pictures showed every department of 
the school, not on dress parade but inits practical working order, 
and they were much enjoyed by the visitors. 
Mr. Clarence Wedge responded, on behalf of the society, to these 
wordsofwelcome. He said, in part: “Itisa great pleasure to respond 
to this cordial welcome. We do really feel at home here. As I came 
along the walk and viewed the many shrubs and trees, with their 
names nicely placed beside them, it was very interesting to me, and 
I felt that I was in the midst of our own people. The president has 
called upon a person to respond to this welcome, but Iam not much 
inclined to public speaking, and were it not that it is a topic easily 
handled and requiring expressions of the heart rather than of the 
head I should feel like refusing. I am pleased to see that you are 
turning out real farmers here and not mere book farmers. I have 
had half a dozen or more of the students at my place and have found 
them uniformly efficient and proving valuable help. Moreover, they 
are ambitious, and I have not been able to tempt them by the high- 
est wages to stay with me. They will make truly noble and practi- 
cal men. We are pleased to have with us today our father, Col. 
Stevens, and the many other horticultural friends. When I first 
began to attend these meetings, ten or twelve years ago, I had no 
idea of the good and value of our society brotherhood’ No other 
brotherhood, sacred or otherwise, is giving more comfort in these 
days than ours, and I have much pride in belonging to the largest 
society of its kind in ourcountry. I heartily thank you, in behalf 
of the society, for the pleasant facilities here offered for us to meet 
each other in this social gathering.” 
Mr. R. H. L. Jewett, who had an exhibit of thirty-four varieties 
of strawberries, from his Faribault home, was called upon to give 
something of his experience in their culture. He said: “I can raise 
strawberries better than I can tell how to do it. The raising of 
strawberries we have grown into almost accidentally down at our 
summer home. We thought it would bea pleasant thing to have 
some berries while there, and their cultivation has gradually grown 
upon us. We fell in love with the strawberry, and can’t help its 
branching out. Itmakesthe public, and the man himself, [ believe, 
better for doing it. I studied first the catalogues to get some vari- 
eties, not for commercial purposes but for their value for eating.” 
Mr. Jewett then displayed a number of varieties of berries growing 
on the stem, telling something of their manner of fruiting, prolific- 
ness, etc. In answer to a question as to whether he used the matted 
row system, and other questions, he replied: “I use the matted row 
system, but am not entirely satisfied with it. The plants are too 
close and do not get enough room for the roots. I have been more 
successful with spring planting—planting early in the spring. 
After the crop is gathered I mow the ground, spread with straw and 
burn it over and, after getting two crops, plowitup. Perhaps it is 
well to state that my strawberries are planted in my orchard, be- 
tween the rows of trees, I havea plant for irrigation, a home-made 
plant, but have not had occasion as yet to use it.” 
