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MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 55 
I have grown it for a good many years and can confidently recommend it 
to fruit growers. It is a rank grower and throws out a good many runners. 
I set in rows three feet apart and alternating with some one of the above va- 
rieties. I cut no runners on this variety and the next season each plant 
sends up one or two or more tall fruit stems which hold up their fruit better 
than any other variety. The berries are of fair size, and among the first 
to get ripe, beginning to ripen about four days later than the Early Scarlet 
They are rather sour but of fair flavor, and the latest though somewhat 
Smaller are the best berries I ever tasted. The experience of other grow- 
ers is the same in this respect. It is one of the hardiest varieties I am 
acquainted with and the berries last longer than any other. 
Time to Cultivate. 
The time to cultivate is before you can see any weeds, especially if the 
land has not been kept clean before. I would not wait until I could see 
weeds, it is so much easier to take them when small. This constant 
cultivation keeps the soil moist in a dry season and saves much work that 
would have to be done otherwise by hand. Where the plants are mulched 
I take no plow into them till after fruiting. 
Time of Ripening. 
The first on the list for four years past was Early Scarlet, a bright red 
berry and a very good berry, The first sent to market in 1872 was a pail- 
ful June 8th; in 1873, June 22d; in 1874, June 19th; in 1875, June 22d. This 
variety is a prolific bearer, and coming as it does so ealy, brings good 
prices. I will here say I have cultivated this variety for fifteen years, and 
it never has failed but once. One year, from some unknown cause, the 
vines were barren. The treatment of this variety has been different from 
other varieties. I set a large bed of them and do not cut any runners; let 
them cover the ground. The next season, after fruiting, I plow once in 12 
inches, alternate strips, and drag it well, and then let them run over the 
new plowed ground for the next season. Then plow up the strips that 
were left the year before. After fruiting, I have to pull and hoe a good 
many weeds, but I think it pays to keep them clean. The length of the 
strawberry season for the past year was from June 22d to July 14th, 22 
days, that I furnished the city of Faribault with berries. The season for 
table use was six days longer. I have looked over my books and find on 
June 22d we picked 60 qts.; June 24th, 79 qts.; 26th, 168 qts.; 28th, 226 
S.; 30th, 410 qts.; July 2d, 468 qts.; 3d, 16 qts.; 5th, 736 qts.; 7th, 392 
qts.; 9th, 184 qts.; 12th, 177 qts.; 14th, 77 qts.; total for the season, 93 
bushels. Most of first two pickings were Early Scarlet. After that the 
other varieties began to get ripe. The last picking was made on the same 
day we picked the first Doolittle black cap raspberries. 
s 
Varieties. 
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Michigan Seedling.—This berry tastes much like the Wilson, It is much 
more productive with me. I plant it for the main crop, and have for quite 
a number of years, and one year with another it pays the best. The ber- 
