378 ANNUAL REPORT 



When fruiting is over take off the mulch and cultivate same as 

 the season before. 



For profitable and successful cultivation of the strawberry- 

 there are several things necessary which the fruit grower must 

 remember. 



The right kind of soil, proper preparation, strong young 

 plants, clean and thorough cultivation, winter protection, 

 mulched in the rows in summer, careful picking and handling 

 for market. These conditions carefully complied with, it is as 

 easy to grow strawberries as corn or potatoes. They will grow 

 just as well for one as another with similar treatment. 



What varieties to plant is a question often asked but hard to 

 answer satisfactorily. Location, soil and season differ so much 

 that but few general rules can be given that will hold good un- 

 der all the varied circumstances. For the last few years Cres- 

 cent, fertilized by Countess, has given the best results and 

 largest returns to the grower in our locality. Nine-tenths of 

 the strawberries on the Minneapolis market are Countess and 

 Crescent. The latter is the best berry for general planting of 

 which I have any knowledge. There are several good, product- 

 ive and hardy pistilate varieties suitable for this climate. 



I think all fruit growers will agree with me that the berry 

 most needed at present is a hermaphrodite to fertilize them; it 

 should be as productive and hardy as the Crescent, firm as the 

 Wilson; size and color of Wilson would do very well. With a 

 berry of that description we could get along very well until the 

 perfect berry is introduced. 



Having tested all the new varieties that appeared in the last 

 few years May King, Jessie and Bubach are the only varieties 

 that proved valuable on our grounds this last season. 



A new strawberry possesses great attraction; we all desire to 

 know how large and productive it will prove to be. It will draw 

 a larger crowd of admiring friends around the market stand than 

 any other fruit ever raised. 



There are a great many farmers in the berry business all over 

 the country who ought to go out of it simply because they will 

 not do the business right; they produce quantity at the expense 

 of quality. These men are not making any money in the busi- 

 ness and there are many of them making much less from their 

 farm crop because of the neglect that comes from their berry 

 culture. I think these large planters by having so many small 

 soft berries badly handled have glutted the markets and almost 



