HOKTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 45 



berries. Just lay it down and cover it. This has been demon- 

 strated by those who have had experience. (I refer to Underwood 

 & Emery, of Lake City.) They have been experimenting in cov- 

 ering gooseberries and they find it pays them to do it, and by 

 using good common sense in the operation it can be done very 

 cheaply. I know from the experience I have had in growing 

 gooseberries and currants, that year after year in succession when 

 I did not get any fruit the reason was that the beds were injured in 

 the winter. We must go into this theory of protection more than 

 we have; we must use it in a practical manner, and as we are here 

 to bring out these facts I hope you will give us some discussion. 



Prof. Green. It seems to me that the key-note of the whole 

 gooseberry question rises in the variety we can sell. You see how 

 carefully Mr. Strubler manages his bushes. I do not believe there 

 is a man in Minnesota that takes as good care of his bushes as 

 this gentleman. In regard to protecting them, it is the easiest 

 berry we know of to protect as it is not necessary to cover them 

 completely. 



Mr. Pierce. Why are gooseberries unpopular? 



Mr. Harris. Sugar is too high. 



The President. I presume that is one reason. I suppose that 

 none of you here know that the gooseberry is the healthiest fruit 

 you can use. A gentleman who had dyspepsia told me that he 

 had received benefit from the use of the gooseberry when he could 

 not get it from medicine. He says that it is one of the finest fruits 

 that anyone can use who is troubled with that disease. 



Mr. Wilcox. Do you know of any effort being made by parties 

 here to improve our native seedlings? 



The President. We don't need to. I hope we shall take this 

 discussion up later and then we will treat it in its proper course 

 when we get to native fruits. 



Mr. Pearce. Mr. President, I have been experimenting a good 

 deal and reading up, and I think our fruit growers should give 

 more attention to the enemies of fruit than they have heretofore; 

 I think this is of the utmost importance. The mildew on goose- 

 berries is a fungus. If there is any one thing that I consider of 

 vast importance, which ought to be agitated by this society, it is 

 the study of the various enemies by which our fruit is liable to be 

 destroyed. When those things are understood we can go on intel- 

 ligently and know just what we are doing. It is not only the 

 strawberry, the gooseberry, the grape and the apple, but you can- 

 not name a fruit that grows today but has dozens of enemies to 

 subsist upon it. The time has come when fruit growers must be 



