SMALL FRUITS. 231 



a short time, and third, poor selection of plants to be planted. Only a 

 few months ago, an agent of a nurseryman (I do not find his name in the 

 last year's report as a nurseryman who is a member of this society) came 

 around here with a large book of colored plates of mammoth, small and 

 large fruit, among them the Yellow Transparent apple, not much inferior 

 in size to a Hubbard squash, etc., not to say anything of the numerous 

 monstrosities preserved in alcohol. He sold his rarities for just a trifle 

 more than nothing; gooseberries and currants for only a dollar each. 

 Cuthbert raspberries at 25 cents a root, etc. 



I heard of many farmers around here who bought strawberry plants at 

 $2.50 a hundred, and in every case I know of, it was the Crescent seedling. 

 Next spring the happy owners of those plants will plant them and some 

 of them will, perhaps, cultivate them too, but in every case everyone will 

 expect them to yield an immense crop. Not one has a staminate variety 

 to fertilize them, and no doubt, in two or three years there will be many 

 a man more in this county who belives that strawberries cannot success- 

 fully be cultivated here. If people would believe that small fruits could 

 be grown here they would grow them; but after having been unsuccessful 

 so many times it is hard to convince them of the truth. 



I do not intend to say much about apples. I have some Eussians that 

 stood four winters, the rest of them are all on the brush pile. In closing 

 I would say that if you should ever intend to establish an experiment 

 station here I would be glad to hold the lines. 



DISCUSSION. 



M. Cutler: My idea is that our friend's taste is somewhat 

 vitiated when he considers the Philadelphia the best raspberry 

 for home use. I obtained my first crop of Philadelphia last 

 season, and I have a very poor opinion of it, as a home berry 

 anyway, and as a market berry. In the first place, as a market 

 berry it is not the proper size and color, and the quality I con- 

 sider very inferior. The Turner, I think is, by all odds, the 

 best berry we have. 



M. Pearce: I want to say one word in regard to the Caro- 

 line. He speaks of the Caroline as being very hardy and pro- 

 ductive. I have grown the Caroline ten or twelve years. It 

 will endure more cold and more drouth, and produce more fruit 

 with the least care than any berry I ever grew. It is a yellow 

 berry, very large, and one of the finest table berries I ever 

 owned. 



M. Cutler: Another point I wish to raise: I should like 

 to hear some discussion on raising strawberries. Our friend 

 says that the Wilson can be manured to the greatest extent. I 

 have some Wilson strawberries and set them on rich land, and 

 I have very poor success with them. They did not produce 



