322 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



SMALL FEUITS. 



KEPOKT OF COMMITTEE ON SMALL FRUITS. 



L. H. WILCOX, HASTINGS 



I suppose we will have to start the ball moving io some way, so I will 

 give you a little verbal report of the small fruit crop in our section of the 

 state, which during the last season was generally good. The strawberry 

 crop was above the average and the fruit was nice; the raspberries were 

 exceedingly good: blackberries not being grown very much, there were 

 not a great many offered. I can report further, that the interest in small 

 fruit cultivation in that section of the state has increased very much 

 within the last two or three years. I think there were more small fruit 

 plants set last spring than there have been set before in five years. A 

 great many who are setting them are asking the question, "What are we 

 going to do with the immense amount of fruit that we shall raise?" but 

 as yet they are not troubled witli not being able to market all they raise. 

 In fact, they have never yet produced hardly enough to fill the wants of 

 their local markets. 



Perhaps I might say, personally, that I have some very fine fields of 

 strawberries and raspberries that were set last spring. We have forty-six 

 different varieties of strawberries in our trial bed, including all the new 

 and fashionable varieties. (Laughter.) I won't say now which are the 

 best varieties, because we do not know yet whether they are the best or not. 

 We have set fifty plants of each kind in adjoining rows to give them a 

 test. The fields went into winter in excellent shape, so we are looking 

 forward with hope to their productiveness next season. 



President Underwood : If there is anybody present who 

 wishes to ask any questions of Mr. Wilcox, I hope they will do 

 so. It is our intention at this meeting to offer all the oppor- 

 tunity desired for a free discussion of the subject, and I hope 

 everybody will be prompt to do their part in making the meet- 

 ing as interesting as it will be if you will all discuss these 

 matters and try and get at the facts, drawing out the different 

 speakers. 



Mr. J. A. Sampson: I would like to ask Mr. Wilcox which 

 variety of strawberries he considers the best. 



Mr. L. H. Wilcox: Well, I have always been experiment- 

 ing — that is a particular hobby of mine — and always will be 

 testing something, whether it prove profitable or not. Since 

 coming to Minnesota, I have not pursued systematic tests with 

 small fruits and with strawberries, in particular, until this 



