338 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The Turner is hardy, early and prolific. The fruit is of medium size 

 and of the best quality. With me it is the standard, though some claim 

 that the Marlboro is ahead of it. 



The Cuthburt is a large, firm berry about two weeks later than the 

 Turner, but not as hardy, and does not stand the winter as well, unless 

 protected. The protection generally used is to bend them down and put 

 a little dirt on the tops of the bushes. . 



Raspberries— Black.— I grow a mixed variety. They are not as pro- 

 fitable with me as the red, on account of the extra labor required to care 

 for them. I would recommend the Doolittle and the Souhegan for 

 general planting, and that the rows be six or eight feet apart. In setting 

 out a large field, I would put them in check rows, if possible. 



There are two modes of handling: One is to trim them up so that 

 they will stand alone, and the other is to put in stakes and tie them up. 

 I have tried them both. By tying up one is more apt to exhaust the 

 plants by over-production, and the long bushes are a great hindrance to 

 cultivation. By cutting back the fruit is larger but not as prolific. 



Blackberries— Here comes the tug of war. I have been a little deli- 

 cate about beginning in the blackberry culture on account of their 

 thorny bushes and also the need of putting them down for winter pro- 

 tection, but those rich, luscious berries have induced me to plant black- 

 berries and take my chances of getting scratched. I grow the Ancient 

 Briton and Snyder. 



The Ancient Briton is the most prolific. While not as large as toma- 

 toes, they seem to vie with that fruit in production. It is surely an 

 acquisition. 



The Snyder is about a week earlier than the Briton, but not as prolific. 

 I consider the fruit a little ahead of the Briton in quality. I shall con- 

 tinue to plant both varieties. 



IMPROVEMENTS IN STRAWBERRY GROWING. 



L. H. WILCOX, HASTINGS. 



In considering the improvements made in strawberry growing within the 

 last few years— and, excepting soil, these embrace almost the entire method 

 recognized as best by skillful growers— there is probably no improvement so 

 important as the diffusion of knowledge in relation to plant life and the re- 

 production of species. A knowledge of the chemistry of the soil, the pro- 

 duction of plant food, the secrets of plant growth, the functions of 

 the roots and leaves, the construction of the flowers and the law of 

 nature which regulates their relation to each other, the development of 

 pulp growth at the proper time and the other vital "reasons why" are 

 essential to understand the details of successful culture. 



There is always found beyond the field of experiment an unsurveyed 

 and almost unexplored space, covered with imaginary beauties and 

 peopled with plausible theories, that never materialize into forms of 

 practical use. 



While we have made rapid and permanent improvement in strawberry 

 growing, and increased the amount of and the ability to use our actual 

 knowledge, we must still explain many of its simple problems by beauti- 



