STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 49 



year was noted for the most profuse bloom we had ever seen; 

 but between the effects of extreme cold from the previous win- 

 ter, the killing frosts of May and a cold and backward summer, 

 grapes failed to ripen, and the apples nearly all dropped from 

 the trees before half grown. In 1884 the bloom was much less, 

 but no killing frosts occurred after the fruit had set, and the sea- 

 son was more propitious. 



STEAWBEREIES. 



Taking the fruits in their order of ripening, we find that the 

 strawberry crop was generally good, and the size and quality of 

 the fruit the very best. They were about a week later in com- 

 mencing to ripen than in some other years, and, as is usually the 

 case under such circumstances, the season did not hold out as long 

 as when they commence ripening earlier. Wherever beds of pure 

 Wilson were found they gave a magnificent crop. Kext to the 

 Wilson, the Crescent Seedling is the most popular variety in cul- 

 tivation here. The Charles Downing is not doing as well as when 

 first introduced. It has become less fruitful, and the leaves are 

 subject to a rust or blight. The Sharpless behaved better than 

 usual, but is not hardy enough to become a favorite with the 

 growers. Many other varieties are grown in limited quantities, 

 but have not been under test long enough to make it safe to haz- 

 ard an opinion of them. Observation leads me to remark that 

 most of the strawberry plantations are managed on the run-at- 

 will, go-as-you-please plan, and, as a general rule, are left with- 

 out renewal until they are overrun with grass and weeds. An- 

 other objectionable practice that I have noticed is, making new 

 plantations with plants taken from old, worn out beds. There are 

 several serious objections to this practice. First, owing to tramp- 

 ing of ground and absence of cultivation, the plants are feeble 

 and poorly rooted; second, they are liable to have become mixed 

 with seedling and wild varieties; third, they are often infested 

 with insects and their eggs, that will be transferred to the new 

 bed with them. It would be good policy for every commercial 

 strawberry grower to use for setting only plants taken from beds 

 of the previous year's i)lanting, or to annually make small plan 

 tations of the varieties desired, and cultivate them expressly for 

 plants, or else purchase them from some one who makes the 

 growing of plants a specialty. In the case of farmers, it is about 

 equal to going without berries to set the surplus or thinnings of 

 a neighbor's patch. 

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