66 ANNUAL REPORT. 



as they come through the ground, being careful to take up plenty 

 of roots with them. Keep well cultivated the first season and 

 mulch heavy in the fall with old hay or straw. Gooseberries 

 and currants I tend the same way, and all bore well for young 

 bushes. I set Red Dutch currants and American Seedling goose- 

 berry. The gooseberries mildewed badly. 



My grapes set on a southern slope two years ago last spring; 

 most all killed out, leaving but twenty out of one hundred and 

 forty. They were cut back and covered with earth in the fall, 

 and covered early, the only live vines being in the hollow at 

 the ends of the rows where the snow blew in. They were Delaware 

 and Concord mostly. 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Shannon. I would like to ask what is the most approved 

 material for covering strawberry vines in the winter! 



Mr. Smith. Mr. Brimhall has answered that question, and he 

 says it is marsh hay. I^ow, I have traveled about a good deal in 

 Minneapolis and St. Paul, and other places, looking at strawberry 

 beds, and I like the plan of Mr. Brimhall in the way he protects 

 his strawberry plants, and think it is about the best of anything 

 that I have seen any where, and he uses and recommends the use of 

 marsh hay. I like his plan also of setting the young shoots of the 

 raspberry and cultivating them well the first season, and afterwards 

 mulching the land and putting it up close to the raspberries. I 

 think I would add a trellis which I would put along by the side 

 of the canes and I would put some corn stalks over them for a 

 protection in the winter. Mr. Harris refers to something similar. 

 A very small handful of marsh hay, if tied up around the canes 

 and covering them a little, will protect them perfectly during the 

 winter. 



Col. Stevens. Will not tame hay do as well as marsh hay ? 



Mr. Smith. ]S"o, sir, there is too much danger of the seed 

 scattering in the soil, and in this country we can get plenty of 

 slough grass. 



Col. Stevens. I would like to inquire about the use of corn 

 stalks; I know it is a good thing, but I have my doubts whether 

 it is quite as good as coarse manure or hay and straw, which I 

 think the best thing that can be used for strawberries. The best 

 crop of strawberries I ever saw grown I think was on Mr. Wyman 

 Elliot's place, and the mulching used was corn stalks. 



