74 ANNUAL REPORT. 



President Smith. With me the Captain Jack has produced 

 well; it is very hardy and produced good crops of berries. 



Mr. Smith. Mr. Jenkins has some very fine appearing straw- 

 berries and thinks he has something very nice. I should be 

 glad if he would exhibit them and tell us about them. 



Mr. J. W. Jenkins. I see by all this discussion here that I am 

 an odd sheep in the flock; I see by what has been said that there 

 is no one that takes the same course of growing a berry that I do. 

 In regard to mulching, I never do that. I just merely put out 

 my berries, working them sufliciently a portion of the season that I 

 set them out, and then I give them up entirely and don't do any- 

 thing more with them. I pick from those berries three years 

 after that. I generally get a good crop. The weeds that grow 

 after I have done working my berries I consider the best mulching 

 that can be had. I have studied that, or got that in part by 

 studying the nature of the wild berry. In my experience in going 

 out and picking the wild berry I have found where there are 

 woods and grass to protect them to a certain degree I have found 

 the best berries, and I have found the same to be the case in 

 growing tame berries. I have grown a good many varieties of 

 berries. I have been at it some twenty years or over and have 

 succeeded in growing a berry from the seed. I started that berry 

 nine years ago. I have kept that within myself with the excep- 

 tion of four or five where I sent out the berries last year who have 

 grown the berries and fruited them. I am selling a few of the 

 plants. As to this fruit which I have exhibited here I would say 

 that it was the remotest idea that I should exhibit it in such a 

 place as this; I merely put up that fruit as a sample to canvass 

 with, and was using it for that purpose when by chancel met Mr. 

 Smith on the road and by our conversation the matter was 

 brought out, and he prevailed upon me to come to this meeting 

 and exhibit it; I have done so. I am not a member of your asso- 

 ciation, but merely did this at his request. Any questions that 

 any gentleman may ask in regard to this berry, I would be willing - 

 to answer if I can. 



Col. Stevens. I would ask Mr. Jenkins where he propagated 

 them ! 



Mr. Jenkins. On my farm in Hennepin County. 



Col. Stevens. Is it a seedling variety? 



Mr. Jenkins. It is a seedling. It is said to be from the Gold- 

 en Medal. I had it from that, and I suppose it was. 



Col. Stevens. It is a very valuable berry; it looks to be about 

 the largest I have ever seen. 



