STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 391 



berries. We can have handsome berries, and raise berries just 

 as we please, by crossing the different varieties. If a straw- 

 berry has a good form it will sell. It is the form and color that 

 fascinate. 



Mr. Smith. My experience with the Seth Boyden was that 

 they ought to be good, for the berries were very scarce on the 

 vines. I gave a man two dollars for one hundred Seth Boyden 

 plants, and put them out in hills three feet apart. I was going 

 to have something nice. I got from three to five berries from 

 each hill that were half as large as hens' eggs, but they cost me 

 from three to five dollars a quart; and only one got ripe at the 

 same time. From these vines I would not get over three quarts 

 in any one day. But they were very nice; and for the last few 

 I got thirty cents a quart. I would not advise anyone to plant 

 the Seth Boyden. 



Mr. Lyons said the Seth Boyden did nothing for him. The 

 berries were few and far between. 



Mr. Pearce thought the Seth Boyden was adapted to certain 

 kinds of soil, and that there were localities where they would do 

 well. 



In answer to the question as to how far plants could be fertil- 

 ized, Mr. Pearce said that when the fertilizing varieties were in 

 blossom, and the weather was favorable, the air became impreg- 

 nated, and it spreads and will go hundreds of feet. Plants must 

 be fertilized or they won't amount to anything. 



The subject of mulching being introduced, Mr. Lyons said: 

 I mulch for field culture. I generally put it on just about the 

 time the ground is froze; but there have been times when I did 

 not get around to it soon enough in a very dry winter when 

 there was a very hard frost lasting for three or four days. 



I mulch the first year in my mode of cultivation. The second 

 year I don't generally mulch at all. The plants take care ot 

 themselves. 



A member asked whether or not it would help the plants to 

 manure with fine manure in the fall. 



Mr. Lyons. I got, in the fall of the year, some fine ma- 

 nure and covered the patch! The next season was dry, and I 

 had a splendid crop of berries. The next season I served five 

 acres the same way, but got all vines and not much fruit. 



Mr. Smith had the same experience. He thought it was not 

 safe to manure. 



Mr. Gilpatrick said a good covering was to put on corn just 



