STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 63 



it is a simple operation. I went to Mr. Lord's and witnessed the 

 operation. Where they are covered in this way they start a week 

 sooner and grow better than where unprotected. 



Mr. Pearce. I have been growing the Ancient Briton for five years. 

 1 have lost a great many plants without covering them, but where I 

 have covered them they have done remarkably well. The past winter 

 is the first I have paid attention to covering as I have grown them for 

 plants more than for fruit. But I was told a year or two ago that it 

 was not necessary to cover Avith earth, and I thought I would experi- 

 ment and ascertain whether that was correct or not. Last fall after 

 the wood was thoroughly ripe I bent the canes over to the ground and 

 laid weights upon them — a stone, chunk of wood, or earth — and this 

 spring straightened them up and never saw a better prospect for an 

 immense crop than at the present; so I think the covering with earth 

 is entirely unnecessary. I tried the same thing with roses. I tried it 

 with the Ancient Briton blackberry on dijfferent kinds of ground, in 

 every instance they came out in the greatest perfection; they are at 

 this time just loaded with fruit. I shall experiment further and if I 

 find the covering with dirt unnecessary I think it will be a great im- 

 provement. They were in exposed places and they came out in per- 

 fection without any other covering whatever. 



Col. Stevens. Mr. President, it is a well known fact that in the 

 backwoods where Mr. Pearce's grounds are, the wild blackberry comes 

 to great perfection. It is very probable that the Ancient Briton, 

 which is no doubt, a species of wild blackberry, would do well on his 

 grounds when they would not succeed on the open prairies. On that 

 kind of soil where there was no protection by snow they might be des- 

 troyed. We had a comunication from a gentleman in the interior of 

 the State who has had experience with Stone's Hardy, and he stated 

 that it grew to perfection with him and was a most hardy and valu- 

 able variety of the blackberry; the past winter they came through 

 without a terminal bud being injured. 



President Smith. There was a good deal of snow the past winter 

 and that may have served for a protection. 



Col. Stevens. Yes, and I think Mr. Pearce's grounds are favorably 

 located. 



Mr. Harris. I do not think on my place there is a necessity for 

 covering with earth one winter in twenty; but out on the prairie I 

 think the earth covering would be well. Down in the valley all you 

 need to do is to get the canes down to the ground and they will take 

 care of themselves. 



