196 ANNUAL REPOKT. 



can be relied upon on the prairies west of us. Currants, the Red Dutch; goose- 

 berries, Houghton; grapes, the Concord and Delaware with a very promising can- 

 didate in the Moore's Earl}'. I thiuk the Snyder and Ancient Briton blackberry 

 are giving as good satisfaction as any at present, but are liable to winter-kill unless 

 protected by laying down. 



The cultivation of the apple is an up-hill business, as the hardiest known trees 

 are "either killed outright or severely crippled as often as once in every ten or twelve 

 yeais. The question as to what killed the trees has been pretty thoroughly gone 

 over. The fact that the most disastrous years were those when the mercury 

 found a resting place down in the forties has convinced me that the extreme cold 

 weather lias much to do with it. 



Mr. Gould. Mr. President, I have to report, in common with oth- 

 ers, injury to nearly all kinds of apple trees by the severe winter of last 

 3'ear. Some varieties, the Duchess and others, had life enough to blos- 

 som more or less; some of them set some fruit, but nothing to amount 

 to anything, excepting the Duchess and Wealthy, of the large apples. 

 It is the case quite generally in our neighborhood, and I don't know 

 of any place where trees have shown more injury any year since the 

 winter of 1874 and 1875 than last year. 



Generally, good crops of strawberries have been raised. We have 

 found the snow a good protection. In the timber districts the Phila- 

 delphia raspberry bore a good crop generally. On the prairie, in some 

 places, it was killed quite badly. I think the Philadelphia will bear 

 more berries than an}' other known sort ill the Northwest; it will 

 beat a good many more where it will stand the winteis. The Turner 

 is hardier, however, so far as my observation goes; I think it is the 

 hardiest raspberry we have. None of the blackcaps are as hardy as 

 the Philadelphia, and not near as hardy as the Turner. An ordinary 

 winter will kill the blackcaps on the prairies most anywhere, more or 

 less, and I consider the blackcaps utterly worthless beyond the Big 

 Woods west of here, unless they are covered. The price of strawber- 

 ries was lower last year than it has been for six or seven years, I 

 think. 



A Member. What was the average price ? 



Mr. Gould. Well, I think the price did not average eight cents a 

 quart last year. I have been growing for the market, more or less — 

 not in very large quantities, however — for fifteen or sixteen years. 

 Year before last I estimated my crop at an average of about ten cents 

 a quart; it might have been as low as eight; but I am satisfied that 

 last year the price was lower than ever before. 



Col. Stevens. I understood Mr, Pearce's crop averaged twelve cents. 



