322 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
small percentage of the farmers that have the advantage of 
our knowledge that it is necessary, and highly necessary, that 
they should have it, and for that reason I gave this paper to 
Mr. Gregg to be published in his book. I have also another 
paper which I will hand over to the honorable secretary, and 
if he sees fit to put it in his report, all right. 
I have long ceased to look to the heavens for rain, but hae 
tried to utilize the snow in the winter and the rain in the spring 
to the best advantage I could. Ihave done this by thorough 
cultivation, forming a dust blanket, a dust mulch, in my garden 
where I could not use mulching conveniently, and where I can 
use mulching heavily, as I do on my small fruits, I hardly ever 
suffer from drouth. Even this last year, our small fruit crop 
was abundant; I never had any better—butevery one who is 
engaged in commercial fruit growing cannot do this. But I, 
living on the farm, have the advantage of wet straw which I 
put around my berries, currant bushes and everything of that 
kind, and in that way I retain the moisture that the ground so 
much needs in a dry season. 
Pres. Underwood: These papers on vegetables are now open 
for discussion. 
Mr. Elliot: I thought each paper was to be discussed. 
There was one point brought out in regard to black streak in 
Ohio potatoes; I will ask Prof. Green to give us his theory in 
regard to that. ; 
Prof. Green: I want to say right here that Ido not know 
what causes it. It is probably some fungus disease. I wrote 
some months ago to Prof. Galloway and Lasked him what he 
knew about it. He replied saying he had received specimens, 
one from France and one from England, and he asked that I 
send him specimens, and I sent themon. We have not as yet 
any definite information as to the causes of that disease. Prof. 
Galloway will make a very full investigation the coming year. 
I do not know that all here are acquainted with that disease. 
You cannot tell that the potato is diseased from the appearance 
of the outside; the outside looks just as good as it ever did. 
When the diseased potatoes are cut open the centers are found 
to be black, and of some lots of Early Ohio which have been 
examined, 100 per cent. were black-hearted. This is not the 
old fashioned black-heart with a swelling in the center, and 
the potato does not shrink inside. As to how general this 
disease is, I will only say that we had forty varieties of 
potatoes tested at the experiment station, and there were very 
