98 STATE POMOLOQICAL SOCIETY. 



soil. In relation to winter protection, the strawberry growers in 

 this vicinity, who supply the Lewiston market, or quite a number of 

 them, are careful to plant where the snow will be likely to remain 

 on through the winter, and trust for protection to that alone. I 

 would inquire if any one has had any difficulty with the white 

 worm sometimes known as the sward worm, which feeds on the 

 grass roots, and works in the potato field occasionally ? It turns 

 into what is called the Maj'-beetle or Dor-beetle. In some locali- 

 ties there have been complaints of its ravages upon strawberry 

 plants. 



Mr, Smith. I have been troubled with them very much and 

 have adopted the plan of letting the runners grow. I lost half my 

 crop one j'ear, and if I had let my runners grow should have had 

 a good crop. I take off the first runners and leave the last ones. 

 I put the rows three feet apart and cultivate before the runners 

 begin to start. By cultivating the ground before I set the plants, 

 I can kill a good many weeds, and then by cultivating it after- 

 wards and cutting off the first runners, I can keep the weeds off 

 80 as to let the last runners take root and get as many or more 

 strawberries from them as from the old plants. The only diffi- 

 culty I have had from winter killing was a year ago last winter. 

 I never saw plants look better than these did. The piece was 

 well mulched with straw, covered deeper than I ever covered 

 before. The snow went off of about two-thirds of the piece, the 

 rest was covered with snow and there I raised my strawberries. 

 It was a very open winter and very cold, and the alternate thawing 

 and freezing of the plants that were uncovered killed them. I 

 think well of putting on boughs, but I think the better way is to 

 get a place where the snow is likely to be on. 



Mr. McLaughlin. Having raised nearly all the different kinds 

 of strawberries in my own garden and seen them raised by others, 

 and beard some of them highly recommended by those who have 

 them to sell, I think that the only one to be fully recommended 

 fur a standard crop is Wilson's Albany. There are other varieties 

 which may do well enough for the amateur. The general objec- 

 tion to the Wilson's Albany is its acidity. If you are raising 

 them for your own use let them ripen and you will find them good. 

 For the general market they are picked, like many other fruits, 

 before they are matured. 



As to mulching, I think that where the snow can be kept on the 

 ground it afiords the best covering, and that the best way is to 



