88 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



with earth ; they started in the spring before the covering was re- 

 moved and in consequence were smothered. 



Stephens — Hubbard uses slough hay ; he says the mice are the 

 only things he has to contend with, and they are not bad generally ; 

 the important question is when to uncover ; earth is a bad covering, 

 because we forget to uncover soon enough. 



Day — Earth is good for quick covering but is hard to take off; 

 hay, vice versa. 



Carpenter — Take a plow to uncover with; I can do more un- 

 covering with a plow than ten men with forks. 



Youngers — I saw raspberries in Colorado that had been covered 

 with earth. They were in fine condition, and had been covered with 

 a spade. 



Reed — Hagan, of Guide Rock, says earth mulching is almost a 

 failure in western Nebraska, but hay mulch is good. 



Barnard — Does not this plowing up to the vines destroy many 

 surface roots? 



Carpenter — No; we cultivate deep and induce a root growth 

 deeper down. The plowing does not interfere in the least. 



Cole — I would like to hear about the Lucretia dewberry. 



Reed — In regard to the Lucretia : it is a magnificent berry, but 

 is tender, and not profitable. 



Cole — I have seen the Lucretia growing well where no winter 

 protection had been used and it appeared healthy. 



Harrison — I think the Lucretia hardy. 



Hartley — I would like to hear testimony in regard to the in- 

 fluence of shade in small fruit growing. 



Day — Mr. Craig grows blackberries under the shade of his apple 

 trees. 



Hartley — I saw, this summer, a small-fruit plantation where 

 there was no shade — and no berries. Again, I saw another one, where 

 the plants grew in the shade, without cultivation, and the largest 

 berries grew near a dense row of cottonwood trees — the last place one 

 would have expected them. I am satisfied that the shade accounts for 

 the large fruit, for surely no nourishment was given by the cotton- 

 woods. 



Harrison — This question of shade has something to do with rain- 

 fall. Where only four inches fall in ten months you cannot raise 

 blackberries with or without shade. 



