FIRST FRUITS. 



629 



fruit larger and of better quality than the English Mor- 

 ello, and fully as large a bearer. With the Ostheim he 

 would watch carefully Ludovka, Yellow Glass and Vilne 

 Sweet. In his opinion, most persons pick cherries too 

 soon ; he finds that his English Morellos, if left on the 

 trees, grow better in flavor up to the last of July. 



On Strawberry Ctitture. — J. W. Stevenson thinks every 

 farmer should have a patch of strawberries ; the cost is 

 little, not requiring more care than the same area in 

 potatoes, and the yield in bushels will nearly equal the 

 potatoes. Spring planting in Nebraska produces best 

 results, on account of dry fall weather. Plant on rich, 

 well-drained soil, but do not plow too deeply ; sub-soiling 

 done with an ordinary Katydid breaking plow is one of 

 the best aids to success. Plant feet by 18 inches 

 apart. Every fourth row should be fertilizing sorts. 

 Captain Jack is the best all around plant for a fertilizer. 

 Never allow the plants to get too thick, as it decreases 

 the size and quality of fruit. 



R. D. McGeehan tests annually 50 to 100 varieties, and 

 he is accounted to be the best western authority. Any 

 variety, on fruiting the first time, that does not have at 

 least one point of superiority over the older sorts is 

 promptly destroyed. Others of more merit are tried 

 again the next year, and compared with known sorts. 

 He names Warfield No. 2, Bubach No. 5, Haverland, 

 Michel's Early, Parker Earle and Racster as possessing 

 many desirable qualities. He would name Warfield as 

 the very best, with Racster as a fertilizer. 



L. O. Williams advocated preparation for picking 

 fully before the season opens, for though the strawberry 

 season comes during the longest days of the year, they 

 are not long enough, even if we adopt the "eight hour" 

 system (of eight hours in the forenoon and eight in the 

 afternoon). Material for boxes and crates should be 

 secured two months beforehand, to be made up during 

 rainy days in April and May. Berry pickers should be 

 engaged beforehand, to secure the best. Women of am- 

 bition make the best pickers, and men who are not 

 "above" getting down on their knees, second best ; and 

 there are some boys and girls of 13 years and over who 

 may do well if looked after carefully. Best plan of pay- 

 ment is to give 2 cents a quart for steady, all-season pick- 

 ers, beginning with strawberries and ending with rasp- 

 berries and blackberries, though the latter can be picked 

 in a fruitful season for i)4 cents. 



Each picker is given a stand holding six quart boxes, 

 and as fast as this is filled it is taken to the fruit shed, 

 where the foreman gives the picker a tin check stamped 

 with my initials for each six quarts brought in. At night 

 these checks are called in, and the pickers given credit 

 for the day's work on a berry card. At the week's end 

 each picker is paid off at ij/^ cents per quart, the other 

 half cent being retained until the season is over, as 

 " hostage." 



The most important part of the business is to secure 

 the best price in marketing. The main qualifications of 

 a good salesman are confidence in his goods as well as in 

 himself, and an honest desire to please his customers, to- 



gether with a quick and keen perception of business men 

 and manners. Above all other considerations, the berry 

 grower should be within easy reach of a ready market ; 

 if he depends upon a distant market, express companies 

 and commission men, he will never make much of a suc- 

 cess. I speak from experience. The last year I was at 

 Glen wood (20 miles from Council Bluffs) my strawberry 

 crop of 1,400 quarts netted me, after paying express and 

 commissions, 7 cents per quart. This year, which I think 

 has been an average one, my berries netted me, above 

 commission, fully gj^ cents. Estimating the yield at 

 5,000 quarts per acre, this difference of 2^ cents would 

 pay $125 per acre in a single year. The saving of crates 

 will pay $50 an acre more, making $175 per acre saved 

 each year by being within 3 or 4 miles of a ready market. 



Native Trees and Shrubs. — C. E. Bessy gave a very in- 

 teresting talk on the native trees and shrubs of Nebraska. 

 He finds that nearly all the trees of eastern Nebraska 

 have evidently come across the river from other states, 

 and are gradually working their way westward ; those in 

 the northwest have come down from the mountains. 

 Southeast Nebraska has 48 species, northeast 28, north- 

 west 19, southwest 13. Thirteen species are distributed 

 all over the state, among which are box-elder and hack- 

 berry. There are ten different oaks, five hickories, two 

 elms, four poplars, the red mulberry, linden, etc., etc. 



Commercial Fruit Growing. — Mr. Stephens said that 

 the glowing stories told of fortunes made in California in 

 growing fruit had induced many persons to go into that 

 business. No doubt fortunes had been made there, and 

 would continue to be made, but he thought Nebraska a 

 formidable rival to California in this line. We may not 

 have the semi-tropical climate, but we also are not 

 troubled with so many insect pests. If we turn our at- 

 tention to growing the apple, grape, plum, cherry and 

 the berries, there is no doubt but that large profits can 

 be made. He would not advise planting very large areas. 



Cherries should be planted with reference to the prob- 

 able demand for them near the plantation, as they are 

 perishable, and can not be kept long waiting for better 

 prices. Apples can be planted in any amount, as the 

 market for them is not local, and they can be held an in- 

 definite period until better prices can be obtained. For- 

 merly the cost of caring for an apple orchard the first ten 

 years, or until it was in profitable bearing, was rated at 

 $75 per acre; but now by judicious management and 

 proper selection of varieties, this can be reduced 50 per 

 cent. Strawberries and raspberries can be grown be- 

 tween the rows of apple trees without detriment to them, 

 and the cultivation of both is lessened in cost. This year 

 his Duchess of Oldenburg trees are yielding at the rate 

 of 1,000 bushels per acre, and they average 60 cents per 

 bushel. In 1889 one variety yielded 1,500 bushels per 

 acre. Grapes sell at good prices, rarely below 5 cents a 

 pound. Over 50 varieties can be grown successfully with 

 a little care. In flavor they are not surpassed by grapes 

 grown elsewhere ; our climate being not too moist, there 

 is more grape sugar in the fruit here than in other states, 



C. Q. DeFrance. 



