•aed poutoes etc., as early as possible* 
37 
The Latest Ideas in Berry Culture 
A-ddress of L. J. Fanner, Pulaski, N. Y., be¬ 
fore the Western New York Hortlcaltoral 
Society In Rochester, Jan. 2Bth, 1918. 
In these days a speaker selects an at- 
tractlTe or sensational title for his address, 
then says something merely commonplace 
or talks on whatever snbject he chooses. I 
am going to be no exception. It Is difficult 
to find a new title and more difficult to say 
something that is not already known by most 
of the audience. I always go on the assump¬ 
tion that there are new boms in every audi¬ 
ence who have not heard. What I say today 
will be a sort of rambling from one thing to 
another, a little of everything, not much of 
anything. 
I believe, to the berry grower, that the 
variety question is the most important ques¬ 
tion of all. The fruit grower does not obtain 
maximum results until he finds the exact 
variety that fits into his niche. It would 
not do any particular good for me to rec¬ 
ommend a list of varieties here. I might be 
prejudiced and any way, a variety varies so 
much under other conditions and in other 
hands. The successful berry grower must 
keep testing varieties himself. Just feeling, 
feeling. Too often, most fruit growers get 
married to one or two varieties and refuse to 
he sbown. Varieties of berry fruits are 
eontinually improving and what was good 
enough for us several years ago is not good 
enough now. It is safest to plant several 
varieties as no one variety will pay the best 
of all, every year, In a period of five years. 
Frosts, drouths or excessive wet may destroy 
this year the variety that was your favorite 
last year. 
During my experience as a berry grower, 
I have often run across varieties that seemed 
to me so perfect that I had the idea that at 
last I had found It, but before I could shout 
“Eureka” something would happen. A nota¬ 
ble illustration of this was the Early Ozark 
strawberry. At one time this variety be¬ 
haved almost perfectly with us, now for some 
unknown reason, it is practically a failure on 
most portions of our farm. A few years ago 
we. In common with other berry growers, 
came to the conclusion that pistillate varie¬ 
ties of strawberries were unnecessary. After 
going through three years of frosty weather 
during blossoming time and losing most of 
our crops of strawberries except the pistillate 
varieties, we came to the conclusion that we 
cannot safely discard the pistillates. Potato 
growers who are wise plant a few of the 
bugless variety every year. They know that 
this variety will produce potatoes when all 
otihers fail, so don't drop your pistillate 
itrawberrles. 
It takes the public a tiresomely long time 
to recognize the merits of a new variety. 
Twenty years ago we sent out the Plum 
Parmer black raspberry. Thousands of 
plants were thrown away during the first ten 
years; there was little demand for them. To¬ 
day it la Increasing In popularity and after 20 
years is grown more than any other. I spent 
a lot of money in rounding up the supply of 
fall bearing strawberry plants and advertis¬ 
ing them. I knew they were a good thing 
and always believed in them but after a 
while I lost confidence in my ability to con 
Vince others that they were a good thing. 
After a while the people woke up but it was 
too late for me, and others reaped most of the 
benefits of my efforts. 
I have seen splendid crops of small fruits, 
grown at great expense and then practically 
throwm away for lack of business ability In 
marketing them. I used to send most every¬ 
thing I raised into New York, Boston ano 
other big cities. Now I seek the small mar 
kets, ship small lots to Individuals and en¬ 
courage the local demand. The big city is 
the best place to secure a long price whes 
there Is a great shortage, provided your trans 
portation facilities and your dealer are all 
right. I have a few picked dealers that 1 
know to be all right in local towns within our 
shipping radius and I divide my shlpmenti* 
with them from day to day. In most casse 
I do not know exactly what I am getting un¬ 
til the close of the season. It is understood 
between us that they are to receive my ship 
ments, not refuse them, and they are to do 
the best they can for me. For their guid¬ 
ance, I Inclose a tentative bill, but If they 
cannot do as well, I am to abide by what they 
can afford to send me. 
There are always one or two pickings dur 
Ing the height of the season that bother the 
grower to dispose of at fair prices. Antici¬ 
pating these days, I urge the dealers to make 
an especial effort to sell for canning on these 
days at reduced prices. I am also accumulat¬ 
ing a list of people in different towns and 
cities, who secure orders from their friends 
and neighbors for canning. I ship to these 
people on these days that otherwise would be 
glut days were It not for this foresight. One 
woman in a city 35 miles from us handled. 25 
crates of strawberries in one day for us last 
season, supplying her neighbors with them. 
Near us lives one of the most progressive 
ui)-to-date apple growers in our county. 1 
supply him with fresh strawberries from day 
to day. I am glad to get his or any other 
farmer's trade. It is the best trade in the 
world. They come after the fruit. But do 
you suppose I can buy a barrel of first class 
apples from him for winter use? Not on 
your life. If I got down on my stomach and 
crawled to his place he would not sell me any¬ 
thing better than windfalls—the buyer who 
takes all his apples might hear of it Pulaski 
eats culls and windfalls until the Oregon and 
Washington apples come in at 6 cents apiece. 
Does it pay? I live In the center of one of 
the largest and richest dairy sections In New 
York State. They used to make all the 
cheese for export to England. The soft 
