Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-01-17
Evening Session.

The first business of the evening session
was tbs reading of paper on strawberry
Culture by Isaac Fawcett, of Minneapolis.
He spoke particularly upon the dependence of
the horticulturists upon natural causes for the
finest production of the fruit in question. He
said strawberry yields were extremely variable
in quanty of fruit during different seasons in
the same place, and under almost precisely the
same treatment. The finest yields are I'M
doubtedly the result of a combination of very
favorable condition of the soil, varieties of
cultivation, location, moisture and tempera-
ture. He had seen some remarkable crops
when all these conditions had apparently
been unfavorable, leaving the moisture and
temperature to account for them. An emf
nent horticulturist having been asked respect
ing what fertilizer he would recommend for
strawberries, replied: First, water; second.
water again.
The speaker said that this nearly accorded
with his experience. He advocated irriga
ton as necessary and profitable. He then
cited incidents where sprinkling had been re-
sorted to with astonishing effect in cases Of
drouth. In view of the fact that irrigation
was often 200 expensive to be adopted profit.
ably, he urged that the horticulturist prepare
the soil, cultivate and manage, SO as
to retain and utilize all the moisture
at command. Rarely was there
too much rain. Too much care cannot
be exercised in preparing the soil at the time
of setting out the plants. The soil should be
moist and cool, not wet, fertile and thorough
ly pulverized. Persistent cultivation must
then be maintained, keeping good surface
mulch, finely pulverized He preferred the
nse of adjustable steel toothed harrows after
each rain, destroying all weeds. The best re-
suits can only be attained by keeping the
plants singly in rows. He covered his plants
early in the season for winter protection with
one or two inches of straw, two
to four weeks before frsezing. He modified
vailed that season. In removing this mulch
in the spring, care should be exercised in
leaving all the plants.
The paper was closed by speaking of the
various theories of different culturists respect
ing covering,
R.J Mendenhall, of Minneapolis, read an
exhaustive and scientific paper upon the para
sites with which the horticulturist has to con-
tend. AS remedy against the Colorado
was as necessary as was the
planting, blowing and digging. He said it
was well established fact that up to GER
tain point the longer country had been set
| tied the more numerous are the species OF in
sects with which the agriculturalist has to
contend. This is the natural result of
planting the same seeds for a succession of
years. It would profit one farmer very little
| to burn his stubble in the fall in order to
destroy the brood of Hessian fly, while the
farmer next adjoining paid no attention to
such precautions. He stated that the govern
| ment and many states were expanding
much money in investigation of the matter
of destroying the Parasites, and he advocated
that the farmer read carefully the reports Of
these Investigations and profits by theil
| changes. The paper elected much discussion
| by the members present.
A paper upon fall and spring delivery Of
trees and plants by M. Pearce, of Minneapolis
closed the meeting