lcome in his
happy way, and what follows is typical of the kindly things he said: "We
always have pleasant days and pleasant memories because those who study
flowers and fruits and the beauties of nature are the ones from whom one
can get inspiration to understand and to know what nature means. Any one
who can listen to the sounds of nature, any one who can see in flowers
the spirit of life struggling upwards has the true spirit of the
horticulturist and is always welcome here."

Mr. A. Brackett, of Excelsior, being called upon, had something to say
about strawberry culture, and in the course of his remarks showed
several plates of different varieties of strawberries. What follows is
the substance of his talk on this subject. "We have here what we call
the No. 3 strawberry produced at the Experimental Farm. I believe from
my experience that it is going to take the place of all of our common
June-bearing strawberries. It is a deep rooter, fine large plant and a
nice, solid berry, and I have never seen any blight or rust on the
plants. I think that it will pay for all the expense that has ever been
paid out for the farm, that one berry will pay for it, it will be of
that much value to the people of Minnesota. The everbearing strawberry
has come to stay, and for private use you do not need to plant any other
variety. The everbearing strawberry will ripen its fruit at least a week
ahead of almost any other berry we have, and then it will continue
bearing until the frost kills it. I had at least twenty bushels of fruit
from my plants last year, and I secured from one-quarter acre
fifty-three cases and sold them at $4.80 a case. They talk about what
they can raise in California, but we can do better here, and I believe
if you will stick to these three varieties, the Americus, Superb and
Progressive, you will not need to plant any other variety. The Americus
has the best flavor but it isn't as large. Of the Superb nearly all of
the berries are large, very few small ones, but they haven't got the
flavor.

"There is one thing about this new strawberry, it can not bear the year
around, that is, during the summer, unless the ground is very rich. I
think I put on one-half acre of the everbearing strawberries twenty-five
loads of fertilizer. You have got to make the ground rich to carry these
plants through and produce the berries. I use a narrow row on the hill
system. I cut my rows down in the spring, dig up the plants and leave