As representing the University Farm, whose hospitality in a large sense the society was enjoying, Dean Woods gave us a hearty welcome 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 the row four inches wide and plants six inches apart.  This brings more berries and better plants.”