Small Fruits in the Family. 41 



ily ; not merely in scanty supply, a taste, but it should be piled up and fol- 

 lowed up for a steady diet, till at last a surfeit compels the good housewife to 

 say, as she often does in these latter days, especially about "canning time," 

 "I wish I may not see another strawberry this year." In cities and towns 

 the markets meet all demands for fruit of every sort, and in the country it 

 has come to pass that hundreds of families have found out the happy secret, 

 if it be a secret, of making home delightful with the gifts of the summer, as 

 well as winter. Yet there are still thousands of other families who go with- 

 out. The trouble, small as it is, is too much for them. It may be that this 

 will always be so. But he who earnestly labors to increase and intensify the 

 interest of the people in the cultivation of small fruits, and encourage all 

 who can not buy in the market to produce for themselves, is a benefactor of 

 his kind. 



But we are not here to-day to listen to diatribes on the value of small 

 fruits, or of the pleasure derived from their cultivation. It is, rather, the 

 more practical part of the subject of this paper we are more interfested in, 

 which is 



" HOW TO HAVE THEM." 



There are a few things alike requisite in the successful cultivation of all 

 small fruits, which will now be noticed. 



The first one is a fertile soil. I mean such a soil as is commonly known as 

 good garden soil. It is sometimes said of certain small fruits that they must 

 not be grown in a aoil too rich. I concede that it must not be taj rich. The 

 danger however is nearly always found in an opposite direction. An im- 

 poverished soil is the cause of vastly more failures than is a soil too fertile. 



2d. If the ground is not naturally thoroughly underdrained it must be 

 <lone artificially. 



3d. The ground must be deeply subsoiled either by the plow or spade. 



ith. The plants must be healthy, and such as have made a vigorous growth 

 prior to transplanting. 



5th. In removing the plants great care must be taken not to mangle or 

 bruise the roots, nor to allow them to become dry or frozen. 



6th. la planting the roots must be spread and placed as nearly in tlie posi- 

 tion in which they grew as possible. 



7th. Transplant in the evening, in dry weather, or at any time during the 

 day just before a rain. 



8th. If there is no immediate prospect for rain, water at the time of plant- 

 ing, and, if the sun shines, shade for three days. 



9th. Use hoe and plow freely and frequently, and 



10th. E.Kcrcise a vast amount of Thomas Jefferson's price of liberty, " Eter- 

 nal vigilance." I will now notice a few special rules applicable to the culti- 

 vation of each kind of fruit. 



For a small bed of 



STRAWBERRIES 



for family use I prefer planting in July or August. With proper care in 

 4 



