VALLEY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 291 



but they, too, can be injured by plowing deeply near the plants and 

 breaking the roots. 



Plant strawberries four feet apart in rows, and cultivate between, 

 as the roots of the strawberry go down deep in the earth. Tt wants 

 a deep, rich soil ; so in the fall, from the first to the tenth of Sep- 

 tember, dig, or cultivate, between the rows fifteen inches deep, if you 

 can, — not, of course, coming near enough to the plants to vvork them 

 out. The strawberry plant grows slowly in hot, dry weather, but as 

 the cool nights of fall arrive it grows vigorously. This deep work- 

 ing will pay, by giving the roots a chance to spread and gather plant 

 food. It is not a difficult matter on any rich land to raise enough 

 strawberries for home use, but growing them by the half acre, or in 

 larger lots, is altogether another affair. To grow in quantities for 

 market, I think it would pay to make the land very rich with barn- 

 yard manure, then cultivate in potatoes, or other hoed crops, for one 

 or two years ; keep the land clear of weeds, not suffering any to pro- 

 duce seed. On this clean land set your plants, using phosphate and 

 wood ashes for manure. In this way the labor of keeping down the 

 weeds would be greatly lessened. 



This Society, however, has never advocated the growing of 

 fruits for shipment in competition with regions better adapted to their 

 culture, but its teachings have always been in the direction or en- 

 couraging the culture of fruit for home use. This was the prime 

 object in its inception and origination, and when every owner of a 

 lot or a farm grows an abundance of fruit for the family ^s supply 

 for the entire year, the work of this Society will be fully accom- 

 plished in this direction. But this time is yet in the future, but 

 even were it accomplished, there yet remains much in horticulture 

 to attract our attention. 



The cultivation of flowers and shr-ubbery, the planting of ever- 

 green and deciduous trees for ornament, for shade and protection 

 against the icy winds of winter, would still keep us employed in 

 doing good. 



Now that Agricultural Experiment Stations are, and will be 

 established throughout our country, we will soon know the value of 

 new plants and fruits as they are originated, by receiving disinter- 

 ested reports of their behavior soon after testing them. This infor- 

 mation will prove of incalculable advantage to the horticulturist as 

 well as to the farmer. 



Taking the outlook altogether, the view is not very encouraging 

 for the successful growth of fruits; yet, "though the cloud be dark, 

 it has a silver lining." I believe that the difficulties in our way are 

 only problems that admit of solution, they may be complex and 

 puzzle us for a time, but head and hand united and working together 

 will be sure to conquer in the end, and then success will give us 

 pleasure for having triumphed over difficulties. 



