THE SECRETARY'S rORTB^OLIO. 355 



of service, I will again tell how I raised at the rate of ] 5,000 quarts per acre of 

 Crescent strawberries (I have not said I raised a full acre at this rate), and also 

 how I raised at the rate of 9,GG4 quarts of Wilsons per acre. The Wilsons 

 measured were grown inside a square of IG^ feet on a side, marked by narrow 

 strips of boards on edge around it. The whole patch, of about one-sixth of 

 an acre, however, was treated to the same kind and amount of food. The year 

 previous the plants were set about three and a half feet by one foot in land pretty 

 well enriched by manure and thoroughly pulverized to a depth of twelve to 

 fifteen inches. As the rnnncrs appeared, they were layered so as to have the 

 ground covered in the fall by plants about three inches apart. Each layering 

 was followed by a sprinkling of wood ashes (a general watering, if needed), 

 and a watering of the new layers with a weak liquid manure made by leaching 

 rich barnyard manure and diluting it. The bed was well covered over in winter ; 

 in spring the mulch was removed and a good sowing of ashes applied. 



The patch (about twenty rods of ground) of Crescents from which berries 

 were grown "at the rate of 15,000 quarts per acre," was the first crop, and f^e 

 preparation the previous year was similar except that superphosphate, ashes, 

 and hen manure were used in making the liquid manure, which was applied 

 quite frequently during the season of growth and three or four times in spring 

 before the berries were formed. 



Surely no one would be so foolish as to claim that even 10,000 quarts of 

 berries per acre of any known variety can certainly be realized from ordinary 

 field culture, I will add that I raised 11,17G well-rooted plants, by actual 

 count, from thirteen plants of Crescent set out on the sixth day of May, the 

 following autumn being unusually favorable for their development. The 

 plants were set ten feet apart each way, and entirely covered the ground before 

 freezing weather. No " belt" is wanted. I do not compete for championship 

 of any kind; but take pleasure in testing the capabilities of various plants 

 both for growth and productiveness. 



The experiment with the Wilson was made from the first plants sent out 

 from Mr. Wilson himself. This was about twenty-five years ago, I think, and 

 the result was then published. I cannot now get over 3,000 quarts of Wilson 

 per acre, with good care. Kussell's Prolific, on very rich ground, has yielded 

 nearly the same as the test crop of Wilsons; yet I have discarded it as it is 

 too soft and uncertain. 



A STRAWBERRY ESTIMATE. 



P. M. Auger, State pomologist of Connecticut, gives the following estimate 

 of three varieties of strawberries under his treatment: 



The Manchester, in our opinion, is bound to take a leading place among 

 market varieties. Of its productiveness we are w^ell convinced; a single plant, 

 June 28, after picking several ripe berries, gave a count of 125 berries remain- 

 ing in different stages of growth. Imagine those all to swell out and ripen and 

 count fifty to a quart, and you have as great a yield as one could well ask from 

 one plant. The berry is very uniform in size and form, and if we mistake not 

 will be soon quoted as a leading market berry. We intend planting it largely 

 ourselves this fall. Crescent has been called the poor man's berry, the lazy 

 man's berry, etc., and well merits the names. The yield under favorable circum- 

 stances is indeed enormous, we might almost say unequaled. The fruit is very 

 good or very poor, according to treatment. With high culture and good man- 



