The Expansion of Smali-Fruit Culture. 73 



and many another spends his money freely for beer or whisky for himself, 

 but nothing to luxuriate his wife and little ones at the home table. Hence, 

 ■what might be, in expanded small-fruit growing, is not, and can not be, 

 under present environments without low prices, or, worse, a broken market. 

 But with these obvious limitations the question still recurs to us, must we 

 stand still or advance? We believe, in spite of all the set-backs, that society 

 is improving. We believe that our people are growing wiser and better on 

 the whole. We believe when business is less hampered by unnecessary ex- 

 tortions in all forms; when the real necessaries of life and necessary articles 

 of manufacture are offered at moderate rates, so that a man's wages shall be 

 adequate to fully provide for not only the bare necessities but for many of 

 the comforts of life — when this time comes we may reasonably look for a 

 largely increased demand for our small fruits. 



Another idea will be applicable in this connection. Last summer, when 

 we were wholesaling large strawberries at from twenty-five cents down to 

 twelve cents per quart, another grade was brought into market selling from 

 twelve down to five cents per quart, and four quarts for a quarter at retail. 

 Now, while we were getting double price per quart, we were also getting 

 double the number of quarts per acre. So at every point we had the ad- 

 vantage in profit; and in case of an absolute glut, it is always the case that 

 the trash goes to the waste. As Daniel Webster said in reference to the law 

 as a profession, " there is room higher up," so say we in regard to small fruits. 



Premising as above, we aver that in expanding small-fruit culture we 

 should expand first of all in better culture, better varieties, higher fertiliza- 

 tion and largely increased yield of large, beautiful berries. We greatly need 

 improved methods. And here, leaving generalization, let us come down to 

 detail. 



Taking the strawberry, let me say that we not only need the best vari- 

 eties but the best plants. Eggs are sold by the dozen. Strawberry plants 

 are also sold by count, and to many a man 1,000 plants means 1,000 plants 

 and nothing more, howsoever or by whomsoever they are produced ; 

 whereas, they may vary in vigor and actual capacity as from 10 to 1. 



First— Our unvarying method is to be specially careful in selecting 

 stock plants. (This is also applicable all through the vegetable kingdom.) 



Second— Never propagate from a plant that suffered from fruit ex- 

 haustion ; a plant that has given, as some of ours have, over two quarts of 

 fruit may still live, but is not fit to be a parent plant. Renitmher this. 



Therefore, when we read of deteriorating of varieties we can say yes or 

 we can say no, as it depends so much upon management. I know of farmers 

 who have cultivated the same variety of Indian corn for more than twenty 

 years with a constant improvement, so that it has been a continual gain from 

 then till now. The same may be true of the strawberry ; and any quality of 

 plant or fruit may be intensified by judicious selection and cultivation. In 

 the same way we may often remedy defects, to wit : Suppose a variety like 

 the JewelFpropagates slowly, and the requisition is to secure more rapid in- 



