76 American Iforllcn/hiral Soclcti/. 



We h live spokoii of sprinj^ iiliiiitiiig und the formation of triple rows. 

 We have hiul nearly or quite as siilisfactory crops by planting out in July 

 strong primary young plants in ground strongly enriched on which early 

 peas or some similar froj) has \>ovn grown, the ground cleared, plowed and 

 suhso led, tinely raked down, and j)lanted in rows two feet hy one and one- 

 half feet, after which faultless culture was given, and runners all clipped off. 

 A record shows that the numher of picked quarts exceeded the numher of 

 plants. This was on a j)atch which, as measured by Dr. F. M. Hexamer and 

 others, contained just one twenty-second of an acre, the total yield of wliich 

 was GTS quarts, or at the rate of about 466 bushels per acre. Mr. J. S. 

 Woodward, Secretary of the New York State Agricultural Society, saw a 

 quart of ripe berries picked from a single i)lant at one lime, leaving forty- 

 eight green berries on the same plant, nearly all of which afterward matured. 

 We would not feel at all sure that even this may not be exceeded. The va- 

 riety from which this yield was obtained was the Jewell, and the size and 

 beauty of the berries, as an average, were as remarkable as the yield. Our 

 he;iviest yields have been on a rather heavy soil, with at least two year^* jire- 

 vious high culture, with tile-drains 40 ft. apart, 8 ft. 6 in. deep, the soil mel- 

 lowed with a subsoil plow IS inches deep; and we regard the above prepa- 

 ration as a valuable safeguard against drought and as a most important aux- 

 iliary in thoroughly aerating the soil. Of the single j)lant rows, two feet 

 apart, in very many places the plants touched between the rows, making a 

 spread of full 24 inches to the best plants. 



Our plan, then, for the expansion of small-fruit culture would be to in- 

 tensify, rather than overspread large areas. Parties living, as some do, near 

 cities, where exceVent manure may be had for the hauling, can easily ex- 

 pand in the fullest sense; but where hort^e-manure costs to or $6 per cord, 

 besides the cartage, it changes the whole aspect of all'airs. Those who de- 

 pend largely on concentrated commercial fertilizers should use extreme 

 caution, as there is a limit to judicious and safe application. While we use 

 special strawberry manures, we use to sujjplement, not to supersede, stable 

 manures. The mechanical etlect of stable manures upon the soil is excel- 

 lent in giving good tilth and porosity to the soil, thereby enabling better 

 results to be obtained than bj' the same elements in a more compact and 

 concentrated form. Again, a strongly concentrated manure sometimes has 

 a caustic eflect, especially if applied in excess. 



In conclusion, allow me to say that, in view of the jiresent outlook, we 

 advise beginners to use great caution in their operations. A crop such as 

 we have spoken of is, as you may well believe, exceptional. The previotis 

 prejiaration overlooks two cr three years of liberal expenditure in time) 

 capital antl skilled labor. A most judicious and generous expenditure is 

 indispensable. Hence, let beginners commence on a lindled area; and in 

 any case do not greatly overstcrk the market. The small-fruit l>nsin(\«s, 

 like any other business, may be overdone. The public jn-ess can and should 

 do much to create a fuller and mora general use of small fruits. The sani- 



