SOCIETY OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 267 



I would like to calljyonr attention to the " Hamilton Adjustable- 

 Arch Bar-share Cultivator," made at Hamilton, Ohio, which 1 think 

 admirably adapted to the cultivating of corn, working in the garden 

 and among small fruits. It can be adjusted to any width of row 

 very quickly, and the beams and wheels so changed to run up close 

 under blackberries and raspberries, and throw the dirt to or from 

 them. 



The thinning and pinching of the growing canes during the 

 growing season, and the cutting back of the ripe wood of the black- 

 berries and raspberries, are sadly neglected in most plantations. I 

 think there is more poor fruit from this neglect than from any other 

 one cause. Three or four canes in hill, three to four feet apart in 

 the row, are sufficient. 



The young growing shoots, or canes, should be nipped — the top 

 pinched out — when they are two to three feet high, and only once, 

 unless the laterals come out very strong, when they should be nipped 

 at ten or twelve inches. These laterals should be cut back in the 

 spring from one-fourth to one-third. 



When strawberries are grown in matted rows, the plants should 

 be at least four inches apart. If you want buttons, let the Crescent 

 grow as thickly as they will in the rows, and you will have them, 

 Thrips or no Thrips, 



If I could only tell you how to grow two strawberries as large 

 as the pictures of them in some catalogues, or shown in plates by 

 tree peddlers, where only one poor little berry grew before, I would 

 gladlv do so. 



My advice to every one is, don't plant a foot of ground more 

 than you can thoroughly prepare, cultivate, thin, pinch and cut back, 

 carefully gather, assort, pack and market the fruit. 



I think there is one thing we will have to adopt and practice, in 

 order to grow the best fruits — that is, irrigation, either sub or sur- 

 face. We know where they have to entirely depend on irrigation, 

 they grow the finest fruits in the world. I know you will ask at 

 least two questions — one is, Where will you get the water? and the 

 other is. Will it pay? 



To the first, I will say we can get the water by tile-draining our 

 farms and collecting the water into reservoirs, in suitable places 

 from the surface, and through the tiles. This water can be pumped 

 by steam or wind into a reservoir, or tanks on the highest points, 

 and distributed over the farm as needed. 



To the second query, I will say I don't know. 



I think it would be well to suggest to the parties having control 

 of our Experimental Station, to try this experiment, and see how 

 much water they can collect from an acre of land, and distribute, 

 and the cost. 



