68 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



ram mijjjht be used at no ver}' great expense. The strawbern' plant 

 is hardy and will grow if it is given any chance at all. The weeds 

 are its worst enemies and should be taken out when small ; for, if a 

 strong root of witch grass or sorrel gets its grip on them it will about 

 ruin the plant to remove it. 



Strawberry growing is rather a pleasant and a light work com- 

 pared with the growing of other farm crops. The beds need 3*our 

 constant attention from the time the plants are set until the fruit is 

 sold. In closing, I will say that though my methods may be different 

 from others, and my judgment at variance with the opinions of others 

 in the selection of varieties, yet the recommendations given and the 

 conclusions drawn correspond with ray experience. 



GOOD HUSBANDRY. 

 By R. W. MuRCH, Hampden. 



Read at Farmers' Institutes at Portland and Kcnncbuuk. 



When the world was created and sent circling around the heavens, 

 the Creator had other purposes in view besides adding another mem- 

 ber to the solar family. ^Ye nriay not be able to understand all these 

 purposes, but that it was to be the abode of beings not yet created 

 was evidentl}' one of them. 



At the creation God said, ''Let the dr^' land appear, and it was 

 80." And "He called the dr^^ land earth," that is, the soil. This 

 soil had in it all the constituents necessary to produce vegetation, 

 the grass, herbs, trees, fruit, etc.. which contained in themselves the 

 power of reproduction and perpetuation, and was to produce food 

 for the subsistence of man and beast througiiout all time. 



As yet, the soil had produced nothing, for God had created "every 

 plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the 

 field before it grew." Up to this time it had not rained, and "there 

 was not a man to till the ground." Then "there went up a mist and 

 watered the whole face of the ground," and man was created from 

 the dust of the ground. 



Everything had been provided, and the ground was now read}' for 

 tilling. An atmosphere surrounded the earth, necessary- alike for 

 the life of man and plants ; the soil had been created, means for 

 watering it had been provided, the sun had been called into being 

 and fixed in the heavens to shine down upon the earth, warm up its 



