INDIANA HOETICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 391 



Soil.— We designate our land as being rich or poor and sometimes the 

 so-called poor soil, with proper treatment, is the most fertile; often the 

 rich soil is deficient in some essential elements necessary to successful 

 berry growing, so here comes the point where the man must be master of 

 the situation. If he has the necessary education along this line he will 

 be able to tell which soil will retain the most moisture, which soil is 

 adapted to plant growing and which to best development of fruit. He 

 will be able to tell a light, wai*m soil from a heavy, cold soil and use 

 the manures and fertilizers accordingly. It does not seem that it would 

 be necessary to state that the soil must be well drained naturally or arti- 

 ficially in order to insure success in sti-awberry culture, yet I l^now men 

 who are trying to reach this commercial success by planting on water- 

 logged soils, in low ground in order to beat a drought. Some plants will 

 succeed fairly well under these conditions, and this brings us to the next 

 topic. 



Plants.— Some' are adapted to low, mucky land; others to light, sugar 

 tree soil, and others to heavy clay. In fact, we have varieties adapted 

 to all soils, climates and conditions. This is very fortunate for a certain 

 class. (I mean those who beg a few plants, set them out and never see 

 them again till berry time next year.) But I do believe one of the most 

 important conditions of success is starting with good plants. The plants 

 that I use must have a good bunch of clean, yellow roots, a large fruit 

 crown and healthy foliage. Certain varieties produce much stronger 

 plants than others under similar conditions; so the strongest of each vari- 

 ety must be used. They need not be pedigreed; sufficient if good, clean, 

 healthy, pure stock, with the pedigree expense left off. This latter state- 

 ment is from both observation and personal experience. 



Now, after discussing the man, market, soil, plant and varieties, and 

 having exerything all right thus far, and are ready to land that bank 

 account, we may see it slip through our fingers and away from us if we are 

 troubled with insects and fungous diseases. Those ideal plants may have 

 a year's growth, and, in fact, may be loaded with blossoms and even fruit 

 and then our hopes fade away when those little leaf rollers begin to devour 

 the glossy leaves, the lungs of the plant. And even after the fruit be- 

 gins ripening, a very bad case of rust will ruin half the crop; so we are 

 not so sure of that desired success until every berry is marketed and every 

 bill collected; and, must I acknowledge it, sometimes the balance is on 

 the other side of the ledger. Unless all these fundamental principles are 

 closely followed, and a hundred other minute details are closely watched, 

 we can not hope to reap the reward awaiting us. 



To those desiring berries for home use, I would say that there is noth- 

 ing impossible about growing them. Prepare the soil early in spring, set 

 good plants, even if they cost two or three cents each, amd be careful about 

 getting both bisexual and pistillate. Give good cultivation, mulch when 

 the ground is frozen, and next spring, when fresh fruit is a temptation, 



