210 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



will have in a few weeks. I persuaded ray friend Hyde to try 

 the experiment, and I believe I heard him state at the Horti- 

 cultural Rooms that he raised the best crop he ever grew. 



In the discussions that we have had at the Horticultural 

 Rooms, Prof. Russell asked his opinion of this practice of mow- 

 ing the tops, by Mr. Strong. Well, the professor, who is very 

 strong in his opinions, said, " In the first place, it is contrary to 

 common sense, and contrary to nature. It is all wrong, there 

 is no doubt about it ; and don't any of you try it." That was 

 pretty strong language, but I thought I would wait and see how 

 he would come out before we got through. He said it wasn't 

 scientific: that is another term used. In the discussion after- 

 wards, I said simply this : that I had tried it for a series of 

 years ; it was not a theory, it was a fact ; and the answer to 

 his assertion that it was not scientific was this : " It is a fact, 

 and if it does not accord with your science, I rather think your 

 science has got the worst of it." Then I took the ground that 

 it was scientific, and although I am not a scientific man, and 

 do not pretend to be anything of the kind, I undertook to 

 prove it in this way : first, that when fruit trees and plants 

 have perfected their fruit, their leaves have performed their 

 functions. Take the apple, the peach, or almost any other tree, 

 the leaves fall before you get another crop of fruit. They have 

 elaborated the sap, perfected the fruit and seed, which nature 

 intended they should do, and they have got through with their 

 business. Then, there is another thing in regard to strawberry 

 plants, which is not generally understood, — that the roots are 

 perennial, to a large extent. Those roots begin to die imme- 

 diately after the fruit is produced, and during the season most 

 of the old roots die, and new ones start out directly above the 

 old ones. Those roots dying out, the leaves exhaust the 

 plants, which the roots are in no condition to support. Now, 

 by taking off those leaves, which have become useless and 

 exhaust the plants, we simply aid nature, and thereby do a 

 scientific thing. I know, therefore, — I do not guess about it, 

 nor is it any nonsense or theory, but is a well established fact, 

 — I have practised this method for many years. It has lately 

 been practised by my neighbors with perfect success. 



Question. You don't remove the leaves ? 



Mr. Moore. I rake off everything I can, at the start. 



