SMALL FRUITS FOR THE FARM AND GARDEN. 437 



then do not go without small fruits entirely, but provide a small plantation, 

 say one-quarter to one-half acre of fruits suited to your wants, and then cover 

 it with a mulch which will make all cultivating or hoeing unnecessary. Few 

 farmers cannot spare a load or two of straw or stalks with which to cover the 

 ground so that weeds and grass cannot work through. If you depend on the 

 cultivator and hoe you will probably find that you have *' bitten off more 

 than you can chew," while you may succeed very well in the way I have 

 indicated. A little pruning and plenty of mulch will secure a very good 

 supply of fruit, and if there is any better way I hope it will be made plain 

 in the discussion which I have been asked to commence. 



Mr. : What distance apart should raspberries be set ? 



Mr. Gibson: Guthbert 6 feet by 2 feet in rows 8 inches wide; Ghio and 

 Souhegan 7 feet apart or 8 feet ; blackberries 8 feet apart. 



Mr. : Can you mulch Cuthberts so as to keep down suckers? 



Mr. Gibson: If you mulch deep enough — say a foot deep — even then they 

 would come up some. I never tie raspberries, even Greggs, I pinch off at 2 

 feet high as long as my patience lasts ; 6 or 8 inches deep of mulch — common 

 dry straw — will keep down weeds. Remove mulch from strawberries when 

 plants start in spring. 



Strawberries in matted row need no mulch on the row. 



Blackberries should be laid down ; possibly Snyder would succeed without. 

 My mother had Lawtons which never bore because not protected. 



Mulch strawberries in November or December, remove in April, or so 

 much of it as is on the plants themselves. I formerly grew Wilsons and they 

 were ruined by the rust, which does not attack my other varieties. Set 

 strawberries in spring and renew every two years. I would not use muck soil 

 for berries. Have not had experience on such soil. 



I use sloping, full quart baskets, which I prefer to boxes, and I use the 

 Desbro crate made in Rochester. I keep runners off till August or Septem- 

 ber and then allow them to mat, but this year am trying four acres kept clean 

 right through. Cut runners with sheep shears. 



Prof. Bailey: We find a sharp spade or sod cutter useful for that purpose 

 and have found no difficulty from cutting the roots. 



Mr. Sherman : I know nothing of the business of small fruits but am a 

 farmer and have tried a little small fruit raising and have not found it to 

 pay. So I have not found it to pay to make my own plow beams, etc., etc. 

 I attend to my legitimate farm business and find my hands full with that, 

 and believe in leaving work that is out of my line to those who make that 

 work their specialty. I raise my farm products and sell them and, get what 

 little fruit I want and pay for it. 



Mr. Stevens, of Vermontville: I differ from the last speaker. I am a 

 farmer and can raise a bushel of strawberries or of raspberries cheaper than 

 a bushel of potatoes. 



