REPORT OP BATES COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 141 



year. But this is our peculiar day and time, and if we faithfully per- 

 form our duties as horticulturists we are here not only to enjoy these 

 privileges, but to test for the people and for ourselves every new fruit 

 that may seem to offer any new points of merit. It will not do for us to 

 believe that we have reached perfection in anything. 



In the strawberry we are to consider improvement with reference 

 to productiveness, size, flavor, and adaptability to latitude. 



In my opinion soil has less to do with the varying results of the 

 strawberry, except as to time of ripening, than with any other crop. 

 In other words, I believe the strawberry to be a plant of so easy cul- 

 ture that whether the land be wet or dry, sand or heavy clay, all diflS- 

 culties in the way of successful cultivation of this crop may be over- 

 come by judicious and proper cultivation in the growing season. 



The great difficulty in the way of general planting of this crop 

 seems to be in an exaggerated estimate of the amount of labor requisite 

 to success. 



Many men when urged to provide themselves with strawberry 

 plants, to aflnrd a fresh supply of this delicious fruit for their families, 

 have answered, "Oh, I haven't time to fool with those things." But 

 these same men will carefully pale in a large family garden at an ex- 

 pense of fifty or one hundred dollars, manure it sufficiently for a hun- 

 dred dollar crop of small fruits, and after having planted it to cabbage, 

 tomatoes, and potatoes, gather from it in the course of the season ten 

 to fifteen dollars' worth of vegetables. 



This they do not call fooling. We would not say one word against 

 growing a reasonable amount of vegetables for the use of the family, 

 but if we can grow delicious fresh fruits for our wives and little ones to 

 bring smiles to their faces and color to their cheeks, and yet can raise 

 in the same enclosure, with very little more labor, all the vegetables 

 we need, why by all means let us have both and be happy. God made 

 all these things for our good. Let us not despise any good gift. But 

 we started with a proposition to inform how to have fresh strawberries 

 in abundant supply through the season. 



If the plants are near the preparation of the ground is the first 

 thing to be considered. Now, I have no doubt that right here is where 

 many people have been deterred from taking the first step. 



Many people seem to have an impression that either some peculiar 

 soil or some peculiar condition of preparation is required. I repeat, 

 that in my opinion any soil and any condition of soil will do to plant 

 in, so that it is in as goodorder as would be required for a crop of 

 €orn. 



