PROCEEDINGS OF THE WINTER MEETING. 19 



make new feeders. As a rule, we don't get a drouth that will hurt straw- 

 berries until about the time they begin to ripen, and at that time they 

 need much moisture; and I wish to say that I think irrigation practiced 

 on strawberries would be the greatest success of anything. It needs 

 something to retain the moisture and prevent rapid evaporation; but 

 with the cultivation comes also other results that have more than over- 

 balanced its good effects with me. So I give the best cultivation I can 

 the year the plants are set; get it into as fine condition as possible. The 

 next year, pick a crop and turn the bed under, and I have grown 100 

 bushels of potatoes per acre on top of the vines the same season. 



Mr. Uykeman: Mr. Morrill, did you say that cultivation made danger 

 of freezing? I have been told that, and my experience was the other 

 way. I have seen corn and potatoes freeze less where cultivated. 



Mr. Morrill : That would be a new experience, to me. There is some 

 local condition, probably, that affects that. I hardly think that can 

 be a general condition. 



Mr. Rork: I have observed, especially on our sandy land, that spring 

 plowing disturbs the moisture. If I were going to plant an orchard, I 

 would plow it in the fall and only cultivate it in the spring. You can 

 not get the sand too firm. You stir it in the spring, and if you are a 

 little late, you will get drouth. 



Mr. Morrill: Now, suppose that is clay soil. We do not know what 

 Mr. Houk's experience is based upon. We want to make that distinction 

 and have it clearly understood, between heavy land and light loam. 



Mr. W. H. Barry: Mr. Houk's land is heavy and that would make a 

 difference. I know he advises spring and fall plowing, on the same piece 

 of ground, for raspberries. 



Mr. Dykeman: I have cultivated corn with my mittens and overcoat 

 on; and it froze quite hard, yet where I cultivated it was not killed. 



Mr. Beadle: Five or six years ago, we had early potatoes planted 

 near the house, and I had the same idea this gentleman has; and so we 

 worked the ground thoroughly and covered them up pretty well, and 

 as far as we got the man to work through that night, we had good 

 potatoes, and the rest did not amount to anything. 



Mv. Morrill: There is a good point in your experience. You covered 

 your potatoes. 



Mr. Dvkeman: Mv theorv is that breaking the ground lets out more 

 steam. 



Mr. Morrill: Prof. Kedzie would tell you that you would prevent 

 evaporation, check it. 



Mr. Dunwell: Would this spring cultivation have the same effect in 

 the orchard? 



Mr. Morrill: You have reference to the action of frost. I think there 

 are numerous cases where peaches have been killed, so far as they were 

 worked, within twenty-four hours. 



Mr. Morrill: A frost on a damp night, when there is abundant dew, 

 and the water forms in drops on your strawberries — on such a night 

 your damage is slight or nothing. But have a dry condition and then 

 get frost, even a light one, and you know where you go. The more mois 

 ture, the safer you are. The moisture takes the frost out gradually, 

 and little or no damage occurs. Another time, perhaps you will call 



