44 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



galvauizcd-irou barrels and placed them around at every house and 

 store and hotel that had two wood stoves or more, and then I sent teams 

 around every ten days to empty the barrels and in that way get a supply 

 of first-class ashes. 



Mr. Rork: Do you ever prepare by sowing clover? 



Mr. Thayer: Yes, sir, I do that just as often as I can. I think it is one 

 of the best preparations. If I could always arrange it I w^ould grow 

 clover, plow that under and grow potatoes, and follow with strawberries. 

 I think that is one of the best combinations I can get. If I can not do 

 that I sometimes sow winter rye, late rye, and plow it under in the 

 s],)riug. 



Mr. Kellogg: I would put the ashes on with the potatoes, though. 



Mr. Thayer: Yes, sir. 



The President: How many crops do you take from a planting? 



Mr. Thayer: I used to advocate only one crop, but I have changed 

 my mind. In our section we have had drouths and various things 

 to interfere with us the last three or four years, and I find this year I 

 have the best crop I have ever had from a second crop. So 1 make this 

 rule: If I have one very large crop I will plow under; but if from drouth 

 or any other reason I have a light crop the first year, then I will keep it 

 as clean as I can during the summer, and with a little work reduce the 

 rows in the fall, and try it another year, and perhaps the third year. I 

 think often the second and third crops are made to be as good as the first. 



Mr. Kellogg: Do you practice burning over your plantation? 



Mr. Thayer: Yes, sir, immediately after the fruiting. Sometimes I 

 follow the pickers right up, I cut the vines all off, leave them there a few 

 days, and w^itli mulch on put the fire in and burn them over completely. 



The President: You speak about getting a berry crop the first and 

 second or third year sometimes. Doesn't the varietv have considerable to 

 do with that? 



Mr. Thayer: Possibly it would. If I had my ideal way of growing 

 strawberries I would, as fast as the runners came out, fasten them down 

 and give them root just as soon as I could until they covered the ground, 

 all that I wanted. Then I would go through and remove every runner 

 after that, but this is hardly practicable for most fruitgrowers. The 

 theory is all right, but we do not practice it. We are not thorough 

 enough in the business. 



The President: In consideration of the fact that the acreage is so 

 large and the crop is so large, w^ouldn't you advise that ideal method of 

 cultivation as the only way to make any money out of it today? Can 

 you see any l)etter way to do than to reduce the acreage and improve the 

 quality by cultivation? 



Mr. Thayer: I think that is the keynote to the situation today — less 

 acreage and better product. Then follow out your distribution, get that 

 down to system. We must devise means by which we can plant and grow 

 our crop with the least possible expense and with the highest regard for 

 quality and best method of shi])ment. That is all there is to it. We 

 must get right down to fiactions on everything of this kind. We can 

 not make a false motion, as Mr. Kolloga' told yon yesterday. I don't 

 care whether it is ])lanting, ])ickini!', ]»a(king. or selling — yon must not 

 have a false motion in the whole thing. 



