PROCEEDINGS OF THE WINTER MEETING. 45 



ou loose sand or gravel; but even this can be made to produce fairly under 

 proper treatment, which in a general way I should undertake to prepare 

 as follows, taking just as many acres as I could apply to a fair dressing of 

 manure very early in the spring. Then plow not more than five to six 

 inches deep; then apply seventy-five to one hundred bushels of wood ashes, 

 broadcast, and harrow in; then sow one peck of Mammoth clover seed, and 

 roll or harrow in lightly. When the clover is nicely up, sow about 100 

 pounds of land plaster per acre; then, when the clover begins to show 

 heads, which will be the latter part of July, put on a mower and cut the 

 clover and weeds, letting it remain just where it falls. Next season let the 

 clover grow as it pleases, and in the fall or the following spring plow under, 

 and your ground is in prime condition for fruit or any other crop, but 

 there is one thing that must be done to make this plan always a success. 

 That is, the seed must be sown as early as the ground will work well; and 

 another thing that must not be done, is sowing a crop of oats or other 

 grain at the same time. Recollect, I am not speaking now of fertile lands, 

 but of land that is naturally poor, or partially exhausted; and let me say 

 that any land that will not respond to this treatment is not worth cultivat- 

 ing. Where ashes can be secured in abundance, two or three hundred 

 bushels per acre will be much better than less, but clover is almost certain 

 to catch and grow well on any sandy land which has a dressing of ashes. 



In many instances, clay is found very convenient to tracts of sandy land. 

 In such cases I have seen excellent results from a liberal application, 

 lightly plowed under; and for setting pears, apples, plums, quinces, or 

 roses, on very light soils, I consider it almost indispensable. 



Now we will speak of the varieties of fruit that succeed on light soils, 

 after urging upon you the importance of thorough preparation of the soil 

 as detailed above. Commencing with the strawberry, we will name first 

 the old varieties which still have value, giving a short description of each 

 for the benefit of our friends who have not had experience, and I will 

 mention their defects, which is something you rarely find in catalogues. 

 Commencing with the old Wilson, I would say that it seems to have out- 

 lived its usefulness, excej)t it is still useful as a fertilizer for early-bloom- 

 ing pistillate varieties, as it is almost universally attacked by rust at about 

 the time of making the first picking. Crescent is still a great favorite, 

 and is probably more extensively planted than all other kinds. It is one 

 of the most reliable and productive known; it succeeds well on light soils, 

 its principal defects being that it is rather soft for long shipments; it sets 

 large quantities of fruit and fails to give it suitable size after the first two 

 pickings; foliage is quite healthy, blossom semi-pistillate. Jessie is uni- 

 formly large, of high quality, has staminate blossoms, healthy foliage; is a 

 cross between Sharpless and Cumberland, with the Sharpless defect of 

 having tender bloom, easily injured by late frosts; but when planted on 

 elevated land it is quite desirable. Haverland has pistillate bloom, is one 

 of the hardiest, has healthy foliage, succeeds on light or heavy soils, its 

 defect being long fruit stems, nearly horizontal, requiring mulching to pro- 

 tect fruit; is large, enormously productive, firm enough for ordinary mar- 

 keting purposes; much superior to Crescent. Bubach — this grand berry 

 has only one defect: the frviit is too soft for long shipment. It averages 

 larger than any other, running twenty-five to fifty berries to the full quart, 

 just as picked from the vines; foliage healthy; pistillate; resists drouth 

 well. Warfield is the most popular berry now offered on Chicago market, 



jDlace which it has won by some three or four years' trial. The fruit is 



