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business, and of its adaptability to local conditions ; and 

 especially to the necessity of providing refrigerator transporta- 

 tion facilities before embarking heavily in the business. 

 This, of course, where shipment to the great northern markets 

 is the object. This necessary requirement of the best possible 

 transportation facilities will confine the large planting of 

 berries to a few shipping centers. For this reason, persons 

 coming to the state for the purpose of growing berries are 

 earnestly advised to locate at some point where the business 

 is already established. 



There is, however, a considerable home market that is 

 now very inadequately supplied, and that might well repay the 

 attention of a great number of scattered growers. Every 

 family in Alabama ought to have this healthful and delicious 

 fruit on the table every day for six or eight weeks ; but not 

 one in ten — no, not one in fifty — is thus liberally supplied. There 

 are few families in the state outside of some of the larger 

 cities who could not command the small amount of land and 

 labor to raise an abundant home supply, and thus enjoy the 

 luxury of having them fully ripened and freshly gathered as 

 needed. Many people will, however, buy berries if offered in 

 attractive shape and at a reasonable price, who would not take 

 the small amount of trouble necessary to grow them. There is 

 not a town of any size in the state where one or more farmers 

 could not make a substantial addition to their income by plant- 

 ing an acre or so of strawberries and marketing them regularly. 

 At first the demand might be small but it would grow rapidly if 

 stimulated by a constant supply, for people soon learn to eat 

 much more fruit if it is constantly at hand in tempting condi- 

 tion. If even a small per cent, of the people of the state can 

 be induced to plant more berries for home consumption, this 

 Bulletin will have accomplished its purpose. The larger com- 

 mercial growers are mostly in possession of the information 

 it contains. 



Soils axd Fertilizers. 



Any fairly good, well drained soil will answer for grow- 

 ing strawberries for home use or for local markets. A soil 



