158 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



rants as an example, the fruit is ripened more evenly, and when 

 ripe they will han^? upon the stems until frost comes if you 

 choose to leave them there, instead of falling off, just as they 

 are ready for jellies, as the ladies say. The same thing holds 

 true of all our small fruits and is a wonderful good fault, for we 

 all know that the currant bush that grew in some fence corner 

 on the old home farm and was not found until late in the fall 

 had larger, nicer, sweeter currants on than any in the garden. 

 Strawberries also grow well and with water at the 

 proper time mature all their fruit, holding their size much bet- 

 ter than when you depend on rainfall. It is better to cover these 

 lightly in the fall that they will not dry out so badly during 

 the winter. We water late, just before the ground freezes and 

 put on the covering after the ground is frozen. It also tends 

 to hold them back a little later in the spring until all danger of 

 frosts is past. 



Dewberries and all of the Red Raspberries, as far as I know 

 them, need to be covered for the winter. Blackberries and 

 black cap Raspberries are better covered but some varieties do 

 well without. 



Preparing the ground for fruit under irrigation is the same 

 with us as else where, except that we must take more care in 

 getting the ground smooth — by that I do not mean level, for 

 you can irrigate successfully on a hill side but even in that case 

 you must have the ground smooth so that the water will spread 

 evenly and well, and there is no time you can do this as easily 

 and cheaply as before the fruit is set, for there is nothing in the 

 way then of getting it as it should be. If dirt has to be moved 

 any great distance the Buck scraper is the best implement to 

 to use, if not the work can be done rapidly with a common 

 plank leveler. 



I wish to call particular attention to this, as it is a great time 

 saver when you come to irrigate. With the land smooth and 

 the laterals properly located you can simply raise the gate and 

 it will irrigate itself, you soon learning how long it takes and 

 when you must come and change it or shut if off, and besides 

 the saving in your time you do not get quantities of water when 

 you don't care to have it and none when you do. 



