GROWING STRAWBERRIES BY IRRIGATION. 17 



berries and those that are shipped in. The first year — ten years ago 

 the coming spring — I got fifteen cents a quart on an average at whole- 

 sale for every berry I grew. Of course, I had the expense to pay out 

 of that, which would still leave the average considerably above ten 

 cents. The second crop I raised brought me an average of twelve 

 and one-half cents a quart, and the third year about ten and one-half 

 cents. 



A Member — Which variety gives the most berries ? 



Mr. Williams — The Warfield. I regard the Beder Wood as the 

 best fertilizer, from the fact that it is a good bearer itself as well as a 

 fertilizer. 



GROWING STRAWBERRIES BY IRRIGATION. 



J. W. STEVENSON. 



I commenced growing strawberries in 1882 in the Platte valley at 

 North Bend, Dodge county, Neb., and fair success crowned my efforts 

 whenever the rainfall was sufficient during the year. The soil here is 

 rich clay loam, with slight mixture of sand, and beneath this there is 

 about eight feet of blue clay or gumbo, interspersed with veins of 

 sand. When we bore through this clay we strike the gravel and 

 quicksand and the water rapidly rises within eight feet of the surface 

 when the water is low in the river. This supply of water is inex- 

 haustible. Well points are driven down twenty-two to twenty-five 

 feet below the surface, and cylinders are usually placed four feet be- 

 low the surface or four feet from the water. 



I commenced irrigating about August 1, 1894, using two ten-foot 

 windmills with three and one-half-inch cylinders, one and one-fourth- 

 inch feed pipes and points, and one and one-half-inch discharge pipes, 

 but should have used one and one-half-inch feed pipe and one and three- 

 fourths or two inch discharge pipes. I used the longest stroke these 

 mills would allow, which was seven inches. The water was lifted 

 above the surface ten feet and discharged into a barrel, into the bottom 

 of which was attached a one and one-half-inch pipe eight feet long, to 

 which connection was made with two lead pipes one inch in diameter. 

 The discharge pipe is two feet higher than the spout, attached to it to 



