GROWING SMALL FRUITS. 21 



The chief difficulty in successfully grovviug strawberry plants with- 

 out irrigation has been the dry weather from August till May or June. 

 The plants would suffer with drouth in August, September, and Oc- 

 tober, not making sufficient growth; then freezing up dry, many of 

 the plants would be killed outright, and the balance would be so fee- 

 ble in the spring they were almost worthless for planting out new 

 beds, or for bearing fruit. Another difficulty has been that often in 

 the spring, when the fruit wfts growing, the weather was too dry to 

 nourish and mature a crop, and one good shower or irrigation would 

 have increased the yield 100 per cent. By irrigating, the plants can 

 be continued in vigorous growth till the last of October. They root 

 deeply, and freezing up in moist soil they are sure to come out of win- 

 ter keeping in healthy condition, and maintain a vigorous growth till 

 fruiting time. Such plants are of double value for planting in the 

 spring over those that have been stunted and injured in growth by a 

 long fall and winter drouth. 



I have no special recommendation to make of varieties of straw- 

 berries best adapted to irrigation. I have not noticed that irrigation 

 had any injurious effect on any variety. Varieties whose fruit stems 

 lay on the ground might be injured near fruiting time if flooded too 

 much. The careful grower could guard against such danger. 



GROWING SMALL FRUITS. 



K. D. M'GEKHOK 



There are a few things essential in the successful cultivation of all 

 small fruits: 



First — The first is fertility of soil. I mean such a soil as is com- 

 monly called a good garden soil. 



Second — If the ground is not naturally well underdrained, it must 

 be done artificially. 



Third — The ground must be deeply pulverized with plow and har- 

 row, or spade. 



Fourth — The plants must be healthy and such as have made a 

 vigorous growth the season before. Never plant an old plant. 



