(^alei^dar for Tui^e. 



O. M. LORD, MINNESOTA CITY. 



Our hired man said this morning: "I had supposed there was no 

 work connected with berry growing, and here we have been busy 

 since the ground thawed out, and no let up to the work. I thought 

 all there was to do was to stick in the plants and pick the berries, 

 eat all you can and sell the remainder. Now June is here, and look 

 at the coming work!" The newly set strawberry plants must be im- 

 mediately cultivated, and if blossoms appear they must be pinched 

 off. The winds have been so high that the mulching on the old bed 

 needs adjusting between the rows. To avoid late frosts the mulch- 

 ing was left undisturbed, until the plants needed air and sunlight. 

 All the dead canes of blackberries and raspberries are to be cut out 

 and the laterals cut back a few inches, and they all need cultivating 

 between the rows. Some of the young fruit trees do not stand up- 

 right. Now is the time to straighten them, and a few unnecessary 

 limbs should be taken off. 



There is now a prospect of large fruitage with strawberries, cur- 

 rants, goosberries, wild plums and crab apples. It is hoped the 

 past winter has killed many insect pests. The curculio begins its 

 work soon after the plums are set, and spraying for them is not as 

 satisfactory as jarring the trees. A few hours work among the 

 grape vines is absolutely necessary, if we expect any returns from 

 them. 



April and May were much dryer months than usual in Minnesota, 

 but the ground has retained sufficient moisture to give everything a 

 good start, especially weeds. Where we cannot reach all the garden 

 stuff and young trees with a cultivator in time to destroy the small 

 weeds, a garden rake drawn along closely to them stirs the ground 

 and advances the plants in growth, and kills most of the weeds so 

 as to show distinctly where the rows are when we come to cultivate 

 and saves a good deal of labor in after cultivation. Where the 

 weeds or grass have attained such a growth that this is not practic- 

 able, a scuffle hoe with a blade an inch and one-half wide and from 

 eight inches to one foot in length, preferably made from an old 

 cross cut saw blade, is one of the best tools for fast and easy work. 

 This is also a valuable tool among the strawberry plants in cutting 

 out weeds or grass between the hills where you do not desire to dis- 

 turb the soil. It simply shaves off weeds and grass at the crowns, 

 leaving the dirt as a blanket on the soil, which conserves the 

 moisture while killing the weeds. It is doubtful if weeds rob the 



