100 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
vigorous plants, from a new setting, true to name, from a reliable “a 
grower, are best and cheapest. Do not allow any weeds to grow or 
seed upon land the year before setting—this will save hoeing; culti- 
vate shallow and often, in one direction—this forms a dust blanket 
which conserves moisture and stimulates growth, also aids in form- 
ing matted rows; mulch hearily with clean straw between the rows, 
lightly on plants for winter protection. Lift the straw with a fork 
early in spring to admit air and sunlight to plants, which will then 
grow through a light ccvering, and protect the fruit from dirt and 
drought. Protect blossoms frosty nights by covering with straw 
mulch. You can grow strawberries for less than two cents a quart, 
and why not have them in abundance. 
Plant berry bushes as diagram suggests, three to four feet apart, 
in rows eight feet apart, one to three plantsin each hill. Pinch 
black raspberries back when fifteen inches high. Cover blackber- 
ries, raspberries and grapes with earth in October—you will get 
more and better fruit for the work. 
Protection and Cultivation.—Fruit trees should be protected 
with wire fly netting, painted with thick paint, on the south side, to 
protect from sun scald, mice and rabbits. Burlap wrappings will 
do. Use some protection. Cultivate your orchard—it secures fruit. 
Mulch during fall and winter, spreading the mulch in the spring 
about the trees, again cultivating shallow until July, repeating 
every year, and apples will be as common and staple as potatoes 
upon your farm. I am growing them as acheap hog feed, with 
surprising success, in Olmsted county. 
Vegetables._Note the rotation in the vegetable and strawberry 
garden. This is important. Sow clover seed with the sweet corn 
when last cultivated, allowing stalks to remain on the ground over 
winter for protection. Spread well rotted manure on the clover 
during the winter or spring; plow all underin June; cultivate or 
harrow during the summer to destroy weed seeds and prepare the 
ground for a vegetable garden next season. This means a well 
prepared garden soil, free from weed seeds; it also saves hoeing and 
weed pulling. Plant vegetables in large assortment, following 
early radish, lettuce, peas, etc. with late beets, parsnips, celery, 
etc. for winter use, getting two or more crops from same row,— 
testing the possibilities of a garden well arranged and cultivated 
with horse power. 
Note the arrangement of rows in diagram. Small growing plants 
occupy one portion of the garden, with rows two to three feet apart; 
melons, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. another section, with rows double 
that distance, and squash, pumpkins, etc. with distance between the 
rows again doubled, all of which aids cultivation with horses. 
Do not fail to plant celery in a well prepared trench, using clean 
straw to blanch. Plant at least 100 asparagus roots between the apple 
trees, with soil made rich under the plants by using well prepared 
compost. Asparagus will grow as rapidly and surely as weeds in 
our state and supply a sun protection forthe apple trees, alsoa 
luxury in great abundance for your family and neighbors for two or 
three months. Plant salsify, or vegetable oyster, and a lot of them. 
