MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 81 
are occupied with strawberry beds extending entirely across the 
fields and occupying fully one-half of the entire space. The straw- 
berries are of the Wilson seedling variety, among the most prolific 
bearers known, enormous size, and of the most luscious description. 
When I say that in the proper season these bushes and vines are 
simply loaded with blossoms and fruit, I speak the literal truth. Of 
strawberries, Mr. Eldridge usually realizes from 400 to 500 bushels, 
and of raspberries, from 500 to 700 bushels during each season. One 
year he sold 600 bushels of apples from these orchards. This is per- 
haps a little above the average yield. Only two crops of straw- 
berries are raised from the same vines. Each two years, the old 
vines are ploughed under and replaced by new settings. In the fall 
the strawberry beds are covered with a light coating of straw which 
remains until after the frosts of spring. About every fourth year a 
thorough dressing of the best barn yard manure is applied to the 
soil and ploughed in. The new shoots of the raspberry plants re- 
ceive in the spring of the year a ‘‘ pinch” at the top to check the 
upward growth of the main stems, and to cause the lateral branches 
to develop the more fully. Mr. Eldridge has thoroughly studied the 
habits of these plants and trees, and his treatment of them is very 
scientific. The result is that his production is liberal and certain. 
He rarely fails to gather a good crop. In the season of picking and 
marketing he employs from sixty to seventy-five extra hands, mostly 
young women. 
In order to give your readers some notion of what may be done om 
“a little farm well tilled,” I append a few figures given me by Mr. 
Eldridge as to his operations in 1874. I first give the results of 
the seventeen acres devoted to fruit, premising that the year 1874 was 
a very unfavorable season for berries. The product was: 
SOME See LICE Y Ab oh 45 SO. «xan: oily vinre.cvs .aje's/s-0/ajaleieie) s sipig taldip\ chain ola eelejais $1,920 
200, bushels Red Astrachans at $2.00... 2.200 ccccosccnvvccscce vocecses 400 
TIMBUAMCISPPIDCHESS AL GI. 7D suc ccc codecs b ncetespecesiengcies op ie.e sie 175 
QO PUPMeIs PamMense Al 1.00. sls sc ec, ewe oe eccle ge be since vee teen 200 
100 bushels Golden Russets, &C., at $1.00... eeereeeeececncccervees 100 
TOtall Value Of TFUItS SO] aejats o:0sr0, << m0 alain naj0.; 0 Woi0 4 5) we aasiele $2,790 
The farm products sold were: 
1,200 bushels wheat at 85 CentS.....e.ceseececevenccccecvecs : ae $1,020 
MEE NENCUETICAL OO COMGS «ares c cleie tie! cs catclevajaiaic leis eee ee setee caese 240 
BUURDHOHEIS OAS ALOU: CENTS ss cc's eee calas'deccteaccescecceececesioce 100 
SRMMNMMA PS EL ISN (8 12a Sica lahielalofe 'aietle ula. aPaie/ie'ole!ale obstelolate afe'ela’s ly via elalls tie oletplaite 360 
ZQ0RDUBHEIS potatoes at 75, CANES 2006 \s0510 deine slenissie» vesciviscéaptsmme 300 
SPU BIEVER. FOPOCUCEN sc cin v0 c¥\s\5\e.¢ 0 s.0,0 a0, cs 4s) c,0 8's 006 are euniiats $2,020 
Total fruit and farm productS.......e cece cceecccecevecs B4,210 
But this is not all, on the same ground there are 1,600 young ap- 
ple trees nearly ready for transplanting, and worth $15 per hundred, 
total $240, swelling the gross amount to $5,490. 
It would of course add to the interest of this subject if I could give 
an accurate statement of the expenses attending this production. 
12 
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