Notes and Gleanings. 293 



from beyond our state borders, yet the home producer not merely saves the cost 

 of forwarding and of commissions, but, in the case of many fruits, he has the 

 much more important advantage of their fresh and healthy condition. He should 

 be encouraged, therefore, to contend against serious odds in soil and climate. 

 We do not rest here. For our most important fruits our stern climate and soil 

 are no discouragement. We acknowledge no inferiority in the capabilities of 

 Massachusetts for the culture of fruit adapted to this latitude. Let us briefly 

 pass the list of fruits in review. 



Adaptation of Strawberries to our Climate. 



Strawberries are admitted to be at home with us. In all respects our soil and 

 our climate are adapted to the perfect development of this valuable fruit. In ordi- 

 nary seasons our beds make vigorous growth during the burning months of July 

 and August, producing large and firm crowns, which are a sure index of a large 

 crop, of superior size. In warmer sections and dryer soils the beds become more 

 or less burned in midsummer, and consequently the fruit will be smaller. It is 

 only necessary to give generous culture, and hold in check the tendency to make 

 a superabundance of runners (an evil not sufficiently recognized), in order to 

 secure the best results with a remarkable degree of certainty. It is the testi- 

 mony of visitors from abroad, that our exhibitions of this fruit are superior in 

 quality to any they have seen in other parts of the country. As to the profit of 

 growing the strawberry, there can be no question. It is true our markets 

 are affected by the low price of the crop received through New York. Yet our 

 fruit is so superior that it bears its own price, to a good degree. Even the pres- 

 ent season, when the small fruit business has been confessedly overdone in the 

 Middle States, when besides the large quantities, picked at low rates and sent to 

 us at a loss, there were still left other large quantities to perish in the fields, our 

 growers, on the other hand, have been amply compensated. Our fruit was a little 

 later, it was better in quality, it brought better prices, and was a remunerative crop. 



Profit of Cherries. 



Nothing but wise culture is necessary to make the cherry a success. It is 

 liable to injury in winter ; but this, to a great degree, is owing to over-luxuriant 

 growth, which can be checked. It is liable to the sting of the curculio ; but this 

 is an evil which we can and must overcome, however laborious the task. We 

 have not had cherries, of late years, as in former profusion, for several reasons. 

 Most of our orchards were seriously injured, some years since, by a peculiar and 

 excessive winter. It is a long process to reestablish a cherry-orchard, and our 

 cultivators have sought for quicker returns. The price of labor is higher in 

 our state than elsewhere, almost wirthout exception, throughout the world, and our 

 children are largely, not at work, but at school. Consequently the labor of pick- 

 ing the cherry is a serious drawback to its profitable culture. Also we have 

 been injudicious in the selection of varieties, planting the most tender kinds, and 

 those most subject to the curculio and the rot. But the cherry can be grown to 

 perfection — there is no inherent diflSculty ; we can, we do, so grow it. Let us 

 do so more abundantly. 



