PACKAGES, TRAINING, POLLINATION 89 



tance of four feet from each other are made, thus forming 

 beds with narrow paths in which the pickers are expected 

 to stand when gathering the fruit. 



"Two or three crops are gathered from these beds be- 

 fore any change is made or cultivation given, except that 

 of hoeing or plowing out the paths each season before 

 picking time. When the beds have become so much 

 crowded with weeds and plants that the fruit is likely to 

 entirely fail, a plow is run through the center of each bed, 

 forming a new path, the runners being allowed to take 

 root and fill up the old ones. Another crop or two is 

 taken and then the paths are again changed." The 

 prevailing point of view concerning broadcast training 

 was thus stated by a grower in 1854 : " By allowing the 

 ground to be fully occupied by the plants we save all the 

 labor which would be consumed in removing the runners 

 and we avoid the necessity of applying a mulch to keep 

 the fruit clean." 



Under broadcast training many plantations ran to 

 vines completely. The Colfax, introduced in 1867, was 

 a very notable plant-maker. In 1872 an Illinois grower 

 stated : 1 "To my friends who wish to get rid of the weeds 

 I recommend the Colfax. It will kill the weeds and 

 everything else and completely occupy the ground. It 

 is worse than white clover in this respect." It would 

 be interesting, though hardly profitable, to watch a race 

 between the Colfax and Wonder (of Shank), a recently 

 introduced variety which the introducer triumphantly 

 asserts will "drive out blue grass." 



Prominent horticulturists continued to protest against 

 broadcast training. "Unless these runners are kept in 

 check," declared Patrick Barry in 1854, "the ground 

 1 Kept. 111. Hort. Soc., 1872, p. 58. 



