FIELD MEETINGS, 1914 



STEAWBERRY MEETING AT MARSHFIELD 

 June 17, 1914. 



A fine day saw members from as far west as Worcester 

 County and as far north as Essex County assembled in Ply- 

 mouth County for our first field meeting. The farm of Mr. 

 Herbert E. Gardner at North Marshfield was headquarters 

 and every one had a delightful as well as instructive time. 

 Mr. Gardner conducted the party over his grounds near the 

 house where potatoes were, where they wefe preparing the 

 ground for next year's beds and where in one field of two 

 acres were some 14000 Marshall plants, set this Spring. 

 Fruiting beds of fancy berries were also in evidence with 

 Marshall as the leading variety. Mr. Gardner explained 

 that he sprays these just before blossoming as one may lose 

 the whole crop from fungus a week before picking. Arse- 

 nate is added for the insects also. 



The two-acre field was perhaps heavier soil than is used 

 by some and he said it took twice as long to hoe those beds as 

 it did the same areas down on the flat below where most of 

 the plant raising was conducted and the soil was lighter and 

 more pliable. Mr. Gardner only a week before closed his 

 shipping season for plants and estimated that in round num- 

 bers he has sold 700000, having filled an order for 100000. 

 Some thirty varieties are grown. He is ideally situated as 

 regards labor, for Portugese from the Azores are available in 

 large numbers on short notice and are very orderly and 

 honest, conditions which are the opposite from those in most 

 sections of the state. 



The packing house and beds of Mr. Charles T. Ewell 

 were also visited and splendid fruit was everywhere in evi- 



