82 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



to the purpose. lu selecting and preparing an acre for strawberries, 

 it is impossible to give any definite rule that will apply in all cases, 

 for so much depends on the condition of the soil and the quality of 

 the fertilizer, that a man will have to use some judgment of his own 

 as in everything else. But a moist soil is preferable, and there is 

 no danger of getting it too rich. The acre I selected was our com- 

 mon gravelly, rocky upland in grass and all worn out, naturally 

 very wet, so that it had to be thoroughly underdrained. It was 

 then broken up one foot deep, the rocks carted off, a light coat of 

 dressing spread on, and planted to potatoes the first season. As 

 soon as the potatoes were dug I cross plowed it one foot deep, carted 

 off the rocks and harrowed it over three or four times. Then on 

 one-half of this acre I spread a heavy coat of barnyard dressing, 

 and plowed it in eight inches deep the same fall just before the 

 ground froze. The next spring I harrowed it over three times, 

 plowed it again, then spread on another heavy coat of fine, well 

 decomposed barnyard dressing, and harrowed it over five or six 

 times, till it was as smooth as the harrow could make it and the 

 dressing was thoroughly incorporated with the soil. I then spread 

 on forty bushels of wood ashes, raked the surface all over with the 

 garden rake and wheeled off all the small rocks and other debris. 

 I also spread a light coat of dressing on the other half of the acre 

 :and planted it to beans. It is no small job to prepare an acre of 

 our rock}'' soil suitable for planting strawberries, and one reason 

 that so many fail is because they don't half do it. I have found 

 that four things are essential to success — pluck, gumption, lots of 

 dressing and a love for the business. And if a man is greatly 

 deficient in either he will not succeed. There is no branch of 

 agriculture that has so many obstacles to overcome or requires 

 better judgment than small fruits, and none that give so good 

 results when properly managed. 



"We have now our ground all raked oft" ready to set the plants, 

 and how shall we set them ? That depends on the varieties we 

 intend to set. If you are going to set the old Wilson, and run 

 them two years, I would have the rows three and one-half feet apart 

 and the plants one foot apart in the rows. But if you prefer to set 

 the Crescent Seedling, which I certainly should, and only run them 

 one year, I should have the rows four feet apart and the plants 

 one foot apart in the rows. As soon as you have decided what 

 variety you will plant, drive your stakes accordingly and put on the 



