74 SUCCESS WITH SMALL FRUITS. 



cussing with equal vigor whatever subject might be upper- 

 most in his mind. I suppose he scarcely ever takes out a 

 stone or root without apostrophizing, adjuring, and berating 

 it in tones and vernacular so queer that one might imagine 

 he hoped to remove the refractory object by magic rather 

 than by muscle. When the sun is setting, however, and 

 Abraham has complacently advised himself, *' Better quit, 

 for de day 's done gone, and de ole woman is arter me, 

 afeard I Ve kivered myself up a-grubbin','' one thing is 

 always evident, — a great many stones and roots are '' un- 

 kivered," and Abraham has earned anew his right to the 

 title of champion grubber. 



But, as most men handle the pick and shovel, the fmit 

 grower must be chary in his attempts to subdue the earth 

 with these old-time implements. It is too much like mak- 

 ing war with the ancient Roman short sword in an age of 

 rifled gims. I agree with that practical horticulturist, Peter 

 Henderson, that there are no implements equal to the plow 

 and subsoiler, and, in our broad and half-occupied country, 

 we should be rather shy of land where these cannot be 

 used. 



The cultivator whose deep, moist loam is covered by sod 

 only, instead of rocks, brush, and trees, may feel like con- 

 gratulating himself on the easy task before him ; and, in- 

 deed, where the sod is light, strawberries, and especially the 

 larger small fruits, are often planted on it at once with fair 

 success. I do not recommend the practice ; for, unless the 

 subsequent culture is very thorough and frequent, the grass 

 roots will continue to grow and may become so intertwined 

 with those of the strawberry that they cannot be separated. 

 Com is probably the best hoed crop to precede the straw- 

 berry. Potatoes too closely resemble this fruit in their de- 

 mand for potash, and exhaust the soil of one of the most 



