1881. J TRANSACTIONS. 21 



enono;li to start the roots is past. I spend more time in setting 

 my plants than most people, set less to the acre, and hoe more, 

 and later in the season. Mean to hoe my beds all over, very 

 carefully, the last thing before the ground freezes up, and give 

 them a top dressing of some good staying manure. There is 

 nothing better than fine ground, steamed bone, and good wood 

 ashes, ten or twenty bushels of each to the acre, and twice that 

 will do no harm if evenly sowed. This makes nearly a perfect 

 fertilizer for almost any fruit, but should be sown and worked 

 into the land separately. If wood ashes are not available either 

 muriate or sulphate of potash may be used, should be fine 

 ground, and if the muriate, not put on to the leaves of the plant 

 when wet, or be placed directly in contact with tender roots. The 

 sulphate is more expensive, but in my opinion much better and is 

 entirely safe. Three hundred to five hundred pounds to the acre 

 will be sufiicient in most cases, but if potatoes, or strawberries, 

 or some other potash plant has been grown a long time on the 

 land, it may require to be doubled. 



No person ought to attempt the raising of small fruits, any 

 more than he would the erection of a building, until he has 

 learned the "trade;" and he will find it quite complicated. Then 

 he ought to learn how best to sell it, as that will have more to do 

 with his success, than the raising. 



I see by the expression on the faces of some of my conscien- 

 tious hearers, that I am not advocating quality as much as they 

 would ; but at present the voters buy most of the strawberries, 

 and they are not — as a rule — as good judges of small fruits, as 

 of beer and tobacco; besides, they are not going to eat them all 

 themselves, as they smoke and chew the tobacco, and drink the 

 beer. 



There are a few ladies and gentlemen, who visit our rooms 

 exhibition days to study the fruits and flowers that make our 

 tables and Halls but a little loioer than those protected by the 

 " Golden Gates ; " they buy understandingly, and are willing to 

 pay for good fruit, fresh picked, and carefully handled ; and 

 rather it would'nt be " Deaconed if you please ; " but the 

 average voter, who buys strawberries, or other small fruit, with 

 a cigar or quid of tobacco in his mouth ; or the exquisite taste of 

 foreign or home brewed liquor in his throat, cares only to have 

 them look well on top and cost hiTn but little. 



The picture over-drawn ? Not a bit of it ! I have seen many 

 a voter in this otherwise beautiful City, with one-half of an eight 

 or ten cent cigar between his fingers, smoking hot from his last 

 vile breath, banter minutes with a shopman, and finally carry off 

 a box of strawberries, or some other berries, that you or I, Mr. 

 4 



