20 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, [1877. 



not the taste, time or patience to cultivate the far more preferable varie- 

 ties, and who expect a fair crop of fruit, with little or no care; or with 

 those who live a long distance from their market and must therefore 

 grow a kind that is firm in texture, and that will color up well, even when 

 picked quite green, the Wilson's Albany will probably fill these unprofit- 

 able and unpardonable conditions better than any other variety I know. 

 It originated twenty years ago, and by its great hardiness and productive- 

 ness has won its way in estimation among growers as a profitable market 

 berry, until it is probably safe to say that nine-tenths of all the straw- 

 berries now raised for market in this country are of this variety. 



To the question where shall we buy plants? I answer, only of persons 

 who are known to be perfectly reliable, and who will therefore sell plants 

 true to name. " By their fruits ye shall know them," applies in this case 

 not only to the plants but also to the seller. 



If possible select your plants from beds in your own neighborhood, 

 where you have seen the perfect fruit growing. If possible set them out 

 the same day they are taken up. Plants shipped by mail or express, 

 from one State to another, are not worth on the average one-fourth as 

 much as the same varieties procured near your home. 



Your ground having been smoothed off and prepared as previously di- 

 rected, you are now ready to mark off your rows with a garden line. The 

 plan I have followed for the past few years has been to plant in beds of 

 three rows each, the middle row being eighteen inches from each of the 

 others, and the plants set twelve inches apart in the row. Fruit can thus 

 be the more easily gathered. These beds should be three feet apart. The 

 beds should be prepared only a little in advance of the planting, in order 

 that the earth shall be fresh and moist in which the new plant is to be 

 set. If the soil is in the condition it should be you will need no trowel, 

 but should set your plants with your hands. If this is found too severe 

 for the fingers, holes may be made with a dibble made from the handle of 

 an old shovel. Suppose for instance you wish to plant out one acre in 

 strawberries. If set as before indicated it will require about 21,000 plants 

 to set an acre. To set these plants properly and economically will re- 

 quire two men and two boys, and if a dibble is used, a fifth man. The 

 first one will prepare the ground and place the lines; the second will pre- 

 pare the plants by cutting off with sharp shears the ends of the roots, 

 and if the tops are much grown, the larger leaves, and then dip the roots 

 in a liquid manure, made by putting a quart or more of well rotted ma- 

 nure into a pail of water. A boy then takes enough plants in a basket, 

 covering the plants with a wet 'cloth, and drops them only as fast as the 

 fourth man can properly set them out. They should be set well down 

 into the ground and the soil firmly pressed sibout the plant; the surface of 



