THE NEW AGRICULTURE. 69 



plus water not being able to escape through the subsoil that it was 

 almost impossible to keep plants alive in it during winter. Even 

 the fence posts would be thrown out by the frost in a very short 

 time. A prominent contractor who was walking by my side at the 

 time, said that all that section of the country was underlaid by 

 this peculiar subsoil, which is a great drawback to plant growth. 

 I was also informed by this same gentleman that this part of 

 Allegany County was not favorable for strawberry growing, or 

 other fruit except apples, and that the supply of small fruits is re- 

 ceived largely from other sections. Mr. Cole has planted numer- 

 ous varieties of strawberries upon his side hill, among which I 

 recognized the Bidwell, Sharpless, and other familiar varieties. 

 The fruit was of an astonishing size and grew in great abundance. 

 "While I live in a strawberry country, and am myself a strawberry 

 grower, I cannot remember when I have seen so fine a display of 

 strawberries growing upon the vines as I saw here. There were, 

 however, evidences of high culture. A gentleman by my side 

 echoed my sentiments by remarking that we could increase the size 

 of fruits in our own gardens by such thorough cultivation as this. 

 I regretted that Mr. Cole did not have a plot of strawberries grow- 

 ing near by which did not receive any benefit from his method of 

 irrigation, for then we could have compared results. Adjoining 

 the strawberries were growing different kinds of garden crops, 

 also currants, raspberries, blackberries, potatoes and a few fruit 

 trees. At one point, where the ground was terraced, I noticed, 

 growing on the ragged edge a row of onions. I called attention 

 to the fact that while these onions were on the very brink, there 

 was no indication of their being disturbed by washing of the soil, 

 as might have been expected in such a position. In fact every- 

 thing showed that in no place had the rainfall run down the sur- 

 face as ordinarily, to the detriment of anything growing thereon 



