106 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



The excellent effect of fresh wholesome summer fruit is admitted 

 by all ; it is not merely' a luxur}', but a factor in the health problem 

 not to be ignored ; the strawberry has also become a commodit}' in 

 the markets which cannot be omitted ; pecuniarily it reaches up 

 amouor the millions ; by it the death rate is largely reduced and 

 society made happier and better. 



Therefore we need make no apology for consuming a half hour in 

 this meeting in the discussion of this subject. 



The question arises, who shall raise small fruits? We answer, 

 all who have a rod of land at all adapted to the purpose, not of 

 course all for market, but a good supply for home use of all the 

 small fruits that are adapted to this soil and climate. I like to see in 

 every young man a laudable ambition to have a home and family of 

 his own with beauties, comforts and luxuries of his own production, 

 and not the least of these are the choice and abundant supplies of 

 small fruits that grace his table fr jm June to September. 



The prominent small fruits are the strawberry, cherry, raspberry, 

 currant, gooseberry, blackberry and grape ; these are all adapted to 

 a wide range and in multitudinous variety. As this is a wide range I 

 shall at this time confine m3'self chiefly to the strawberrj', raspberr}^ 

 and blackberry, holding myself ready to answer any questions so 

 far as I am able in regard to the others as they may arise in subse- 

 quent discussion. 



As the strawberry stands first in the succession and perhaps first in 

 importance it claims our first attention, I well remember a remark 

 of a grand old farmer who made the corn crop a specialty, which 

 was this ''when I have my land nicely plowed, manure spread and 

 harrowed in and the land checked off both ways for planting, I con- 

 sider the crop half raised." I had almost said it about the straw- 

 berry, but on reflection can not, for it would not be true. Still the 

 work of preparation is a large part and a most important part of 

 strawberry culture. 



The land which has given us the best results is a deep strong loam 

 overlying an impervious hard-pan for sub-soil ; and our mode of 

 operation is this, first removing all stones and stumps from surface on 

 land yielding about fifteen hundred pounds of hay to an acre, this ma- 

 nured, plowed and planted to corn giving an average crop ; second 

 year, potatoes do. Now all surface stones are again removed, land 

 under-drained the ground covered with twent3-five cords per acre of 

 composted or fermented grain-fed horse manure ; it is now plowed 



