A B C OF STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 85 



and can not rob them to enrich a pet half-acre for fruit. Take 

 it all around, I had better put in a little more ground to berries 

 than to fertilize any higher, as I am situated. My friend Smith 

 is a market-gardener, and some truck crop will follow his ber- 

 ries (never any grain), and he can not get his land too rich. 

 But many friends can to advantage profit by the advice sent 

 me, and mulch with manure. There is little land rich enough 

 to grow wheat as large as can possibly stand up. 



Along with this question of mulching comes another one 

 that of irrigation. I have talked with several large growers, 

 some of whom have tried it, about watering strawberries in a 

 dry time, and they all said they did not thiak it practicable. 

 But in Popular Gardening for June, 1888, that well-known au- 

 thority, P. T. Quinn, says it is practicable, and gives his expe- 

 rience with watering in 1887. As he reports, he made 10 acres 

 yield 85 bushels per acre, in spite of an unusually severe drouth. 

 He says there is no doubt in his mind but that those who desire 

 to realize the largest results from strawberry growing will have 

 to resort to irrigation. Now, how much water did he put on ? 

 As I figure it, 64 tons to the acre, twice each week, or 128 tons 

 per week. Or, as a ton would be a fair load for soft ground, 

 say 128 loads of water per acre each week. Do you realize 

 how much labor that means, even where the water is right han- 

 dy by, and at the surface of the ground ? It was put on with a 

 sprinkling-cart, which saved all labor in unloading ; but there 

 is a good deal of work connected with loading 128 tons of wa- 

 ter, under ordinary circumstances. To the great mass of grow- 

 ers this way is simply impossible, because they could not get 

 the water. I have well-water within 16 feet of the surface. 

 With a windmill and large tank I might irrigate a quarter of 

 an acre ; but I do not think Mr. Quinn would advise me to go 

 to this expense for this purpose alone. If we had a large wind- 

 mill to raise water for stock, or for use in case of fire, we might 

 use the surplus for irrigation to advantage. 



But no AT let us look and see how our friend Smith got a 



