1897.] ESSAYS. 51 



honor to any man in Boston to handle those goods." Another grower, 

 seven miles out of Boston, having to drive four miles over the pave- 

 ments, a Mr. Worth of Melrose, fitted a spring bed in bottom of his 

 wagon, delivered his strawberries to another dealer, fresh daily, 

 boxes full, and received eighteen cents per quart for his entire crop, 

 a few thousand quarts. Many berries leaving field in good condition 

 are nearly ruined in transportation, by being thrown into car door at 

 an angle of forty-five degrees, and get a drop of a foot or less, every 

 time the crate is moved. Always cool fruit well before shipping, 

 keep soft berries at home to sell nearby, or make them into jam, or 

 syrups for the soda fountains, or fruit vinegars. 



Blackberries will thrive on light soil, and with much less fertilizer 

 than the raspberries require. And yet to do their best they require 

 just as good cultivation, and more moisture to carry out the crop. 

 Some seasons they have been the most profitable for me of any small 

 fruit ; while at other times they have come into competition with 

 southern peaches and the wild berries from the mountains, cutting 

 the price. We cannot compete with New Jersey to get good prices 

 early ; but many Jersey growers lost money the past season. One of 

 them told me that he sold from a half acre just 1200 quarts nice 

 Wilson, receiving from dealer after freight and commission was paid 

 S18.60, which was only sixty cents more than the cost of picking them. 

 Some growers there, having forty and fifty acres each, several car- 

 loads are shipped dail}'^ from some railroad stations ; same grower 

 received only five cents a quart for raspberries. He gave up the 

 business, and has hired as foreman for a corn grower. I set them in 

 the fall, or soon as frost is out in the spring, and give them same 

 room as strong-growing raspberries, at least six by five feet and cul- 

 tivate both ways, tie canes to stakes in fall, after cutting out the old 

 wood that bore fruit. I do all work possible in fall, when there is 

 more time to do it. Allow five or six canes in the hill ; when tied 

 close about a stake the fruit is all on outside of the hills, and no 

 reaching in among the thorns for it, nor scratching your hide off when 

 cultivating. I have tested Kittatinny, Snyder, Erie, Stone's Hardy, 

 Wachusett, Agawam, etc., and have torn out all but the Agawam. 

 It is as hardy as any, good size, jet black and excellent fiavor, pro- 

 ductive, and a good shipper ; and with me has sold for three cents 

 per quart more than any other variety I have found. And while 

 customers would tire of other varieties in a couple of weeks, they 

 call for Agawam as long as I can supply them. I have tried mulch- 

 ing, and think it pays to practice it, though thorough surface cultiva- 



