11 



the (lay laborers in our cities and villages. Twenty 

 years ago a half acre of strawberries would glut any 

 market in the County, and this delicious fruit was entire- 

 ly unknown in the smaller village markets. Now there 

 is scarcely a family which does not consume more or lessy 

 and their production is becoming a leading branch of 

 horticulture. And so of other things. Supply the mar- 

 ket with a really good fruit or vegetable, and the public 

 will learn to use it. 



Another important consideration affecting the choice 

 of a crop is the size of the farm and facilities for obtain- 

 ing labor for extra purposes. Most of us are so situated 

 that we cannot readily increase our labor force very much 

 in any emergency; hence we find it most judicious to 

 employ a certain uniform number of men for the season. 

 It becomes of importance then, that the general plan of 

 management for the year should be so adapted to the 

 force employed that there may always be enough to do, 

 and yet that nothing may suffer. Unless the labor force 

 can be increased at pleasure, economy of management 

 requires that such crops should be planted, and at such 

 times, that their management w^ill not interfere one wnth 

 the other. Here arises the greatest difficulty in raising 

 strawberries and other small fruits, as well as early vege- 

 tables, on farms which produce large quantities of hay. 

 The small fruits must be marketed in their season, and 

 this is mainh'' at a time when hoeing and haying both 

 need attention. 



One of the chief difficulties in raising roots largely I 

 have found to be the fact that they generally need hoeing; 

 and weeding during the early part of July, when they 

 are pretty sure to be neglected, and if neglected " too 

 long, ruined. 



