222 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



irrigated and those which have not, can be seen almost as far as 

 the trees can be seen — the size and luxuriance being so much 

 in favor of the former. The best trees are where there is irri- 

 gation on the surface and drain pipes laid directly under them, 

 four feet below. 



Strawberries I plant between the rows of pear trees, in deep, 

 light beds three feet wide only. By this arrangement the soil 

 is never trodden down either in planting, weeding, trimming, 

 or picking the fruit, and they are much more easily kept free 

 from weeds. The beds are liberally supplied with strong 

 manure, placed in one deep furrow in the centre of the bed, at 

 least one foot below the surface. One row of plants is set 

 directly over the manure, the plants fifteen to eighteen inches 

 apart. They are set in the month of May. The hole for the 

 plant is made with a tool like a marlinspike, reaching down 

 well into the manure. The roots are let down and the hole is 

 carefully filled with fine earth without pressing, then soaked 

 with water, and dry earth placed over top to prevent baking. 

 The effect of placing the manure so deep, is to carry the roots 

 of the plants through the manure to the soil in a dry time, to 

 entirely cover the beds by autumn with most vigorous plants, 

 and to keep the seeds of weeds and grass so low that they will 

 do no harm. The fruit is mostly grown on the new plants, 

 which have derived their vigor from the manure chiefly tiiroiigh 

 the roots of the original plant, the runners from which are cut 

 off in the spring for the convenience of weeding, &c. 



Most of my strawberry-beds are watered liberally, by a con- 

 stant flow of water along the channels, which have been 

 described. The results are, that the berries are large and fair; 

 they do not ripen quite as early, but continue in bearing much 

 longer; the crop is certain, even in the dryest seasons, when 

 those on dry land under ordinary management are cut off — 

 sometimes before half the crop is matured. In fact, I deem 

 irrigation almost indispensable for the successful cultivation of 

 strawberries in dry seasons. We seldom find wild strawberries 

 on very dry land ; they are found most luxuriant on moist 

 land, which is an indication of the natural wants of the plant. 



Those members of the committee who had the opportunity of 

 going over Mr. Newell's grounds — and some of them repeated 



