98 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



limbs of large trees, it continues healthy many years. The 

 Blue Pearmain, though a fine-flavored apple, soon commences 

 to decay. 



Statement of Benj. F. Huntington of Amesbury. 



Strawberry Crop. — The crop of strawberries which I 

 present for premium, was raised the present year on ninety 

 rods of land which were the preceding year planted with 

 potatoes, and in the spring of 1875 were manured with five 

 cords of stable manure and fifty bushels of ashes, which 

 I estimate at one-half the cost, the other half remaining in 

 the soil for future crops. The plants were set in May, 1875, 

 in rows three feet apart and twenty inches apart in the rows, 

 making beds five and one-half feet wide and paths one and 

 one-half wide. The runners were allowed to grow and fill the 

 space between the rows. In the autumn, about the middle 

 of November, the whole piece was mulched with a light coat 

 of pine leaves, which was left on the following summer. On 

 top of the pine leaves was put a good coat of meadow hay, 

 which was removed about the middle of April. 



The manure was harrowed in with a Randall harrow 

 (which, by the way, is an excellent tool to have on a farm). 

 When I entered my crop (about the middle of June), the 

 plants were looking finely, but soon after, the rust injured 

 the vines very much, so that I cannot report over two-thirds 

 of an average crop. 



The following is the cost of cultivation : — 



Dr. 



Preparing ground, setting plants, weeding, etc., 33 days, . . $19 50 



Picking 2,700 boxes, at 2\ cents, 67 50 



Marketing, 15 00 



Manure and ashes, 25 00 



$157 00 

 Or. 



By 2,700 boxes of berries, at 15 cents, . . . . . .$405 00 



2,500 plants sold, 12 50 



$117 50 

 Balance in favor of crop, $260 50 



