As au Employment for Women. 273 



They are no longer sweetmeats, but food. As they increase, the demand 

 increases in a larger ratio. Do they grow cheaper, everybody buys them; 

 and, whether they cheapen or not, a conviction of their value as a prophy- 

 lactic continually increases their sale. Careful parents would rather pay 

 the fruit-grower than the physician. 



Along the various railways of our country, lands in small quantities, 

 suitably enclosed and with sufficient buildings, may be purchased, in con- 

 venient proximity to stations, at from fifty to three hundred dollars per 

 acre. The land may be double-ploughed, by one plough following in the 

 furrow of another, to the depth of ten or twelve inches (eighteen would 

 be better), and harrowed smooth and fine, at an expense of not over five 

 dollars per acre. This done as early in the spring as may be, the remain- 

 ing labor can readily be performed by women. The tools used should be 

 selected with an eye to lightness, strength, and good temper (in tool and 

 worker). Good yearling plants should be used in setting the plats. The 

 following number of plants is needed to plant an acre each of the several 

 sorts at the distances given, and will cost about the sums stated : — 



10,000 Wilson's Albany Strawberry, i by 4 

 1,700 Doolittle's Raspberry, 5 by 5 . 

 1,700 Lawton Blackberry, 5 by 5 

 1,700 Red Dutch Currant, 5 by 5 

 1,700 Houghton Gooseberry, 5 by 5 . 



$30.00 

 34.00 

 34.00 

 34.00 

 68.00 



From this the cost of a plantation of larger or smaller dimensions may 

 be approximately determined. 



A line stretched across the plat, at the width assigned for rows, either 

 upon the level ground, or, better, in a shallow furrow, marks the place of 

 the row ; and white or red threads tied upon this line at the proper intervals 

 mark the places of plants in the row. By this help, the labor of the shallow 

 planting may be rapidly performed with the single help of the trowel or hoe. 



This planting is generally best done in the spring. Culture should be 

 commenced before weeds have time to start, and kept up until midsummer. 

 The hoe and the light hand-cultivators can do this ; though the horse-culti- 

 vator is more rapid, and requires less manual labor. 



The strawberry-plants, as they make their runners, should be directed to 

 first filling the rows and any vacancies in them, and then to filling a space 



