Old and New Hones. 335 



done, there was still another call upon him. A field of blackberries was 

 to be cleared of the last year's canes. But, if all this labor was to be done, 

 it carried with it the evidence that the farm was abundantly stocked with 

 productive fruit, the harvest-time for which would soon come round. 



The owner from whom he had purchased, while setting forth the value 

 of these established fruits, had frankly warned him that they all required 

 labor, attention, and care, without which no profitable results could be ex- 

 pected. I remember hearing him say, that though the soil of New Jersey 

 was probably the best in the world for horticultural pursuits, yet we must 

 not suppose the whole work done when the plant or tree had been set out : 

 on the contrary, there was manure to be applied here to fruit, just as every- 

 where else to grain ; then labor, watchfulness, and skill ; and that these, 

 under Providence, were the conditions of success. It was to secure such 

 a farm as this, so well supplied with fruit, that my father had consented to 

 take the shabby house to which he had brought us. 



Both the raspberries and blackberries, following the universal practice 

 here, had been cut down to about four feet from the ground. This gave 

 such strength to the canes, that they required no staking. Neither had 

 any plant or vine been laid down, and covered from the winter, so different 

 is the climate here from that of Connecticut ; yet every one came out un- 

 touched by frost. My brother then ran between the rows with the plough 

 and cultivator ; and, when he had finished his job, I began myself to feel a 

 slight touch of horticultural fervor, so perfectly clean and beautiful did that 

 raspberry-field look to the eye. 



" Now, sister," said he to me (for I was standing by when he had finished), 

 " if we could only bargain that the weeds wouldn't grow, what an easy 

 summer we should have ! " 



But I could not say much in reply ; for I knew very little about the weeds, 

 or how to grow or not to grow them. 



I am sure it must be a great labor to take care of ten acres of strawber- 

 ries, even for those who thoroughly understand the business. But here 

 was my father, who had never raised any, with a great undertaking on his 

 hands, and with very little knowledge of his duties. He therefore called on 

 two or three of the neighbors to know what he had better do. The answer 

 was, to do nothing until after the crop had been gathered, as that was the 



