28 The Connecticut Pomological Society 



practiced to more advantage in blackberries, raspberries and 

 currants, but there are those who say, ' Never cultivate rasp- 

 berries in a dry time.' 



"Strawberries will grow upon almost any soil, but a good, 

 deep, sandy loam is most desirable. I think you will get the 

 largest specimens on quite heavy soil, but not the largest 

 profit, taking everything into consideration one year with 

 another. New land, as soon as well broken, is desirable for 

 berries, as they will invariably do well, and also there is the 

 big advantage to be gained, especially when you intend to take 

 several pickings from them, of being able to keep them clean 

 with much less expense. Ground that has been plowed and 

 cropped is preferable to sod ground. A few years ago, before 

 we had such fine facilities for refrigeration and rapid transit, so 

 that the berries from all parts of the South could be put into 

 our markets in such fine condition, the person growing the 

 earliest berries could generally make more than those growing 

 later ones, and for that purpose one needed a warm and light 

 soil. You would perhaps get smaller berries, but the price 

 more than made up the difference. Now, however, we gain 

 much less advantage, as the berries from the South begin to 

 arrive so early in the season, and so continuing from points 

 a little further north that the market is kept full up to, and 

 at the time of our ripening season, and from the fact of their 

 having been in the market for so long a time the people do 

 not as eagerly grasp for the home-grown article unless we make 

 the price nearly as low as that of the fruit shipped in. 



"There are differences in opinion as to how long a straw- 

 berry bed shall be run. 1 presume the largest number of 

 growers practice taking two pickings, but many advocate only 

 one, while some say three or four. 1 have known some to say 

 as high as nine. I think existing circumstances in each in- 

 dividual case the best guide to decide this matter for the grower. 

 If he finds his bed infested with any of the varieties of weeds 

 which are hard to conquer, he had better plow it under 

 rather than to continue to try and run it, but if it is upon 

 ground that he has little trouble in keeping clean, and if the 

 vines look thrifty, it will do to run it as long as he can see a 

 good outlook for its doing well. One of the most profitable 



