Tenth Annual Meeting 29 



beds I ever grew I kept a portion of six years. For real 

 profit I think it should have been plowed under the year 

 before, but for pleasure in the experiment I continued a part 

 the last year. I have often kept a bed an extra season, tak- 

 ing ofi simply what I could get because I did not want the 

 ground to use early and did want it later in the season. 

 Being engaged in the market -gardening business, in this 

 respect, of course, I would be differently situated from many. 

 One advantage in only taking one crop is lessening the chance 

 of loss from insect pests. I had the root -worm a few years ago, 

 but plowed the infested fields under, and got rid of it entirely. 



"There are different methods of growing, the most common 

 and generally accepted plan being the narrow matted row. 

 This plan affords the easiest method in taking care of them, 

 especially those from which you calculate to take two or three 

 pickings, and it also commends itself in picking, as careless 

 pickers will not be as liable to step upon the berries as in the 

 wide row, where the picker has to reach much further. 



"As to varieties, there are so many good ones that it would 

 not be an easy task to advise except in a general way. If one 

 is going to ship his product to some distant market he needs to 

 select a fairly firm berry, while for a near-by market one need 

 not select especially for firmness. While quality is an essential, 

 still the wholesale grower need not be so particular as the one 

 who grows to sell directly to the consumer, or even some very 

 particular marketman. If he wants berries from early to late, 

 of course the grower must plant those varieties that will give 

 him such a succession. A grower should certainly select a kind 

 that will do well upon his own soil. This can best be ascer- 

 tained by trial and experiment. There are some varieties that 

 will do well upon almost any soil, while others need a very 

 heavy and moist soil, or one just adapted to them, notably the 

 Parker Earle. I have seen few good crops in this section. 

 We read of some phenomenal crops produced by this variety, 

 while the old 'Crescent,' or one of its type, would produce a 

 fair crop anywhere. We find the imperfect berry is generally 

 the most productive. Many dislike to be compelled to plant 

 different kinds, and do not always know what kinds to use to 

 fertilize with, and it is somewhat bothersome in picking to keep 



