70 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



There is an argument which may be in favor of sod culture 

 that these gentlemen have not advanced. I believe that there 

 is a certain amount of truth on that side of the question. 



The President: If there is anything more that you care to 

 ask Mr. Hitchings about his methods, I will ask him to stand 

 right up here in front and tell you all he can ; if not, we will 

 go on with the regular program. I think we are now ready 

 to hear from Mr. .\. G. Sharp of Richmond, ]\Iass., on special 

 question No. i, "What are the essential points in profitable small 

 fruit culture?" Mr. Sharp is as able to tell you about small 

 fruits as Mr. Hitchings is to talk about apples. As it is, I 

 think we had better go on and I will introduce to you Mr. 

 Sharp. 



Mr. a. G. Sharp: Mr. President and Felloiv Members of 

 the Connecticut Pomological Society: Your question asking for 

 "The essential points in profitable small fruit culture" I will 

 try to answer under five heads. 



First — A good stock of plants of a few choice varieties. It 

 is almost as impossible to obtain good results from weak or 

 diseased plants as it is from poor seed to get a good harvest. 

 Having a few good varieties, your goods soon become known, 

 and you have less occasion to mix varieties in the same ship- 

 ment. Keep testing in a small way (by the dozen or hundred) 

 the new varieties. Fruit must be bright and smooth and of 

 good average size of its kind. The quality must be good, if 

 not the highest, and you must learn w'hat does best on your 

 soil under field culture by the side of older and well 'tried 

 varieties. My specialty is the Cuthbert raspberry. I have 

 grown many new kinds by the side of that variety for the past 

 twenty-two years, but I have found none as good for me and 

 my trade. Some other kinds may be better for another locality, 

 as the Cuthbert will not do well everywhere. 



Second — Well prepared soil and thorough and continued 

 cultivation. It should not be too deep. This is of as much 

 importance as an abiuidance of fertilizer without it. Though 

 we want a sufficiency of well-balanced fertilizer, it is better to 

 cut it short than the cultivation. Give your plants plenty of 

 room. We are apt to crowd them by this intense system 

 of culture, which does not pay in all respects, and we have got 

 to see to it that the plants have the proper amount of room. 



