98 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. Augur's mode of growing plants for fruit is correct for him, 

 but few large growers would cultivate them in that form. The 

 Sharpless or Belmont would give enough work to keep off their 

 numerous ruuuers. The Belmont is quite productive of fruit even 

 when grown pretty thick. The only objection to the Jewell is that 

 it does not produce runners freely ; but it is the most prolific in 

 fruit, and it is best grown in beds. We have thought the growers 

 at Belmont, manured pretty freely when using twenty-five cords to 

 the acre for three crops, but the speaker took a long breath 

 when the lecturer told of using forty cords to the acre. He spoke 

 of an Arlington market-gardener having 24,000 feet of land, on 

 Avhich he set strawberr}" plants in rows five feet apart and eighteen 

 inches apart in the row*. Egyptian beets were then set fourteen 

 inches apart as an extra crop and the gardener claimed that he got 

 as many strawberries as if no beets had been growing there. The 

 next year his crop of strawberries brought $800, and he also 

 received 886 in prizes. The speaker thought the matted row 

 sj'stem of planting strawberries the best. 



Mr. "Warren inquired if the plants wintered as well in hills, or 

 in beds where the runners have been cut off, as they did in matted 

 rows. His own opinion was that the plants in the first two cases 

 were more likely to be thrown out of the ground by frost, but in 

 the matted beds they were not so much exposed. 



Mr. Augur answered that he likes to cover the plants pretty 

 well during the winter, and uses from two to three tons of coarse 

 hay per acre for that purpose. The plants do not suffer at all 

 when thus protected, while plants exposed are more or less 

 injured by alternate freezing and thawing. He stated further that 

 he accepted Mr, Wood's idea of matted rows, provided they are 

 not allowed to become too much matted. With any variety he 

 would set the plants three feet apart, which would allow sufficient 

 room for all needed new plants. This seems to call for a great 

 deal of work, in preparing the ground, but that is done rapidly. 



O. B. Hadwen said that he had been very much interested in all 

 he had heard at this meeting. Mr. Augur has shown us how he 

 cultivates strawberries, and what the best culture produces. Mr. 

 Wood has told us of the liberal use of manure, from twenty-five 

 to forty cords per acre, and that the latter figure seems an extraor- 

 dinary amount. He could tell of an experience far exceeding 

 that. A gentleman in Connecticut, who is alile to do as he 



