o success. Such an experience well may inspire the doubting 

 to larger confidence, and all who seeic a home and independence 

 to renewed hope and energetic action. 



Of his strawberry patch of four thousand plants Mr. Van 

 Doren writes: "I set out this patch of plants last spring (1906) 

 and worked all my spare time, assisted by the old gentleman 

 you see in the photograph. I have followed your instructions to 

 the letter; have kept all runners off and my plants never have 

 been permitted to associate with a weed. Really, I don't know 

 what a weed looks like. Such constant cultivation and hoeing 

 has resulted in producing a patch the like of which people here 

 say they never have seen. The picture I send you was taken 

 June 15. Now (September 25) my plants are nearly twice the 

 size they then were and show up finely. Everybody here is 

 fairly wild over this patch, and I guess I will have all my neigh- 

 bors growing strawberries before long. Some of them declare I 

 will get as many as five thousand boxes next season; but that's 

 a pretty strong estimate. Don't you think so.' I shall mulch 

 my plants with clean«wheat straw this fall. I gave the soil a good coating of manure last fall, and another in the spring before 

 setting the plants. I am cultivating them twice a week by hand. I am looking forward to next June when berries ripen. 

 People tell me I am foolish to keep up my patch as I do, but I tell them to wait and see ! Have had very little trouble; none at 

 all save with white grubs, which killed about one hundred and fifty plants. Never lost one in any other way; in planting not one 

 died. And let me say I would not be without The Strawberry. We await its coming each month, confident of finding some- 

 thing new and helpful in each issue." 



Mr. Van Doren decided at the outset to combine poultry raising with strawberry growing, and his experience thus far has more 

 than justified his decision in that regard. He says: "My first year in the chicken business ended September 3, and is entirely 

 satisfactory. That branch of my work has netted me, after deducting all expenses and lots of hard luck in learning how to do it, 

 $329.17. And in addition to the cash I had on hand 597 young pullets and sixty one-year-old fancy Dustin strain white Wyan- 

 dottes and Model strain single-comb brown Leghorns. I sell eggs for hatching, guaranteeing 75-per-cent hatches, and have lots 

 of orders — after people find out just what I have. Next year I hope to do better, as I am learning by experience, as one may do. 



Mr. Van Doren's plan of growing truck is one worthy of consideration. He has one acre devoted to this line in which, he 

 says, "I grow everything from parsley to egg-plant; in fact, about every vegetable there is. 



Could one devise a more satisfying and promising business than this young man has made for himself.'' We do not wish Co be 



