78 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



said there was a gentleman down stairs who wanted to see 

 me. I said I couldn't go just then, but would go down as 

 soon as possible. I went down, met the gentleman, whom 

 I didn't recognize, and I hadn't been in his presence two 

 minutes before he began to question me concerning raspljer- 

 ries. Then I looked at him, and said, "Didn't you attend 

 the farmer's institute at so and so?" " Yes," he said, "I 

 guess I did, because I saw you there ; I came in to ask you if 

 you didn't want to go up and look at my raspberry patch.'' 

 I said I should be delighted, and we started. I was telling 

 what I had been doing that afternoon, and he was trying to 

 give me a description of his place, and from his descrip- 

 tion I suspected it was the place I had passed. He said, 

 "You must have seen our church." I said, "Yes." "Well," 

 he said, "that is a new church ; the old one was struck by 

 lightning two years ago, and that is a nice new church." 

 I said I had no doubt it was a modern building. It might 

 have been a modern cow stable, as well as anything else, 

 but I didn't hurt his feelings any more than I could help in 

 talking about the church. He remained silent a moment or 

 two and then he let fall a very shrewd thing. He said, "I 

 would like to hear a man preach that loved to preach as well 

 as I love to raise raspberries." I said, "I guess you are 

 right; no doubt he would be worth hearing." Then we 

 reached the raspberry patch, and it was absolutely the most 

 beautiful sight, horticulturally speaking, that I have ever 

 seen. Not a particle of winter-killing, every cane in its 

 place, and the whole covered a foot deep in leaves ; not a 

 weed in sight. And I knew, without his telling me, that he 

 must raise magnificent fruit. He was making a splendid 

 success away up there on that variety, ordinarily considered 

 delicate, because he loved it. 



A number of years ago Professor Maynard of Amherst 

 made arrangements to buy all the waste straw braids and 

 mattings that came from the shops. He covered the rasp- 

 berry patch about a foot deep with these, and they kept out 

 the weeds and grass absolutely for a number of years. I 

 never have seen better raspberries grown, — because I didn't 

 see my New Hampshire friend's patch in fruit. 



