14 



appear, has been my rule heretofore, but the best crop of berries I ever grew 

 were mulched in the fall aud taken off in the spring, when I cultivated as 

 before mentioned. I decided two years ago that I would never grow another 

 crop of berries without fall mulching, because the plants invariably freeze 

 with the frost to a greater or less extent and damage the plants accordingly. 

 However, I never carried the resolution out and am sorry for it, because if I 

 had done so I am satisfied I would have had a bumper crop this year, instead 

 of nearly a failure from freezing of the plants last winter.* There is not much 

 choice of material ; straw is about the only material available, but the straw 

 we get here carries a great many weed seeds, especially thistles. If I was to 

 grow niy own straw it would be rye. I shall leave straw on my two acres all 

 next winter. I never had any success with pistillate varieties. Have tried 

 several. Seem better adapted to dry climate. They give lots of bloom, but 

 wet or damp weather seems to prevent pollination of the blossoms and they 

 drop off. I should never burn off the straw on a patch of berries as advised 

 by some. Might possibly do on bottom or wet land, but it does harm on high, 

 dry land to the plants ; and I do not believe in burning anything I can put in 

 the ground in the shape of humus. It is my belief that good berry land has 

 been run out in this district by this method of mowing and burning the tops 

 and straw, thereby robbing the soil of all the humus. Besides, the method 

 is of no value to eradicate the strawberry weevil, as proved by myself and 

 others that I have watched. By cultivation and rotation with potatoes I 

 have routed the weevil off my place. I think mention of the soil is necessary 

 to be of any information to others. Mine is high land, fairly good s<md 

 loam, with but little clay. I have been growing berries 12 years. 



Samuel Smith, Armstrong : I think the Magoon is the best for shipping. 

 For other uses I am not posted. I think the spring is the best time to plant, 

 and I think the hill system is the best. I cultivate, with a one-horse culti- 

 vator. I would certainly recommend mulching ; short straw seems to me 

 the best material. 



L. Claude Hill, Burnaby: I find that location has a great deal to do 

 with success in strawberry culture. Varieties that have done well with 

 growers in Hammond and Haney have not been a success with us. It has 

 taken us years of experiment to find plants suitable to this location and soil. 

 For home use we like Sharpless and Jocunda ; for local market, Magoon and 

 Sharpless. We have not shipped many berries, but find that Magoon ships 

 fairly well. The hill system suits this location, as we cater to the local trade 

 and want large, fine-looking fruit. For cultivation we use Planet Junior 

 horse cultivator, both 5 and 13-tooth kinds; rows 3 feet apart and plants 15 

 inches in the rows. All runners and blossoms are cut off the young plants 

 the first season. Mulching is put down just before the fruit forms and is 

 only used to keep the berries clean. We do not use any winter mulch. We 

 find two tons of straw to the acre about right. After the crops are picked 

 the plants are all cut down and the straw fired, leaving the patch after the 

 burning without a green leaf and with very few weeds. The fire also destroys 

 leaf blight and injurious insects. Cultivation then commences again. We 

 use baled straw for mulching, which has to be put down by hand to ensure 



*1904. 



