108 STATE POMOLUGICAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. Field of Lewiston. Which is the best soil for strawberries, 

 sandy or clayey ? and how many plants do you set to the acre ? 



Mr. A. S. Sawyer. I should want a moist, sandy loam, land 

 that would naturally grow two tons of hay to the acre. We put 

 the rows 3| feet apart, so that we can cultivate between them, 

 and set the plants 15 inches apart in the rows. I do not hill them. 

 I set out my plants in the spring-. The next spring the vines cover 

 the ground, and I take up such plants as I want for setting. After 

 picking the fruit I plow the vines under. I never pick a bed but 

 one 3'ear. 



Mr. S.MiTn. I think that is the best way. If I can pick twenty- 

 seven bushels oflfof an eighth of an acre, I can afford to plow the 

 vines under. 



Mr. A. S. Sawyer. As soon as I turn the vines under I put in 

 a crop of spinach. In that way we don't lose a crop. 



Mr. Varxey, Do your strawberries occupy the ground the first 

 year ? 



Answer. Yes. 



Mr. Varxey. And you keep them in the ground one winter ? 



Mr. A. S. Sawyer. Ye§ ; we get our spring spinach off the 

 land in May, and then set our strawberries. 



Mr. Field. What is wet, sandy land ? Is it swamp land or 

 highland? My land is dry, sandy land. People tell me that I 

 have a good location for strawberries, and I have an idea of going 

 into it. My land, though somewhat dry, stands both wet and 

 drought well. 



Mr. A. S. Sawyer. This is what I would do. I would put up 

 a wind-mill and pump water and irrigate the land. I put up one 

 last year at an expense of about $150.00, and it paid for itself in 

 one week. 



Mr. McLaughlix. How much land do you cultivate ? 



Mr. Sawyer. Not more tlian one acre. 



Question. The water-works irrigate that ? 



Mr. Sawyer. Yes, I have a hydraulic ram, and this wind-mill 

 was put up as an extra. I use the water mostly for my glass 

 works, and when I have water to spare from that, and my straw- 

 berries need it, I run it on them. Take it in a good fair day, the 

 wind-mill will pump 10,000 gallons in 24 hours. It works very 

 finely. The water comes from a reservoir which I sunk by the 

 Bide of a brook. The tower cost about $25.00 ; the mill with a 

 first-class force pump, $125.00. The piping is extra. I have 



