Proceedings of the Farmer^ Club. 145 



we find such hardy, well-grounded and thrifty settlements as are 

 those located in the timber country. 



IMr. Solon Robinson. — I have considerable experience in prairie 

 life. Forty years ago I went into the back woods of Indiana with 

 an axe on my shoulder. Soon after I had settled in the woods, a 

 young man came to me to earn eight dollars. He said he wanted 

 to get married, and wished the money to set up housekeeping. 

 Now he is a comfortable farmer. Later, I went to the prairies, and 

 on this place an Irishman came to me and said he had pawned 

 Jiis luggage for something to eat. I employed him, and in a few 

 years he was an independent farmer. 



Mr. Nichols. — A gentleman went to HanMnontou, N. J., in 1860, 

 and got privilege to work ten acres. He is now worth $10,000, and 

 made it on the ten acres. His crops were small fruits. He is a 

 hard worker, and has raised a family to industry. Hammonton is 

 100 miles from New York, and 30 from Philadelphia. In the 

 State of New Jersey there are thousands of acres available as these 

 for such experiments and results. 



FRUIT CULTURE. 



Mr. "Wm. S. Carpenter. — Fruit growers are apt to depend mostly 

 on the strawberry, which rapidly exhausts the soil. Other fruits 

 should receive their attention. The cmTant and cherry are fast 

 coming into use, and arc most excellent table fruits. They do not 

 exhaust the soil as does the strawberry, are cheaper, and are more 

 easily cultivated. 



The Chairman. — Do you believe that the quality of the soil can- 

 not be kept up by the application of ashes, &c.? 



Mr. Wm. S. Carpenter. — No, I don't think it can. 



Mr. Horace Greeley. — Dr. Hexamer went up into Westchester 

 and began the cultivation of strawberries. He first took ofi" the 

 stone and prepared the soils, then fertilized and raised a crop of 

 potatoes. He then planted strawberries. The fii'st year he obtained 

 a medium crop, the second year a full crop, and the third a medium, 

 and in the four years he realized $400 per acre. He then turned 

 dowii the soil and began anew, thus always renewing his straw- 

 berries after the third crop. 



Mr. S. B. Nichols. — Strawberries would do well six years in New 

 Jersey. Blackberries seem to be severer on the soil. 



Mr. S. Moulton. — In the soil are certain mineral and vegetable 

 properties upon which plants feed. When these shall be exhausted 



[Inst.] 10 



