No. 149.] 121 



It is a remarkable fact, which he noticed each year, that in 

 going over the field in the process of pulling, there would occa- 

 sionally be a hill missed and the top left standing. It was 

 uniformly found, when the time of digging came, that where the 

 tops were thus left there were no potatoes found. 



A. C. 



STRAWBERRIES AND OTHER SMALL FRUITS. 



Mr. JohnH. Brinckerhoff presented at the rooms of the Institute 

 in June last, a basket of strawberries containing about two quarts, 

 which were raised by him at Hackensack, N. Jersey. They were 

 of the variety called Scotch Runners, measuring on the average 

 four inches in circumference, of excellent flavor, selected from 

 a field of less than one and a half acres. Mr. B. informed us 

 that he commenced picking on the 21st of June and discontinued 

 on the 7th of July, picking the field every other day ; each pick- 

 ing yielded from 1,000 to 1,900 baskets, of three gills each. The 

 cost of picking was one cent per basket. 



Assuming the crop of Mr. Brinckerhoff to average 1,500 basket* 

 at each picking, which, repeated eight times, gives us 12,000 

 baskets. Now if the crop would average berries one-half the 

 size of the specimen presented at the Institute, in baskets of the 

 size described, they would nett 10 cents per basket, or $1,200 for 

 the whole crop. Putting them at the lowest market price, say 4 

 cents per basket, the crop would produce $480. 



The cultivation of the small fruits in the vicinity of our cities 

 has always proved a profitable employment of the land, particu- 

 larly where attention has been paid to a selection of the best 

 varieties, and their careful cultivation. The product of an acre, 

 in many instances which have come to our knowledge, has been 

 truly astonishing. Tliere is an endless demand for these fruits 

 in our markets, and the clioice varieties, which are as easily cul- 

 tivated ai tliose of an inferior sort, always command large prices. 



A few acres devoted to the cultivation of the small fruits, is an 

 occupation wortliy of attention. Good judgment must be exer- 

 cised in tJie selection, coupled with t}]e rennisiie intell'gf^nce ia 



