148 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



cart on sand would be best. The only cultivation required is to 

 keep the ground free of weeds until the vines get possession. 

 Many farmers who have cleared off swamp-land experience the 

 same difficulties. The land needs clay, lime, or ashes, or all of 

 them. 



The Chairman — Mr. Dye, of Cranberry, N. J., is one of the 

 most successful cultivators of cranberries that I know of in any 

 part of the country, and I think he would be able to give valu- 

 able information to any farmer visiting him. 



THE STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL. 



The exhibition of strawberries, to-day, was remarkably fine, 

 and so large that only a portion of the exhibitors could find an 

 opportunity to give an account of their mode of production. 



METHOD or CULTIVATION. 



George H. Hite, of Morrisania, who is one of the most success- 

 ful amateur cultivators of the strawberry in this vicinity, and 

 who exhibits very fine specimens, read the following statement : 



" I most cheerfully comply with your request to furnish you a 

 description of my own practice in the culture of the strawberry. 

 As there has been a great deal said about trenching, mulching, ma- 

 nuring, etc., I shall only speak of those things incidentally. Many 

 beautiful beds of strawberries (to look at) are ruined by heavy 

 applications of animal manures. The pistillate varieties do 

 require stimulating manures ; but as the most popular varieties 

 at present are the staminate and Hermaphrodite, such as Wil- 

 son's Seedling, Longworth's Prolific, Hooker's Seedling, and Pea- 

 body's Hautboy, (all of which I have been successful in cultivat- 

 ing), I will confine my remarks to them. 



"I would say that ground suitable for corn and potatoes, not 

 lately manured, is best adapted to the culture of most varieties. 

 It should be prepared by first spading deeply, then harrow or 

 rake quite level ; then, by line, make two rows fourteen inches 

 apart, and, with the corner of the hoe, make miniature furrows 

 about six inches deep, quite regular, from one end of the bed to 

 the other ; then take two and a half feet between that and the 

 next two rows for an alley ; and so on over the allotted space for 

 the bed. Then procure some unleached wood ashes, or leached 

 ashes, which are nearly as good, or a plenty of well sifted coal 

 ashes, as a last resort, and sprinkle them all along the bottom of 

 the furrow, say to the depth of one inch ; then, with the end of 



