8 ^ The Canadian Horticulturist. 



TWO WEEKS AMONG THE OHIO STRAWBERRY 



GROWERS.— H. 



®N the morning of the eighth of October Mr. Crawford and I left Cuyahoga 

 Falls by rail for Medina, Ohio, on a visit to A. I. Root. A portion of the 

 country between these points is very picturesque, resembling many parts of 

 Canada. 



The first thing that strikes the traveler on leaving the cars, at the Medina 

 station, is a large factory with the inscription cut in a large block of freestone, in- 

 serted in the building, " In God we Trust." Near this building we saw a person 

 coming, when Mr. Crawford said to me "There is Mr. Root himself." He re- 

 cognized Mr. Crawford and surmised who the other was. Such a greeting ! It 

 was quite in keeping with what we might expect from a man who would place 

 such a motto on his building as the above. 



After tea, we had a walk through his vegetable garden which is a large one. 

 There had been no frost then to do any harm to the most tender plants in this 

 portion of his garden, for it is the highest point on his land. He has a windmill 

 and a tank which holds 360 barrels, with pipes laid all over his grounds and to 

 his factory also. Mr. Root has in his employment 150 men and women, all pro- 

 fessing Christians, and to his credit be it said, he will not have a man in his 

 employ who will drink any spirituous liquors, or smoke tobacco, or use profane 

 language. 



All his workpeople have half an hour at noon each day to read the Scriptures 

 and a talk thereon, also an early closing of work each Saturday evening. We 

 remained with him over night ; the next morning we went with him over his 

 small-fruit grounds which are large and well kept. He has all the small fruits 

 usually grown by nurserymen, but I think he does not set any plants except 

 strawberries, and of these he has all the popular kinds. 



Both Mr. Root and Mr, Crawford have adopted a new plan of propagating 

 strawberry plants, by making beds six feet wide and the length needed. The 

 soil, in these beds, is made very rich. On the top of this is put fine clean 

 sand about one inch deep, which is kept damp. The plants, as soon as formed 

 on the vine, without roots, are taken off with about an inch of the runner 

 attached, pressed into the sand in rows about three inches apart. These beds 

 are covered wirh cotton shades, which are kept on till the plants are rodted. 

 The sand must be kept moist all the time. I saw the plants growing in these 

 frame beds at both places. They were better plants than those grown the usual 

 way. There is no patent on this plan and I would advise others who wish to 

 propagate plants quickly to try it. 



If spared, I will write more about my rambling by and by. 



GrantoH, Ont. JOHN LITTLE. 



