DWYEE'S GUIDE. 



49 



seemed more important, the fear of getting caugtit, the evil impulses con- 

 quered. I watched a favorable opportunity, climbed over the wall and 

 helped myself, and reader, you know what that means if you are ac- 

 quainted with the capabilities of a nine year old boy in a strawberry 

 patch in the beginning of the fruiting season. I came out filled and un- 

 molested. I pass this spot quite frequently now and am always reminded 

 of this incident, but must confess that I have never yet experienced any 

 remorse, nor have I done any penance for this impudence; on the 

 other hand, that small bed of strawberries awakened in me an en- 

 thusiasm and interest for this fruit that has never faltered, but has in- 

 creased each year. A few years later I was employed on the small fruit 

 farm of the late E. P. Roe pulling weeds and picking strawberries. I at 

 once became intensely interested in this fruit and after the fruiting sea- 

 son knew all the varieties on the place by name as well as their individ- 

 ual characteristics, but the moral of my story is yet to be briefly told. 

 For the past twenty years since I have been in the nursery business for 

 myself, fruiting each season from five to ten acres of strawberries, it has 

 been an easy matter for me to deal kindly and patiently with the small 

 boys and girls who have been caught in the fields helping themselves by 

 eating and even gathering in baskets and otherwise The worst thing that 

 ever happened to any of them for this liberty was a slight reprimand by 

 some one else in authority. 



Preparation of 

 the Soil.— This should 

 be done in the same 

 thorough way as re- 

 commended for the 

 fruit trees, and if possi- 

 ble we should be even 

 more particular t o 

 have the ground in 

 the most perfect con- 

 dition ; we should not 

 stop plowing and har- 

 rowing until we are 

 sure that all the soil, 

 top, middle and bot- 

 tom, is thoroughly 

 and finely pulverized. 

 This is of absolute ne- 

 cessity so that the 

 small roots may have 

 every favorable op- 

 portunity to take hold 

 and at once establish 

 themselves in the 

 ground. 



It has been my experience that many people defer planting the 

 strawberry for the reason that they think, in order to be successful with 

 it they must have some especially favored land, situation or location. 

 This is a great mistake. The strawberry may be grown to perfection on 

 any land that will produce a crop of potatoes, corn, peas or other vege- 

 tables. Ground that has been used for vegetables or fruit is the best for 

 the strawberry. Almost any soil will answer, but we must remember 

 that the best results are obtained from a dark, rich loose soil with a clay 



PRESIDENT. 



