THE RUSHIRE FRUIT 
FARM, IONIA, MICH. 
over the field with the Planet Jr. harrow and 
fine the top about one or two inches deep, 
breaking up the crust and mellowing the soil, 
and if it comes on dry we go over it two or 
three times. I am aware that many growers do 
not believe in spring cultivation, because it dis- 
turbs the roots at a time when every root is 
needed to perfect the fruit, but you must not 
go deep enough to seriously affect roots. It 
pays. 
Hoeing'. 
It is strange some people can never learn to 
use a hoe. They step every time the hoe 
moves, hoe up and tread down, chopping into 
the riots of the plant, leaving the ground in 
great holes, chunks and hummocks, killing few 
weeds and doing more damage than they do 
good. They hoe twice as much in one place as 
they should, leaving other places untouched. 
They belong to the brigade who cultivate for 
forty bushels per acre. They never commence 
their work till the weeds are well up and estab- 
lished, when they pull them up from around 
the plant, almost it not quite destroying it, 
doing several times as much work as they 
should; are always poor and behind time with 
their work. They live in poor surroundings 
and play second to everybody. They growl 
and whine because their plants don't grow and 
turn green with envy at the 
Skilliiil Mail 
who uses a light, thin hoe only moderately 
sharp so as to pull the weeds out by the roots, 
killing them instead of cutting them off when 
they will at once start up and grow again. He 
knows the roots of plants can't grow and thrive 
in a hard lump of soil and he has the knack of 
giving his hoe a scuff that knocks the lumps 
all to pieces and leaves every small weed 
exposed to the sun to die, leaving the ground 
all covered with fine earth to retain the moist- 
ure and as level as if the work had been done 
with a planer, and larger weeds all out in the 
middle of the row so if they happen to have 
rain to revive them the cultivator will kill 
them. One such hoeing generally does for the 
season. He never injures the plants by leaving 
their leaves covered with dirt or their roots by 
working too deeply close to the plant. He 
never leaves a hard spot not mellowed up so 
the air can get to the roots and knows that if 
he strikes his hoe into the ground and leaves a 
clean cut exposed to the sun during a drouth 
it will quickly dry up and injure his plants. 
He takes pleasure in his work and delights to 
see the dark green foliage of his thrifty plants 
and treats them as tenderly and lovingly as if 
they were his own children. He belongs to the 
four hundred bushel battalion and sells his 
fruit for enough more per quart to pay for all 
the labor done. He soon lives in a fine house, 
surrounded by all the comforts of life and 
many of its luxuries, is contented and happy, 
envying no one, for he is at the head of the col- 
umn and uses pedigree plants. My friend, do 
you catch on to this? 
(xarden Cnltuie. 
No one can appreciate strawberries so much 
as the person who grows them with his own 
hand. He has a different regard for them. 
They are more beautiful to him, larger and 
higher colored. If they are especially fine he 
will enjoy the envy of his neighbors. 
You will need only good garden soil, rich in 
potash and phosphoric acid, which the wood in 
the kitchen stove will readily furnish. Don't 
get on too much of it, as you must remember 
it is caustic and should be applied after the 
plants are set, or in the fall before, taking care 
not to let any quantity come in contact with 
the crown of the plant. Then hoe it in and 
mix thoroughly with the soil. It should be 
sown broadcast and may be safely applied an 
eighth of an inch deep, and if on light sand 
considerably more. 
Let rows be two feet apart and plants 
one foot apart in the row. The long trusses 
loaded with the berries fall over into the walk 
for a considerable distance, and allowance 
should be made for this. Pick all blossoms off 
the first year, mulch and burn as directed 
elsewhere. You will be surprised at the 
amount of fruit you can grow with even a 
dozen plants, and a hundred will supply a large 
family. They make a fine Hower bed in the 
spring, and the pleasure of watching them 
grow and seeing the fruit coming on until 
finally the ground is covered with the great red 
beauties, is a rich compensation for plants and 
work, so you get the fruit "free gratis for 
nothing." 
The cause of failure on the part of 
Fanners, Mechanies, 
and business men who attempt to grow berries 
