i SMALL FRUITS AND HOW TO GROW THEM \. 
Plants grown in hills spread out their foli- 
age so light comes in contact with every leaf 
and a rapid and continuous growth is main- 
tained. 
Ill the tliiok matted, row there is not 
enough room for the roots, and plants farm- 
ing later find it impossible to establish them- 
selves, yet being supported by trie "wire" from 
the mother plant thej' set buds and attempt 
to produce fruit which for the want of root- 
age they cannot bring to maturity, thus they 
are not only worthless in themselves but 
greatly injure other plants near them. With 
the isolated plant in hill culture the roots 
often extend in every direction filling the 
ground without warring on other plants. 
It is thus enabled to meet all requirements by 
maintaining an equal balance of root and 
foliage making perfect assimilation of all 
food gathered and thus giving potency to 
pollen and vitality to seeds and consequent 
high development of fruit, ;iud so may per- 
form its service uninterruptedly for years. 
Additional fertilizers can be applied in the 
fall or winter and placed within reach of 
the plant without injuring crown or foliage 
which cannot be done in the wide matted 
rows. 
The berries will sell for several cents per 
quart more than common matted row ber- 
ries, often for enough more on the crop to 
pay entire expenses of cultivation, to say 
nothing of enabling you to choose custom- 
ers, sell out quickly and get home earl}'. 
Tlie i>i<'kiiis' can be done for half that 
of luatted rows. The berries are literally 
piled up around the big plant and the pick- 
ers are able to gather theui without hunting 
through dense foliage. It only requires a 
few of these big berries to fill the box. 
The ve<iu'i'eiiieiits for hill eiiltiire are 
that the ground should be very rich and 
thorough cultivation given so that a large 
growth of additional crowns will be made. 
I would not try to gi'ow in hills on poor 
ground. 
Then again the fruiting vigor of plants 
used must be high, .so that every hill will do 
its full duty. 
Set such varieties as Wilson, Crescent, 
Beeder-Wood, etc., 30x30 inches and culti- 
vate both ways, or rows 30 inches wide and 
18 inches in the row if weeding machine is 
used. For large varieties like Marshall, 
Dew, Haverland, lirandvwine and Weston 
-set 34 or 36 inches each way or 36x18 inches 
for weeder, or a little hand hoeing with 
common cultivator run one way. 
The Avork <>f k<'ei)iiij>' olf the runners 
has been greatly overestimated. They can 
be dra wn around with the corner of a sharp 
hoe and quickly chopped off, but the work 
can be greatly lessened by the use of the 
iiittomiitic rimiirr citlter. During the past 
year some improvements have been made 
and its work is perfection itself. No matter 
how many runners there are around the hill, 
place it over the plant and press down on 
the handle, when the twisted shaft (E) 
passes through the slot, forcing the shaft 
around half way, so that the two oppo- 
site fingers (A) pass around and gather up 
the runners, drawing them into the slot (B), 
Al"TOM.4TIe Rl'NNER CUTTER. 
when the two knives (C) are forced down by 
the cross bars (D) and cuts them off. The 
whole work is done in one motion and a 
second of time. You simply walk along the 
row, using the machine as a cane, placing it 
over the plant, give it a shove down and the 
work is done. It is the only machine ever 
invented that will do the work well and fast. 
Not a runner can escape the fingers or 
knives, and they are so protected they can- 
not be dulled or broken. By careful usage 
it will keep the runners from ten acres every 
year for half a life time. Price S;6.00, or the 
jierfection plant setter and automatic runner 
cutter both for $9.00. The cost of making 
the machine is so much that cannot 
make any commission to agents or reduction 
in price, and must be sold direct to planters. 
Only large stones or rubbish that would pre- 
vent the fingers from passing around the 
plant will interfere with its working. 
HALF MATTED ItOW. 
This is the next best way to grow berries. 
Make rows three and a half feet apart and 
