SMALL FRUITS AND HOW HE GROWS THEM 
Second. A good, strong wind must prevail, to 
drive the fire over the ground rapidly, vmen there 
•will be no danger of heating the crowns. 
If there is an abundance of mulch, it is better 
not to mow the plants off. Put the mulch on the 
row so it will destroy all the old leaves. 
Third, To cultivate the same day of the burn- 
ing. The pickers tread the ground down hard, 
making Capillary attraction perfect, so the water 
will draw up to the surface to be carried off by the 
wind and hot sun and the ground will soon dry out 
below the roots and the plants will die. 
I have heard of plants being killed by burn- 
ing, but in every case some of these things have 
been neglected. We have burned over our beds 
every season for many years and never had a bed 
injured. In a few weeks the bed will look like a 
new spring set field. As all annual weeds are 
killed but very little hand work is required. 
It is important to cultivate so as to throw about 
an inch of fine earth over the plants as the new 
roots come out above the old ones and the crown of 
the plant is raised up every year. This also acts as 
a mulch to conserve moisture. The full matted 
row should be narrowed up to about a foot in 
"width. 
Warfield. 
WINTER PROTECTION. 
In the case of strawberries it is not the freezing 
that does the injury. On many soils, especially 
clay, when the ground freezes all night and thaws 
the next day under the inliuence of the bright sun, 
the ground contracts and expands, and thus heaves 
the plants up, pulling the roots loose, whicli weak- 
ens them. Now if wc place some coarse litter over 
the plants merely to shade them from the sun to 
prevent thawing during the day and the frost 
comes out very slowly, no injury can result. 
The plant must have air for its foliage even 
if frozen .s<jlid, hence, any heavy, dense mass like 
manure will smother and injure it. The strong 
ammonia washing down from manure is very bad 
for tlie foliage and it should never\be placed direct- 
ly on the plants, but it may serve a good purpose 
in conserving moisture between the rows. Light 
chaff, straw or marsh hay may be used. 
In the spring if the mulch has been applied 
between the rows heavily enough we rake off from 
directly over the plants to allow the leaves and stems 
to come up through the mulch, and leave it until 
after the picking is done. If the mulch has been 
applied only on the plants and none between the 
rows, we cultivate not over one inch deep and then 
rake part off to the edge of the row to keep the 
berries clean. 
If the bed is to be plowed under it should be 
done as soon as the last picking is over, so that all 
insects and fungi shall be destroyed. 
Fhotogrraph of One Day's Mall. 
ANSWERING QUESTIONS. 
X cordially invite correspondence with all fruit 
growers and will take pleasure in giving them the 
benefit of my experience when ever it wU be of 
service to them. 
My Success depends on your success, and I am 
especially anxious that growers stocking their 
grounds with my Pedigree Plants shall do things at 
the right time and in the right way. 
Among: the opportunities I have for keep- 
ing in touch with the most progressive fruit growers 
of the day, I may be premitted to mention that I 
have a complete up-to-date horticultural library, am 
a subscriber and a contributor to all leading horti- 
cultrul papers, have long been identified with the 
Michigan State Horticultural Society and am at 
present a member of its executive board, and Pres- 
ident of the Western Michigan Horticultural Soci- 
ety, which covers the most extensive fruit section 
in America. I am also an honorary member of five 
State Horticultural Societies before which I have 
delivered lectures, and have been regulary employ- 
ed by the Michigan State Board of Agriculture to 
deliver lectures, conduct institutes and lead dis- 
cussions in fruit centers. 
My large correspondence gives me practic- 
ally an experiment station in every community in 
the country. They tell me of tlieir methods of 
work, of the varieties they have tried and results 
obtained. With all these sources of reliable infor- 
mation I believe I can be of service not only to 
commercial growers but to persons growing fruit for 
their own table. Write me at anv time, giving 
particulars, and I shall be able to' give you some 
valuable pointers. 
I give personal attention to all letters in the order 
in which they are recei\ ed except in the rush of 
the packing season in April when they are filed 
and considered as work will permit. My whole 
time is then given to the filling ot orders and arrang- 
ing experimental grounds and propagating beds. 
21 
