Eight years ago I came into possession of four acres of land on which I am growing fruits and vegetables. Three acres are of a deep clay loam, underlaid at a depth of three feet with solid rock, no part entirely level, drainage perfect. With the exception of 100 bushels of poultry droppings, no farm manures were used the first four years. I set my small fruits the second year, and added market gardening crops the fourth. As I used the same methods and manures in bringing all this land into condition for fruit growing, I need only tell the story of my first strawberry crop. On the 15th of June one-half acre of land densely matted with quack grass roots was selected, the grass mowed to the ground and the land ploughed nine inches deep. I found that quack grass roots did not grow deeper than six inches ; three inches of fine soil answered my purpose. I wanted a good seed bed. One hundred bushels of wood ashes and 200 lbs. of ground bone were worked into the soil. One bushel of buckwheat was sown June 20th ; this was ploughed down the latter part of August. 50 bushels of wood ashes and 200 lbs. of the Buffalo Fertilizer were sown broadcast and well dragged in. One bushel of rye was sown on the buried buckwheat.

The rye, when 15 inches high and very thick, was ploughed down the 10th of the following May. 100 bushels of poultry droppings were finely broken and evenly sown, as were 100 lbs. bone black.

Four thousand strawberry plants of the following varieties were set in rows 3½ feet apart on the half acre, Bid well, Manchester, Miners' and Sharpless. Plants were freshly dug and not a single plant failed to start. I began to cultivate and hoe promptly, for I believe that every square foot contained 100 young buckwheat plants. Plants were trained on the narrow row system. By fall the bed presented a sight well calculated to delight the eye of a lover of the strawberry. After the first hard freeze I covered the plants with two tons of oats straw, two years old. This is none too much in this part of central New York, where the mercury frequently goes as low as 350 below zero. A part of this straw was removed as soon as freezing nights were over in the spring. My first crop was 2,000 quarts, which I sold at strictly fancy prices. This was the only bed that I ever picked two years. It does not pay to keep a bed of strawberries here more than one year, and besides the quack grass was not all rooted out as I found to my cost the next year. I now turn the bed under just as soon as picked, and sow with buckwheat, which is in turn ploughed down and dressed with wood ashes, and sown with rye about Sept. 10th of each year.

The rye is turned under as soon as I can do so without injury to the soil the May following. Superphosphate of lime at the rate of a half ton to the acre is sown as soon as the ground drags up perfectly fine. Land is now ready for my market gardening crops. Except for peas, nitrate of soda is sown at the time of setting all plants, and on all seed crops a light dressing is given as the plants need it. Stable manure is used now for blackberries raspberries and the larger fruits.

Wm. Miller.

[Our friend gives the reader the impression that his heavy mulch is placed on strawberries solely to prevent injury from cold. It will be understood by the intelligent reader that the alternate freezing and thawing works more mischief than freezing only. - Ed. Am. G].