gardens overwhelmed with debris. The Idlewild brook, that the poet
Willis made so famous, seemed almost demoniac in its power and fury.
Not content with washing away dams, roads, and bridges, it swept a
heavy wall across a field as if the stones were pebbles.

My three diverse systems of drainage had thus practically stood the
severest test, perhaps, that will ever be put upon them, and my
grounds had not been damaged to any extent worth naming. The cost had
been considerable, but the injury caused by that one storm would have
amounted to a larger sum had there been no other channels for the
water than those provided by nature.

My readers will find, in many instances, that they have land which
must be or may be drained. If it can be done sufficiently, the very
ideal strawberry soil may be secured--moist and deep, but not wet.




CHAPTER IX

THE PREPARATION OF SOILS COMPARATIVELY UNFAVORABLE--CLAY, SAND, ETC.


We have now reached a point at which we must consider land which in
its essential character is unfavorable to strawberries, and yet which
may be the best to be had. The difficulties here are not merely
accidental or remediable, such as lack of depth or fertility, the
presence of stones or stumps, undue wetness of soil, etc. Any or all
of these obstacles may be found, but in addition there are evils