Strawberry Culture in the South. 35 



plant sufficiently with one hand to prevent any matting or adhering to each 

 other, and with the other hand a round stick or trowel to open ample space 

 to take in all the roots without twisting or doubling one upon another; then, 

 putting the rgots well down, draw the light dirt around them, and with a 

 firm downward jiressure finish the work. When we desire to put out small 

 parcels of land, where the plow can not be used, we would have the land 

 deeply spaded and put into beds ten to twelve feet 'wide, with a drain on 

 each side, and plant in rows two feet wide across the bed. Our plants, in 

 both field and bed culture, stand about twelve inches apart on the rows. 

 For our own part, we have abandoned every form of broad bed or fiat cul- 

 ture, because it is more expensive, more uncertain in its results, and in 

 every way less satisfactory than the elevated row system. 



To make berries cheap, and at the same time first-class, they ought to be 

 planted so that the plow and subsoiler can be freely used. Our planting 

 season extends from the first of October to the last of March, whenever our 

 land can be found in order for so doing. Plants put out in October or No- 

 vember will, if not lifted by winter freezes, bear more fruit the coming sea- 

 son than later settings. Owing to the fact that this frequently occurs, espe- 

 cially in Central Mississijipi, the safest part of the season is the latter half of 

 February and all of March. Owing to the fact that all of our plantings in 

 this latitude bear some fruit the first season, we do not, as a rule, commence 

 our cultivation until the picking season is well near over. If, however, grass 

 or weeds threaten the health and growth of the plant, light surface work 

 with a sharp hoe is given. 



It is, in our judgment, not good policy, if it can be avoided, to work either 

 recently set or old stools just before or during the fruiting season, because 

 we not onl}' break some of the attachments, but leave the recently stirred 

 dirt to be thrown on the fruit, to its great detriment. It is better for com- 

 mercial use to have a half-crop of clean, bright fruit, than a full crop, dingy 

 and soiled. Having come to the working season proper, we again bring into 

 requisition our sharp steel plow and strong mule, with a sufficient hoe force 

 to follow. At this season we niust be careful not to break any more attach- 

 ments than are really necessary to do good work and destroy grass and 

 weeds, hence we do not run the bar of our plow as closely as we do to corn 

 or cotton, but as deep as our mule can pull it. Then, with our hoes as 

 sharp as they can be kept, we cut away all grass and weeds. If to accom- 

 plish this we have to cut deep, we return fully as much light dirt as may 

 have been taken away with the grass and weeds. We allow only a few days 

 to pass before we return with our plows freshly sharpened, and run another 

 deep furrow in the bottom of those already run, heaping the dirt high in 

 the middles. We follow immediately with the subsoiler in the bottom of this 

 second furrow, just as deep as our strongest mule can pull it. If we have 

 done our duty with the plow and subsoiler, we will have attained a depth of 

 nearly or quite twelve inches. With such deep and partially open furrows, 

 so near on both sides of our plants, it will not do to rest the work any con- 



