TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



mulched with leaves. We prefer to plant in the spring ; if fall planting 

 succeeds, we get more berries the first season— perhaps half a crop — and 

 the second season a full crop. 



Mr. Clayton — Please describe your process of setting out. 



Dr. Humphrey — We set out just the same as we would set out to- 

 matoes or cabbages. 



Dr. Hooton — We have but two good strawberries here. I have 

 tried ten or twelve different varieties, and have settled down upon the 

 Green Prolific and the Wilson as standard sorts. Of course, there are 

 others that I would not be without, but these succeed the best. The 

 Green Prolific, however, is rather soft for market. In some respects the 

 Colfax is a better berry than the Green Prolific ; and to my friends who 

 wish to get rid of the weeds, I recommend the Colfax, for it will kill out 

 the weeds and everything else, and completely occupy the ground ; it 

 is worse than white clover in this respect. 



The Wilson succeeds finely — nothing does so well. I have tried 

 Knox's Seven Hundred and I can do nothing with it ; I never got a berry 

 from them. I tried Charles Downing, and this served me in the same 

 way. 



I have planted the Wilson in hills and in rows, and have settled 

 down upon the plan of planting in rows of thirty inches, by fourteen be- 

 tween the hills. I plant with a trowel, opening the ground so that I can 

 put the plant down and draw it up, till the crown is just at the top of the 

 ground, avoiding doubling up the roots of the plant. 



Voice — Have you any Crown-borers in your strawberry plantations.'' 



Dr. Hooton — We have ; some have had their plants damaged by 

 them. They have not damaged my field yet. After planting I give 

 thorough cultivation with the plow and hoe. I do not cultivate after the 

 middle of August. Sometimes I have not been as thorough as I should be. 



Mr. Clayton — How do you clean the hills of runners } 

 Dr. Hooton — I do it with hoes in the hands of boys. I set them 

 to work, and walk behind them to see if they do it right. You cannot 

 trust them in your strawberry field behind your back. They will cut up 

 one-third of your plants ; there is no such thing as delegating labor 

 here ; yourself must direct it. 



If you are going to get a full crop of berries you must go into the 

 patch, and, as you have been told, " manure with brains." I mulch with 



