11 



conditions will then start afresh, coming up through any small quantity of soil 

 that may have been left on them. The hoe must then he used to cut out any 

 weeds that are left, to straighten up any injured plants, or to bank up any plants 

 that have had the earth drawn away from them. 



A few growers recommend narrowing the rows to about ten inches with the 

 plow, by plowing away and then filling the furrow with well-rotted fannyard 

 manure. The row is then cleaned of weeds and thinned with the hoe and the 

 whole levelled with the drags. Some plants will be destroyed by the drags, but 

 the remaining ones enriched by the manure are expected by fall to produce a heavy 

 row. In a favorable season they will do this. 



It is not necessary to leave all the old plants in the narrowed row as a great 

 many growers do. Fewer strong healthy plants will make a good row by fall. 

 At the same time it is not well to thin too much. Some have recommended to 

 leave the plants as much as sixteen inches apart, but in a dry season this involves 

 a great deal of risk; better leave the plants fairly close, and if too many runners 

 are produced cut out some in the fall. 



Picking. — The picking and marketing of the fruit is the biggest problem 

 that the grower has to face. Where only small areas are grown the necessary 

 assistance can usually be obtained from the neighboring families or nearby villages, 

 but when many acres are grown other provisions for handling must be made early 

 in the season. The pickers must be ready when the fruit is. Generally on the 

 best managed fruit farms there is work for a number of people from early spring 

 till late fall. The strawberry plants must be set, tomatoes transplanted, weeds, 

 etc., kept under control; and again, when the strawberry season is over, there is 

 the old patch to renovate and raspberries, currants and other fruits to pick, etc. 

 In many cases the grower engages one, two, three or more families of Indians 

 and houses them in fairly comfortable shacks. These people, with a little ex- 

 perience, make very good workmen ; but they must be kept busy, and consequently, 

 if picking and general farm work is spread out well over the season the problem 

 of assistance is solved for a time at least. 



Italians and Poles are used similarly, and make very good workmen, indeed, 

 but are not so easily handled as a class. The women and girls make the best 

 pickers, and when properly directed have helped many a grower out of a serious 

 difficulty. 



Tlie berries are ready to pick when they are from three-fourths to all red 

 in color. They should not be allowed to get over-ripe, which does not take long, 

 esipecially if the weather is hot and dry. If over-ripe and dry they sour, and 

 if over-ripe and damp they mould. There still seems to be a feeling among many 

 growers that " strawberries are strawberries," and that there is no place for grading 

 according to size, quality, etc. But such is not the case. Medium to large berries 

 of good color and not over-ripe always bring a higher price than fruit of'all sizes, 

 especially if it is shrivelled and "mussy" looking. Small, green berries here and 

 there in the box, and some that are decaying from being left too long on the 

 vines, always detract from the appearance. It is a safe rule to remember that 

 someone is expected to eat every berry put in the box, and that previous to eating 

 someone is expected to make them look attractive, and, lastly, that a good berry 

 increases demand, while a poor berry decreases it. 



Why not take as much pride — a few are already doing so — in the pickino-, 

 grading, packing and marketing of the strawberry as in the apple, pear, peach or 

 plum? It is a smaller fruit, and very perishable, but when marketed attractively, 

 is in great demand. 



