374 State Horticultural Society. 



the ground is rocky and hard, the dibble should be long and narrow, in 

 order to penetrate to a sufficient depth. Before setting, prune the 

 roots, by placing them, a bunch at a time, on a hack block, and cut oflf 

 evenly with a sharp ax. In making a hole with a dibble, it should be 

 made large enough for the roots to be placed in proper position and not 

 turned back or doubled upon themselves. The plant should usually be 

 taken in the left hand at a point near the crown. It should be held 

 with the crown at or slightly below the surface. In completing the 

 setting, the dibble should be so handled that the soil is pressed firmly 

 against the roots of the plant all the way up to the crown. 



This pressing the dirt well about the plant is very necessary, in 

 order to exclude the air as much as possible from the roots of the 

 plant, which would tend to wilt it and dry it out before it had time to 

 start growing. We may say here that it is well to slightly dampen the 

 plants before setting them, and if the weather is extremely dry, or 

 windy, they should be protected while setting by using dampened leaves 

 or chafif around the roots while setting. As soon as convenient after 

 plants are set they should be cultivated. If the ground is smooth and 

 clear of rocks, use a Planet Junior twelve-tooth cultivator, going twice 

 in a row. Begin by cultivating right up to the plants. In a few dayi 

 go over the field the narrow way, going once in a row with the same 

 tool. If land is too rough for a twelve-tooth, use a five-tooth, which 

 is well adapted to rocky ground. Be sure to cultivate as soon as dry 

 enough after every rain, to avoid the baking or crusting of the ground. 

 Remove all blossoms that appear, and do not suffer the plants to set 

 fruit. Continue close cultivation both ways, until the runners begin to 

 start freely, then gradually establish your row by cultivating each time 

 a little farther away. Soon you will need to abandon the temporary- 

 row, and cultivate one way only. It will be necessary to use the hoe 

 right along now, in spacing and setting plants made from runners, es- 

 pecially if the weather is dry. 



It is then all right to place some dirt on a runner at a point where 

 a plant is developing. iMake your row from 24 to 32 inches wide and 

 thin out plants where they overlap each other and are too much 

 crowded. Keep the weeds and grass out of the rows. Cultivate shal- 

 low and often in dry weather, and continue cultivating until frost stops 

 the growth. Careful thinning of some varieties, as the Warfield and 

 Dunlap, is necessary, but it must be done before the growing season 

 is over. The Aroma and Gandy take care of themselves in this par- 

 ticular, and rarely make too many plants. After the fruiting season 

 beds may be renewed, by first cutting down old plants with a mower. 



