EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS 



155 



not done in the fall, it should be done in the spring as early as the ground can be 

 worked and rolled to press the loose soils firmly down upon the under soil, in order 

 that the upward movement of the water may not be cheeked. The dragging can 

 hardly be too thorough, and especially if for any reason the plants cannot be set 

 as soon as the land has been prepared, the working should be kept up, at least once 

 a week. 



In dragging the ground the disk or cutaway harrow may be used upon heavy 

 ground, but ordinarily the Acme or springtooth harrow followed by a smoothing 

 harrow or weeder will give good results. If the soil is at all cloddy, good results 

 will be obtained with the use of clod crusher or roller. 



In this way many of the small weeds which may start will be destroyed, and 

 the labor of hoeing and cultivating during the season will be greatly lessened. 

 The aid from this is so great that many growers purposely delay the putting out of 

 the plants for several weeks on this account only. In the small gardens it will be 

 advisable to have the strawberry plats so arranged as to allow the use of the plow, 

 as it will do better work than the spade as ordinarily handled, and in much less 

 time. Where the area is sufficient to permit the use of a horse, the land should be 

 marked ofl: at the proper intervals; these will vary with the method selected for the 

 handling of plants. When the matted row is used the distance should be 3% to 4 

 feet, the latter distance being preferred by many growers; but when the hill system 

 of planting is used, the rows may be as close as 2% or 3 feet, while some growers 

 who expect to work the ground both ways, mark the land in squares of 2 feet. 



PLANTS AND PLANTING. 



All strawberry growers are aware that it is only the plants formed by the runners 

 that should be used for the new plantation; these have yellowish white roots, and 

 can thus be distinguished from the older plants, which have a long stem at the 

 lower end of which are black or brown roots (Fig. 1), many of which are dead or 

 broken. If plants of good quality, which can be depended upon to give large crops, 

 are desired, those selected for planting should have good crowns and well developed 

 roots (Fig. 2). As a rule, only the first plants on the runners should be used. When 



Pig. 2. Strong Young Plant. 



Fi!,'. 1. Old Plant. 



the plants are allowed to layer freely a large number of weak sets (Fig. 3) are 

 produced, and, although these will grow, they give a small yield and the practice, 

 if persisted in, will result in the running out of the variety. 



