88 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



with the rolling wheel runner cutter made by the Planet Jr. Co., and clip 

 the runners off, it will throw its strength back to the first embryo plant, 

 causing it to make new crowns, throw out many new roots, and assume 

 large proportions before winter stops its growth. The plants should 

 never be allowed to stand within eight or ten inches of each other, if first- 

 class fruit is desired. 



In the full matted row, plants are allowed to form at once. The usual 

 summer drouth prevents them from rooting and they blow around all 

 summer on the ground and twist up into ropes, taking the strength of the 

 mother plant which can form no new crowns and in the, fall has few 

 vigorous fruit buds. The plants set so thickly many can secure only a 

 limited root pasturage and thus are easily exhausted. Light and air, the 

 great promoters of plant growth, are shut out. At fruiting time, each 

 plant is loaded with many berries too small to pick and they are left on 

 the vines to rot and sap the plant's vitality, so that if it shall produce a 

 very large crop, its life is so weakened that it cannot again produce even 

 a fair crop, and may as well be plowed under at once. 



For hill culture, set 30x30 to be cultivated both ways, or if weeding 

 machines are used, put plants 18x30 inches. For half matted row, set 

 18x42 inches and allow plants to set not over one foot wide in the row. 

 In full matted row, set rows four feet apart and 18 inches in the row. 

 One thing I wish to emphasize and that is the absolute necessity of cul- 

 tivating the ground on the same day the plants are set, if the soil be very 

 dry. The feet of the workmen tramp the ground down hard close around 

 the plant, capillary action brings the water from below directly in con- 

 tact with the hot sun and wind, and the ground soon dries out to a great 

 depth, and hundreds of plants perish, whereas if the surface is stirred 

 up to destroy capillarity, the water would collect around the roots and 

 every plant live and a vigorous growth be sustained from the start. 



CULTIVATION. 



If the ground is fairly mellow and friable, the Z. Breed Weeder, in the 

 hands of a careful and skillful man, will go over the ground at the rate 

 of 25 acres a day, killing all little weeds and doing all that can be done 

 by any cultivator, and I regard it as one of the greatest labor-saving 

 machines ever devised. During an excessive drouth we cultivate every 

 four or five days and immediately after every rain. The rain causes the 

 ground to settle together so that capillarity will again bring the water to 

 the surface to be carried off by the sun and wind, and consequently the 

 capillary passages must be broken up. 



In the fall as soon as frozen, mulch with any old straw, and in the 

 spring rake from immediately over the plants so they can come up 

 through. As soon as growth starts, examine for rust. If it is found in 

 any quantity, spray with Bordeaux mixture at once, wetting all foliage 

 thoroughly and it will not further develop, but leave the subsequent 

 growth healthy and clean. After picking, mow off the leaves, stir up the 

 mulch, and burn all insects and fungi, taking great care to set it on fire 

 when the wind is blowing high so it will pass over the ground rapidly 

 and thus not injure the plants. The new roots will now come out above 

 the old ones, so we take a small mold-board plow and throw about a half 



