FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 15 



Perhaps the best example which can be given of the ideal soil is a piece 

 of newly cleared soil of a sandy loam nature, minus roots and stumps. 

 On such soils I have grown my best crojjs of strawberries without apply- 

 ing any fertilizer w;hatever. Such soils not being often available, let us 

 copy nature as nearly as possible. 



PREPARATION OP SOIL. 



A clover sod with as much of the tops as possible, covered with stable 

 manure, applied as soon as possible after removing the hay crop, and 

 plowed in the late fall or winter, is a good preparation. If the sod has 

 stood long, or if there is danger from the white grub, it may be safer to 

 grow a crop of potatoes before planting the strawberries, but I prefer if 

 possible to plant on a clover sod of one year standing, that the berries 

 may have the first chance at this store of humus and fertility. 



I believe late fall or winter plowing enables the jjlants to withstand 

 the drouth better the first season. The soil must be made fine, firm and 

 compact, but do not roll when wet. Dig jjlants from a bed set last spring, 

 which, of course, has never borne fiiiit to exhaust it. Do not dig on a 

 cold, wiudy day, and as fast as a handful of plants are dug, cut the roots 

 off to four inches, and pack in a box to keep moist till planting, which 

 should be as soon as possible after digging. ' 



In transplanting, try to return the plant as nearly as possible to the 

 conditions in which it stood before digging, with crown just at the surface 

 of ground and the soil packed firmly about the roots. Begin cultivating 

 at once to prevent the waste of the moisture so absolutely essential to the 

 growth of plant and fruit. Cut off blossom stems as they appear. Re- 

 member we must build up strong, vigorous plants the first season, if we 

 expect a full crop the second season. The small plant in about a month 

 from the time of blooming produces and ripens a weight of fruit many 

 times as heavy as the plant itself. In order to do this to the best possible 

 advantage, the soil must be in such favorable mechanical condition that 

 food and moisture can be taken up by the plant, readily and rapidly. In 

 fact, I consider a soil of average fertility, and good mechanical condition, 

 more favorable for the growth of berries, and especially the strawberry, 

 than is a very fertile soil which is hard and heavy. 



STRAWBERRY CULTIVATION. 



Cultivation and hoeing should be frequent enough to preserve a contin- 

 uous earth mulch, and destroy all weeds. Occasionally during the sum- 

 mer, we go through the patch after a rain and place runners where 

 wanted, taking special care to fill vacancies. My ideal row is one of 

 about three plants abreast, seven or eight inches apart, making a row 16 

 inches wide with the plants about six inches apart in the row. In practice 

 we do not approach this with any degree of uniformity. 



One thing is certain, however, and that is that Ave must restrict the 

 plants of many of our best varieties, in order to secure the best results. 

 Our method of doing this is as follows : When the runners are growing 

 and plants forming we are careful not to throw them around onto the row 

 too much, by too close cultivation. When enough plants have formed, put 

 the rolling cutter on the cultivator, and cut off the surplus which run 



