GROWING SMALL FRUITS ON THE FARM. 4I9 



5-tirred occasionally to destroy surface weeds. Early the next spring 

 stirring the ground carefully should not be neglected. The plants 

 should then be set in as early as planting can be done judiciously. 

 They should possess strong development. They should come from 

 young plants also and should be plants of the previous year's growth. 

 This is greatly important. They should be set carefully in an even 

 line, making the rows not less than six feet apart, and the plants 

 not less than two feet apart in the line of the row. Shallow cultiva- 

 tion should follow all the summer, and all weeds should be carefully 

 kept out. The cultivation should not disturb the setting of the 

 plants furnished by the runners. This will mean some hand hoeing 

 along the line of the row. The man who will not give it will not 

 deserve to have strawberries. It is especially important that early 

 in the season weeds are not allowed to grow, as they are then so eas- 

 ily kept down before the runners appear. Let the latter follow their 

 own sweet will in rooting. In the autumn there will be matted rows 

 of vigorous plants about three feet across. Of course, the plants 

 should not be allowed to bear the season of setting. 



When the ground has frozen a little, cover the plants all over 

 with a few inches of clean straw. Clean straw is better than hay 

 or cornstalks, as the hazard is less that the plants will be smothered. 

 In the spring, not too early, for fear of frost on the blossoms, rake 

 about two-thirds of the straw into the spaces between the rows, 

 leaving the other third over the plants to protect them from being 

 spattered with soil, should heavy rain fall at the time of fruitage. 

 The only additional labor required is to pick the loads of berries that 

 will be furnished and to plow under the patch, to make it ready for 

 something else, as soon as the crop has been harvested. 



In the early spring, take plants from the patch first set out, and 

 in exactlv the same way put out another patch of the right size. In 

 taking these plants from the home patch, if a trowel is used they can 

 be so lifted without trouble that they will not even wilt when trans- 

 planted. It is of great moment to use only vigorous plants. In this 

 way strong, large, luscious fruit will be obtained every year with a 

 minimum of labor. 



With reference to varieties, the farmer should plant only those 

 that are self-fertilizing. The man who advises him to plant those 

 which call for fertilization from another variety should be severely 

 reprimanded, as he will tertainly get the farmer into trouble. In 

 nine cases out of ten, he will get all mixed up in his planting. The 

 best self-fertilizing varieties include the Bederwood, the Clyde, the 

 Splendid and the Senator Dunlap. The Clyde produces vigorous 

 plants, a strong recommendation in the mind of the writer. If the 



