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CENTRAL TRIAL STATION. 49 
spring, and very severe freezing without protection will sometimes kill the 
foliage in autumn. We uncover rather late in the spring, removing most 
of the straw from over the plants, but leaving as much as possible be- 
tween them. We do not cultivate in the spring of the year. In covering 
strawberries we have found rather heavy covering desirable, especially in 
winters when there is no snow on the ground, since after some winters when 
we have not had snow the plants have been so weakened by severe freezing 
that, while they would start into growth, yet they did not have sufficient 
strength to mature their fruit properly, and as a result a large number of 
nubbins were formed. We have always found that such plants are not 
easily moved; at least not until late in the spring, after they have made a 
good growth of new roots. If very heavy covering (8 inches solid straw) 
is to be resorted to, the best plan is to put the rows six feet apart, which al- 
lows plenty of room for storing mulch between the rows in the spring. In 
this place, between the rows, it can be kept until all the danger from frost 
in the spring has passed, and it is then in convenient place for covering 
the plants on very frosty nights when they are in flower. There can be no 
question about the practicability of this latter way of protecting the flowers 
of strawberry plants from being destroyed by frost, and it should be more 
generally practiced, since without it the work of growing the plants for 
nearly two years may be entirely lost. It is our custom to fruit the beds 
at least two years in succession, and the beds are renewed by mowing off 
the plants and weeds close to the ground as soon as may be after the 
crop is gathered. This growth of weeds and plants is than burned on the 
bed if it is very dry. If the weather is moist so that it is impracticable to 
get a quick burn on the bed, then the material is either raked into the rows 
between the beds before burning, or else it is carried off of the bed and 
burned. I think that much the best way is to burn it on the bed; but this is 
not safe except when the material is very dry so that it will burn quickly. 
If it is at all moist, and lies over the plants and slowly burns, it is apt to 
kill them out. 
As soon as the burning is over, we put on a riding corn 
cultivator and go over the rows several times, leaving a strip of plants 
about 16 inches wide for each row. The space between the rows is kept 
well cultivated until the plants which have been left have started, when the 
rows are gone over and the beds thinned by taking out the old and weak 
plants so that they will stand about six inches apart each way. With this 
treatment of the bed we have generally got as good results from the second 
crop as from the first. 
We have grown 56 varieties of strawberries this year. Beder- 
wood seems to be the best all round perfect flowering variety, either for 
home use or for general marketing. Its special value for recommending 
to beginners lies in the fact of its being so very vigorous and productive, 
and that it is bi-sexual, not requiring any other plant near it for fertiliza- 
tion. The fruit is rather soft, but does very well for home use and the near 
market. The Haverland is a fine, light colored berry that is very produc- 
tive. The Warfield has not been as productive with us for the last few 
years as previously, but holds on well with many growers in this vicinity. 
~ I am inclined to think that our plants have degenerated and that we should 
renew our stock of plants of it. William Belt produces large fruit, but is not 
sufficiently productive. Marshall is of about the same value as William 
Belt. Nick Ohmer is a light red, short bodied berry of good quality that 
