464 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



society to leave unchallenged in your record some statements along 

 this Hne. Should you do so every dealer will prove that his scions 

 were cut from bearing trees and exact fancy prices because of the 

 fact. There would be no more to the claim than there is to that 

 of those who use a hardy stock in root-grafting or claim to. We all 

 make our trees much alike, and the faddists are generally frauds. 

 Air. Hawkins mentions an orchard standing in low, deep, rich land 

 and growing rapidly without bearing. The descriptions explain the 

 cause. 



MY STRAWBERRY BED. 



\VM. SWEET, ALBERT LEA. 



(So. Minn. Hort. Society.) 



My experience with strawberries in 1902 was limited. We de- 

 pended on an old bed for this year's fruiting, but it did not give us 

 enough fruit for our own use. We had planned last year to set 

 out a bed and planted the ground to potatoes, and by thorough culti- 

 vation cleaned it from weed seeds. It was plowed deep in the 

 fall and shallow again in the spring, and well harrowed until mellow 

 and firm. 



In setting the plants we used a line, putting them two feet apart 

 in the row, and the rows five feet apart. We used a spade in set- 

 ting them, one pushing the spade into the earth and giving it a 

 forward motion, and the other placing the plant in the space made, 

 using care to spread the roots before the spade was withdrawn. 

 The fingers were then used to press the dirt firmly around the plant 

 and in uncovering the crown. We began to cultivate almost im- 

 mediately with a two-horse spring-tooth cultivator, continuing in 

 this way until quite late in the season. We made it a rule to go over 

 the ground after every rain. It is needless to say they got plenty 

 of cultivation. 



Some hand work was necessary in the row, but this was greatly 

 reduced by the use of the spring-tooth cultivator. All blossoms were 

 picked as fast as they appeared. When the plants began to send out 

 runners, we trained them to fill in the row where they were most 

 needed. We never had plants grow as fast and send out as many 

 runners. By the use of a rolling coulter with a handle fastened to it, 

 the rows were kept about two feet wide. A heavy snowfall evenly 

 distributed over the plat is all the mulching they have had. 



The Warfield has been our favorite pistillate, and Bederwood for 

 the staminate, planting every other row of each. If the Warfield 

 were a perfect berry we would not raise any other kind, it is such a 

 nice firm berry, looking almost as though it had been varnished, and 

 the flavor is excellent. It has size, quality and is an extra good 

 plant maker. If they get through the winter and spring in good 

 shape there should be an abundance of fruit for another year. 



