178 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



I do not let a weed go to seed. I do all the raking with a horse. 

 When the plants begin to run I use a small tooth cultivator that will 

 throw a little dirt on the plants ; they will root better. Each time I 

 work a little farther away from the row, and by fall I have a well 

 matted row two feet wide. Strawy horse manure makes a good 

 mulch put on when the ground first freezes. I never use heavy 

 manure, as it will smother the plants. 



It is a good plan to plant the kinds that do the best in your 

 locality. Some kinds do well everywhere, and others are very 

 particular about the location. I am very particular about the plants 

 I use for setting; I use good, strong, well rooted plants. It is hard 

 to get good plants of some kinds, like the Lovett, but only the 

 best are used. The plants must be uncovered in the spring as soon 

 as they start to grow. 



PREPARATION AND CARE OF THE SOIL IN THE 

 STRAWBERRY FIELD. 



GEO. W. STRAND, TAYLOR'S VKl^t,^ 



Land that has been prepared in the best possible manner for the 

 planting of corn is none too good for the strawberry bed, for, as 

 berry growers, you will agree with me in the statement that the 

 proper preparation and care of the soil, with good plants, is the 

 chief factor in the production of a good and profitable crop. 



No matter what kind of soil you wish to use for the strawberry 

 field, it will be best to plow as early in the fall as possible, following 

 soon after with the harrow. This will induce a large number of the 

 weed seeds to germinate, and if gone over a few more times at in- 

 tervals of a few days the greater part of those in the surface soil will 

 have germinated and been killed. As early in the spring as the 

 ground is fit to work, harrow up thoroughly and before planting go 

 over it again, leaving it as smooth as possible. 



This soil now should be reasonably clean of weeds, and a great 

 amount of weed killing that would be necessary otherwise has been 

 done away with — providing you do not put in a cultivator and man 

 that will root down into the soil too deeply and turn up a new supply 

 from below. For this reason, and others also, the harrow tooth 

 cultivator is the best to use from that time on. 



In planting a spade is about the best implement for opening. 

 One man follows, setting the plants and firming with the foot. This 

 is a rapid method and gives good results even with ground as dry 

 as it was this season. 



