CARE OF STRAWBERRY BEDS AFTER FRUITING. 257 



plow it up. We finally left only a strip of last year's plants on 

 the south side, and we treated only about a quarter of an acre 

 with fire. That quarter acre was from fifty to seventy-five per 

 cent better than any other part of the field, notwithstanding 

 the very severe drouth we, had there for weeks when we did 

 not have a drop of rain, and when everybody else got plenty of 

 it. You had plenty of rain up here, and we did not have any. 

 Our ground did not get wet until these recent rains we have 

 had. We have given the subject a good deal of attention the 

 last three years, and every year it has been a perfect success. 

 I do not know of any other way that is so good for treating an 

 old bed. 



Dr. Leonard: Is there no danger in burning over the whole 

 bed? 



Pres. Underwood: I do not think there is. We generally 

 put on a very heavy mulching of straw. Our bed is situated 

 where there is plenty of wind, and we put on plenty of straw. 

 We put on the hay tedder and shake it up well, and we have on 

 enough to cover the bed well; if there is not enough to cover 

 the bed. we draw on some more and then set it on fire. After 

 the fire had gone over it, it looked as though there was nothing 

 alive there; we could not even see a weed, and for weeks we 

 could see nothing green, not a sign of life, and probably six to 

 eight weeks passed before we could see a green thing on the bed. 

 It was just as black almost as the day it was burned, because 

 we did not have any rain. The wind would take off a little, 

 but not enough but what the whole bed would look black — and 

 you would be surprised at the way those plants grew. 



Mr. C. A. Sargent: How would it do to mulch with flax 

 straw ■? 



Pres. Underwood: I think, perhaps, it would do as well as 

 any other straw. 



Mr. Danforth: We tried it for eight or nine years and it did 

 very well with us. 



Pres. Underwood: It is very much cheaper than anything- else 

 you can do. If we had plenty of rains and the ground was moist so 

 we could cultivate all of it, the advantage might not be so great.but 

 our ground is so dry after fruiting that it would be impossible to do 

 anything with it anyway. There is no weeding, but just as soon as 

 they commence to grow a little, and you get a little rain so you can 

 start a horse in the rows', then go at it, and you will have as tine 

 plants as you ever saw, and you will have fruit ever}' year. Mr. Dan- 

 forth's father was the first one to tell me about that plan of treating 

 the beds. I tried it, but I was afraid to start in very strong, but the 

 next time I burned over the whole bed. This year I did not have 

 the courage to burn them over, because many of the roots were aa 

 black as they could be and their vitality was largely wasted, but I 



