56 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Neglect on this point often causes very serious loss. We have tried 



a good many waj^s of planting, but have found nothing that suits 



us quite so well as a good dibble. In using this dibble we thrust it 



into the soil the full length, crowding it forward so that the top of 



the hole is about two inches wide. Have your plants with the roots 



well moistened, and as you pick up a plant spread the roots out 



somewhat fan-shaped, and place it in the hole with the crown just 



even with the surface. Now shove in your dibble about two inches 



from the hole, giving it such a slant that the ijoint will be very close 



to the bottom of the hole, and crowd it up to the plant firmly. This 



gets the soil in close contact with the roots their entire length and 



puts the plant in the best possible condition to grow and thrive from 



the start. 



CULTIVATION. 



Cultivate and hoe immediately after planting to get the surface 

 fine and mellow, and cultivate once a week to keep it so. If it should 

 rain after cultivating, cultivate again as soon as the ground is in 

 good condition to work, the object being to never let a crust form, 

 but to have the surface always fine and loose. Keep all blossoms 

 picked the first season. Treat all runners as weeds the first one or 

 two hoeings, so as to let the plant get well established before 

 making any new plants. Then, when the runners are allowed to 

 grow, thej' will grow very rapidly and will make large thrifty plants. 

 I have noticed in digging plants in the summer that the first plant 

 from the parent plant would be much smaller and have less roots 

 than the second or anj^ other one on that runner. If the first run- 

 ners are cut off all the plants will be strong ones. The ideal straw- 

 berry row is 18 to 20 inches wide with the plants not too thick in the 

 row, and when you g-et it the width you want it, treat all runners as 

 weeds again. We aim to make the plants grow as fast as possible 

 the fore part of the season, and get our row as wide as we want it 

 just as soon as we possibly can. 



The strawberry plant is always making an effort in two directions 

 to reproduce itself; first, by means of the runners, and thus making 

 new plants; and second, by means of the fruit and seeds. By cut- 

 ting off the runners, the energj' of the plant which was put into the 

 growth of new plants, will go to the development of strong fruit 

 buds. I have seen a single Wilson plant with all runners kept off 

 that could hardl)^ be covered with a half-bushel measure, and a 

 whole acre of them that averaged a quart of berries to the plant. 



WINTER PROTECTION. 

 As soon as the ground freezes hard enough to drive on with a 

 team and wagon, cover lightly just enough to hide the plants from 

 sight. In the spring, as soon as plants start to grow, go over the 

 bed freqi<ently to see that the mulch is not on too thick. If you 

 find the plants getting white and spindling remove a part, working 

 it between the rows, leaving it thin enough over the row for the 

 plants to grow up through readily. 



SECOND CROP. 

 If it is decided to grow a crop the second year, mow the plants off 

 close to the ground as soon as the fruit is all harvested. If your 



