38 Strawberry-Growing 



ters (Plate III). The roots should hang at a slight angle, 

 so that the soil may be packed down upon them. The 

 crown is placed level with the surface and the roots 

 spread against the slanting side of the hole. Soil is 

 pressed firmly against the roots, and loose soil left on top. 

 Heavy rolling is necessary, after the field is set. Under 

 favorable conditions one man can set 3000 plants a day 

 without the aid of a dropper. Hand setting is practiced, 

 also, when the rows have been laid off with a light turning 

 plow and the soil is so gravelly that a spade or dibber 

 could not be used to advantage. Plants are set on the 

 land-side of the furrows, and enough soil pulled over the 

 roots to keep them in place until men who follow with 

 hoes can fill in the furrows and tramp. Occasionally the 

 furrow is filled with a plow, but this is rarely satisfactory. 

 Two men with mules can lay off rows for four setters. 

 It takes one dropper to each setter, and one follower to 

 fill the furrows and tramp ; thus there are fourteen men 

 in a planting gang. This method is used considerably in 

 Maryland, Delaware and Arkansas. 



Spade setting. 



A spade is preferred for heavy soils. The method is 

 described by Matthew Crawford. "A man and a boy 

 work together, one carrying the pail and the other a 

 bright sharp spade. The ground being marked out, the 

 spade is set squarely across the mark at right angles to 

 the row and thrust down at an angle of forty-five degrees. 

 It is then pushed forward until there is sufficient room back 

 of it for the boy to place the plant in position. He holds 

 it there until the spade is withdrawn and the earth falls 

 back on the roots. As the man with the spade steps 

 forward to make another hole he sets his foot over the 



