70 Strawberry-Growing 



somewhat in large operations. On very stony land the 

 cultivator throws stones upon the plants ; if it is run 

 reversed, the gravel works toward the middles. 



The toothed cultivator does not cut off large weeds. 

 Four knives, made of heavy pieces of steel or a common 

 wagon spring, may be attached to the cultivator. These 

 slide over the ground and shave off the large weeds. If 

 the outer teeth of the cultivator run too deep and throw 

 soil upon the plants, they should be adjusted to work 

 shallow, or may be removed entirely and wooden pegs 

 substituted. In locations with sandy soils there is danger 

 that heavy winds will blow sand upon the crowns and 

 kill the plants. A tillage tool that leaves the surface 

 ridged will prevent this in part. 



Tools for hand tillage. 



When the rows are set so close together as to require 

 hand tillage, the wheel hoe is used (Plate IV) ; this is 

 supplemented with the scuffle hoe, which shaves off at 

 the surface all the large weeds that slip through the teeth 

 of the wheel hoe and gives very shallow tillage. It is used 

 for the first two cultivations of hill plants after they are set. 



The hand hoe must be used more or less in all methods 

 of training. The common garden hoe has too wide a 

 blade for convenient use between and around strawberry 

 plants. The blade should be narrowed to three inches 

 and tilted slightly, so that it will work not over one-quarter 

 of an inch deep. Some growers prefer a triangular hoe 

 made by cutting off the blade of the common hoe from 

 the shank to the outer and lower corners. Another popu- 

 lar type of blade is twelve inches long and two inches wide. 

 Both are useful for working under the leaves and around 

 the runners, especially in matted row training. 



