200 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIS2 



cure. In the spring, as soon as the hard 

 frosts and cold winds are over, we go along 

 each row pulling or raking the mulch off the 

 rows and leaving it between them. This 

 answers three purposes : it keeps or holds 

 the moisture in the ground during the dry 

 time, it keeps the berries clean during the 

 heavy rams of the summer, and also an- 

 swers for a cushion on which the pickers can 

 sit down in great comfort. 



Strawberries are a risky crop, but like 

 everything else, a man with plenty of push 

 and perseverance and with good methods will 

 succeed and make money. Several varie- 



ties have been tried, but this year we have 

 nearly settled down to the Williams, which 

 will be the principal crop, although some of 

 the William Belt will be grown. The Clyde 

 has been discarded. It shows a great bloom, 

 but only matures a very limited number of 

 berries. Glen Mary and Marshall are fine 

 berries and productive, but are not good 

 shippers, being soft. The Burbach is a pre- 

 serving berry and a good fruiter, but soft. 

 Several other varieties have been tried, but 

 the \villiams is preferred as a commercial 

 berry to any other. 



SPRING WORK IN THE FRUIT GARDEN 



WM. HUNT, ONT. AGRI. COLLEGK. 



EARLY in May is usually the best time 

 to transplant young strawberry 

 plants. The young runner plants are then 

 just beginning to make new roots. For a 

 small garden patch leave 2 feet 6 inches be- 

 tween the rows, and set the plants about 15 

 inches apart in the rows. 



The ground should be dug thoroughly and 

 deep before planting, and should be rich in 

 humus or fertilizing properties. Autumn 

 prepared ground is best for a strawberry 

 patch. Never attempt to make a new patch 

 on land where strawberries have been grown 

 before, unless the ground has been cropped 

 with some other garden crop for three or 

 four intervening seasons. 



A garden trowel is the best tool for set- 

 ting out strawberry plants. Press the soil 

 firmly around the roots of the plant, and see 

 that the roots are all under the soil, and at 

 about the same depth as they were before 

 the plant was taken from the old patch. 

 Water the plants well once, and then pull a 

 little light fresh soil around over the roots. 

 Keep the soil well surface-stirred between 

 the rows and free from weeds all the sum- 



mer. If the weather is at all favorable 

 once watering the plants should be suffi- 

 cient. 



some; good varieties. 



A few good varieties for a small garden 

 for a succession of fruit is the Marshal, 

 Clyde, Nick Ohmer, Haverland and Bu- 

 bach. The two last named have not per- 

 fect blossoms, and must be planted only a 

 row or two from some of the other varieties 

 mentioned. 



Fork over the soil lightly between the 

 rows of strawberry piants just coming into 

 flower, and remove all weeds. A mulch of 

 straw, or the clippings and grass cuttings 

 from a lawn makes a good mulch for a 

 strawberry patch, as it keeps the fruit clean 

 and free from earth and sand. Work the 

 mulch well in underneath the foliage and 

 bunches of blossoms. 



WATCH THE GOOSEBERRY AND CURRANT 

 BUSHES. 



Gooseberry and currant bushes will re- 

 quire careful watching toward the end of the 

 month for caterpillars. A weak solution of 



