SYSTEM OF GEOWING STEAWBEEEIES 



NEARLY every one who grows 

 strawberries for home use or for 

 market has his own ideas as to 

 how the plants should be set out and cared 

 for. If perfectly satisfactory results are 

 obtained by the system already in use, it is 

 well to be conservative about adopting new 

 methods of culture ; but few are ever per- 

 fectly satisfied, and any suggestions where- 

 by desired results can be attained more near- 

 ly may be worth considering. 



There are four general methods of grow- 

 ing strawberries — the hill system, the hedge 

 row, the matted row, and the modified mat- 

 ted row. In the hill system the plants are 

 set out in check rows about 2^ ft. by 2 ft. 

 apart, and no runners are allowed to form. 

 This continual clipping back concentrates 

 the vital forces in the original plant, and in- 

 stead of expending the greater part of its 

 energy in reproducing new plants, it goes 

 to developing fruit crowns of great strength 

 and vigor. Everything that will aid in this 

 development should be supplied in liberal 

 quantities. Plant food and moisture are 

 two of the most essential requisites. Aim 

 to grow plants with such a multitude of 

 crowns that a bushel basket will not cover 

 them. This system is of special value when 

 one desires to grow extra large fancy ber- 

 ries of high color and quality. It is more 

 generally used by amateurs than by com- 

 mercial growers ; still, this is no reason why 

 it should not be commercially successful for 

 a fancy trade. For the home garden there 

 is no better method, as the best berries are 

 none too good for the family. It is quite 

 important to make a wise selection of varie- 

 ties, for not all stool up equally well. Mar- 

 shal, Parker, Earle and Brandywine are ex- 

 cellent for this purpose in locations where 

 they succeed. 



The hedge row system naturally follows, 

 for it is really a modified hill system. The 

 plants are set out in rows about 3 ft. apart 

 and 18 to 24 in. in the rows. The first run- 

 ners should be allowed to root, placing them 

 so that they form a continuous row with 

 the plants originally set. They should not 

 be nearer than 4 to 6 in. for best develop- 

 ment. After a row has once been formed, 

 keep all runners cut off by a wheel disk at- 

 tached to the hand or horse cultivator frame. 

 N'carly ^\l that has been said in regard to 

 the development of the fruit crowns in the 

 hill system applies here, the crowns develop- 

 ing amazingly when once the tendency of 

 runners to vines is checked. The hedge 

 row system has the advantages of the hill 

 system without entailing so much labor and 

 expense. It allows one to cultivate right 

 up to the plants, thus saving moisture and 

 doing away with a certain amount of hand 

 work. When the fruit is ripening, it is ex- 

 posed to the sunlight, and size, flavor, firm- 

 ness and color are obtained. Sample, Clyde. 

 Haverland and Glen Mary are standard 

 varieties that do exceptionally well grown in 

 this way. When the merits of this system 

 of culture become more generally known, 

 the writer is convinced that the up-to-date 

 commercial strawberry grower will adopt it. 

 to the exclusion of others. 



The matted-row system consists in setting 

 the plants in rows 3^ or 4 ft. apart, 2 to 

 2^ ft. in the row, keeping off all runners 

 for several wrecks until the plants become 

 established, then allowing the runners to 

 form until a space 18 in. to 2 ft. wide is cov- 

 ered. On strong soil and with abundance 

 of moisture, large yields of medium grade 

 berries can be obtained. This method is 

 very generally practiced, probably because 

 it requires the least care. Its disadvant- 



