^2 Strawberry Culture 



The best results cannot be secured where water stands for 

 weeks within a foot of the surface, during the growing season. 

 Whether this water is to be removed by surface drainage or by 

 underdrains each grower will decide for himself. Few of our 

 crops will endure more water near their roots than will the 

 strawberry, but drainage to the extent of removing standing 

 water from the surface or near it must be secured. During the 

 winter while the plants are dormant, the bed may remain under 

 water for two months without injury, but if the water stands so 

 near the surface that the soil is not only damp but wet, the 

 plants are very likely to be lifted out by the freezing. If there 

 is a low place where water stands on the bed during the winter, 

 the plants under water will be uninjured, while those near the 

 margin of the pond will be pulled out. For this reason the 

 ground must be graded so that no water will lie on any part of 

 the bed. 



Influence of Trees 



People are not generally aware that large trees in or near a 

 strawberry bed are very injurious on account of the water that 

 they draw from the soil. It has been proven that a large tree 

 standing alone in a field will draw from the soil and evaporate 

 into the air from forty to sixty barrels of water every bright day 

 in the growing season. Perhaps the elm is the most injurious, 

 as it sends its roots so far. A tree of this kind has been known 

 to send its roots 400 feet. As most of these roots are below the , 

 reach of the plow, and as plants get their supply of water mainly 

 from below, instead of from above, we can easily see why it is 

 so expensive to have trees near to a strawberry bed. In many 

 of our towns the gardens are nearly ruined by the trees growing 

 in the streets. All such trees should have their roots cut just 

 inside of the front fence, compelling them to get their living in 

 the street, which they are well able to do. 



