Strawberry Culture 4.9 



shed its roots or leaves, it may be taken up at the end of the 

 season's growth, after its blossom buds are developed, or before 

 next season's growth begins, and taken elsewhere to bloom and 

 fruit. 



Mr. Beaver pursues still another course. His wonderful suc- 

 cess depends less on the method adopted than on his faithfulness 

 in attending to the details. When his bed is done bearing it is 

 immediately spaded and prepared for replanting. He prefers to 

 have the ground ready some weeks in advance so as to have 

 time to settle, for he believes in firm soil. A strong point with 

 him is never to let the plant receive a check from the time the 

 runner first becomes rooted until the end of the growing season. 

 To gain this end he is not in a hurry to set out his plants, for it 

 is sometimes difficult to keep plants in full vigor if planted very 

 early, and every runner kept off. A plant rooted in September 

 will produce as large berries as one rooted in July, but not so 

 many of them. 



Here is his method : In July strong, healthy plants are 

 selected to take runners from. Only two to four are taken from 

 each plant. They are not potted, but layered in the bed, and 

 are watered while they are rooting, lest they receive a check. 

 When they are rooted they are transferred to the bed with per- 

 haps a quart of earth. They are shaded and watered until estab- 

 lished in their new bed. Then frequent hoeing is the rule. Not 

 a weed is allowed to show its head, and every runner is cut off 

 before it exhausts the plant. We would call this good culture, 

 but this is not all. At various times through the summer the 

 spaces between the rows are covered with stable manure, and 

 then thoroughly watered. Perhaps this manure will be drawn 

 up close to the plants the next day, and the spaces hoed. This 



