Strawberry Culture 55 



is growing them on a large scale, however, he should by all 

 means grow his own plants, unless there is a reliable grower of 

 plants near enough so that he can go and get the plants just 

 when he wants them. When I advise people to grow their own 

 plants I do not by any means intend to convey the idea that 

 they should dig plants from beds grown for fruit. In nine cases 

 out of ten they will dig the little plants in the spaces, which are 

 the poorest on the place. It is very poor economy to set poor 

 plants simply because they are cheap. Furthermore the last 

 plants set on the runners frequently develop no fruit-buds the 

 first season but run more than others; and most varieties run 

 too much for fruit growers anyway. An extensive grower should 

 have a special bed for growing plants. He should set in it good 

 plants, give them good care, watch closely for insect enemies 

 and rust, spray them if necessary, protect them in the winter, 

 and, in the spring, have good clean plants which he can trans- 

 plant just when the conditins are most favorable, without any 

 delays and with no risk of poor handling and bad packing. 



If one desires to plant in the fall, the plant bed should be set 

 in the fall, so that the plants will send out runners early in the 

 summer. In digging plants in the summer and fall there is 

 generally a great waste of plants, part, at least, of which may 

 be avoided, as is explained under the heads of Transplanted 

 Layers and Raising Plants from Cuttings. 



Testing New Varieties 



Bvery grower is desirous of getting the best varieties for his 

 purpose, and this is as it should be. The plants are our em- 

 ployes, and their work is to collect the plant food found in the 

 soil and make it into berries. There is a wide difference in the 



