The Strawberry Book. 27 



fall, as above), I take out the old strip with some of the 

 new for my path ; and thus I keep my plants one year 

 old, which is the best for bearing. I never allow weeds 

 to grow at any season of the year." 



Mr. Parker's success is a guarantee that in his hands, 

 at least, this system is a very profitable one. 



If more specific directions are needed for laying out a 

 garden bed of strawberries, to be used for the supply of 

 one's own table, the following proportions will be found 

 convenient : 



Select a piece of good strong soil, say sixty feet long and 

 twelve wide, spread on it early in the spring, and spade in, 

 two or three inches of well-rotted stable manure. Rake off", 

 and level the surface, removing all sticks, stones, and coarse 

 lumps of manure ; stretch a line one and a half feet from 

 the edge of the bed, and set a row of plants one foot 

 apart the whole length of the piece. Move the line along 

 three feet and set a similar row. Then set a third and 

 fourth row in the same way, the fourth row, of course, 

 being a foot and a half from the other edge of the bed. 

 This being done early in April in this latitude the 

 spring rains will soon give the young plants a good start. 

 Until the runners begin to grow, keep the bed hoed clean, 

 and through June and July sprinkle a few handfuls of 

 guano or unleached wood ashes over the bed on the ap- 

 proach of showers or during settled rain. By the first of 

 September the bed will be one thick carpet of healthy, 

 luxuriant, well-rooted vines, which must have a good cov- 

 ering of leaves and pine boughs in November. 



The next spring rake off the leaves, and put on a light 

 dressing of well-rotted manure or a sprinkling of guano, 

 and pull out any large weeds that may show themselves. 

 A narrow path, six inches wide, might be cut out through 

 the middle of the bed for convenience in picking, but in a 

 small garden this may be neglected, the pickers taking a 

 little extra care not to step on and crush the crowns of the 



