STRAWBERRIES. 



107 



think of cutting- his hay with a scythe. As the plants throw 

 out runners they are persistently cut off, a new fruit stem 

 resulting- from every runner that is so cut. The plants will 

 form pointing- crowns from four to six inches across, and the 

 result is, the fruit is more easily and quickly picked ; there is 

 no dang-er of trampling- on unseen berries, the crop is fully as 

 good and you have perfect control of both weeds and plants, 

 and are able at any time to hoe close up to the plant, thus 

 keeping- the plantation clean at all seasons. I have seen 

 many good patches absolutely wasted on account of the in- 

 ability of the owner to get among- them to cut out the weeds 

 for fear of destroying the fruit, whereas, had this hill system 

 been followed, a timely hoeing before fruiting time would 

 have saved the crop. 



After the fruit is picked all rubbish must be raked off 



and burned, I say burned as it 

 will then have no chance to har- 

 bor insects. The cultivator is 

 run lightly between the rows. 

 .As soon as the ground is well 

 [frozen in the fall, it will now be 

 in order to mulch the bed with a 

 layer of straw manure, or pre- 

 ferably marsh hay, the latter to 

 be preferred on account of the 

 liabiality of there being so many 

 foul seeds in the straw. This 

 covering should be about three inches thick over the entire 

 bed. In the spring care must be taken to go over the ground 

 and clear away the mulch so that a hole is left above each 

 plant, which will soon make its way above the covering. 

 This layer of straw has a three-fold advantage. In the first 

 place it keeps the frost longer in the ground, thus keeping 

 back too early a growth in the spring, thereby lessening the 

 chance of injury being done to the blossoms by spring frosts. 

 It helps to keep down annual weeds and makes a nice clean 

 cushion for the fruit to rest on ; it also keeps the ground 

 moist, and so prevents evaporation. 



