60C now TO MAKE THE FARM I'AY. 



•takcMi up Willi ihc jilants, of course a hole must be niacle large 

 enough to receive cartii anJ all ; the roots arc thus left in their 

 natural position ; but when the roots are bare, they can be 

 forced into a very small hole, and will often grow in it. But 

 a much more certain and profitable course is to make a hole 

 large enough to spread out the roots. In either case the crown 

 of the plant should never be set below the level of the surface. 

 A cloudy day is the best for planting. The systenjs of cultiva- 

 tion and renewal are various. The first is the shiftless system^ 

 by which the plants are set out and allowed to grow until the 

 ground is covered with vines, weeds, and grass, with no fruit. 



The Alternate Strip System is on some accounts the 

 very be.st. Strike out rows three feet apart and set the plants 

 about a foot apart in the row. Let all the runners on one side 

 of the rows grow and take root, while all on the other side 

 are cut off. Thus every alternate strip of three feet will be 

 covered with vines which will give a crop of berries, while the 

 bare strip will serve as an alley for the pickers. After the 

 crop is over, dig up this alley, and the next season allow the 

 runners to cover and take root in it. After this season's crop 

 is gathered, dig in the old plants, and so on, digging up one side 

 each year. At the time of setting the plants, and at each 

 annual digging, a liberal coating of manure should be dug in. 



The Biennial System has of late years been popular, and 

 consists in planting in beds, three rows, eighteen inches apart 

 each way, and paths two feet wide. Hoe the plants, weed 

 faithfully, let the runners grow, and after the bed has produced 

 two crops, dig or plow it up and plant in a new place. 



The Annual System is the same, except that the plants are 

 put a little nearer together, cultivated the first season, bear the 

 second, and are then plowed or dug under. AVhcn pistillate 



