166 THE STRAWBERRY. 



A good method of preparing the ground for a strawberry plan- 

 tation is to seed it down with clover. During the winter give 

 the clover a good heavy top dressing of ashes. When the clover 

 conies into bloom the next summer, plough it all under, using a 

 chain, if necessary, in order to cover it. In the fall cross plough, 

 following the plough with the subsoiler. In the spring put on all 

 the manure from the barnyard that can be had, plough it under 

 by crossing the last furrows, and again follow with the subsoUer. 

 Now sow with carrots or mangolds, and keep them clean. In 

 the fall, if the soil be clayey, plough again, and leave the ground 

 rough during the winter. In the spring, put on all the old, fine, 

 thoroughly decomposed manure, that has been provided, together 

 with any fine ground bones there are to spare, and harrow it 

 in with a two-horse cultivator, run as deep as possible. Finish 

 by pulverising well with the harrow, and then set the strawberry 

 plants. Ground that has been prepared in this way is much 

 easier kept clean, and will produce healthier plants and larger 

 berries, and more of them, than any slip-shod style of cultiva- 

 tion. 



In garden cultivation, the ground may be laid off in beds, 

 and the plants set in rows two feet apart, and one foot apart in 

 the row. After taking two crops of fruit, it will be found a sav- 

 ing of labor to spade the plants under, and rely upon another 

 "bed, which was set out in April previous, in preference to keep- 

 ing the old bed clean. 



A good supply of moisture during the time that the fruit is 

 swelling and ripening, is a very essential thing in successful 

 .strawberry culture. In many parts of the country we are liable 

 to have dry weather during a great part of June, just when the 

 strawberry needs a great deal of moisture. In order to lessen 

 the evUs of this dry speU, recourse should be had to mulching, 

 and as it can not yet be quite certainly foretold what the weather 

 is to be, the mulch should be put on about the first of June. 

 The most convenient and best mulch that can be applied is short 

 grass, cut from the lawn or meadow. This will scatter no seeds, 



