STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 59 



"Warfield and Farnswortli : Vigorous growers. Strong, healthy 

 plants. 



Parker Earle and Michel's Early : Very promising. 



Crescent : This variety is more extensively grown than any 

 other, particularly in the North. It is early, haixly and productive. 

 Fruit with me good both in size and quality. I always take it as a 

 standard for judging other varieties. There are others better in qual- 

 ity, but they lack in some essential point, vigor, productiveness or 

 are troubled with leaf blight. I always advise those who never 

 have raised strawberries to start with Crescent and some good fer- 

 tilizer. If a large berry is desired, use Sharplessor Jesse. If not, 

 I think Michel's Early would give best results. 



After the question of varieties is settled and you receive the 

 plants get them into natural conditions as soon as possible. Do 

 not leave them standing in water, but untie the bunches, moisten 

 the roots and if your ground is not ready, heel them in somewhere 

 protecting from sun. Wherever your fruit garden is arrange it so 

 as to cultivate by horse power. In preparing the ground have the 

 surface raked smooth or some plants will be set too high and others 

 too low. In either case they would not grow well for the cultivator 

 will either smo her them or they will dry out. 



Be sure to have the rows straight so the cultivator may be run 

 close to the plants. To secure t'lis either set by line or sight the 

 rows through by stakes and run some heavy truck by the stakes to 

 mark the row. For matted row system of growing have the rows 

 three and one-half or four feet apart, plants from twelve to twenty 

 inches in the row owing to vigor of growth. Mr. Augur in a paper 

 read before the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, February 14, 

 1891, recommended the triple row system setting in rows three 

 feet apart and one and one-half feet in the row, allowing each 

 spring set plant to throw one strong runner on each side, rooiing a 

 single plant opposite the intervening spaces. In setting be sure 

 and press the soil firmlj' about the roots, to insure a quick start. 

 Soon as the buds appear cut them out, and lA the plant get well 

 established in its new quarters before letting the runners grow. After 

 the runners g^t started spread them out over the surface as evenly 

 as possible as the cultivator tenrls to bunch them. After the ground 

 is frozen cover so as to just hide the plants between the rows, as 

 well as over the plants, with some seedless material, clean straw, 

 meadow hay or boughs. I like straw or hay best as it is much less 



