178 THE HANDBOOK FOR PEACTICAL FARMERS 



rows should be two feet apart, with the plants fifteen inches 

 apart in the row. The berries grown in this way are usually 

 more perfect, easier to pick, and the plants are healthier on 

 account of having more air and sunshine. The strength of the 

 plant is not allowed to go to runners and in this way there is a 

 more vigorous growth. 



The double-matted row- is formed by placing the rows three 

 and one-half to four feet apart and the plants two feet apart in 

 the rows. One or two runners are layered in direct line with the 

 parent plant in the row, and two sets of runners are layered on 

 each side of the parent plant. With this method the row soon 

 becomes matted. All extra runners should be cut off and the 

 space between the rows kept cultivated. 



Strawberry Plants Per Acre with Different Spacings 



Before setting the plants remove all poorly colored or broken 

 leaves from the outer and lower edge of the crown and prune off 

 some of the roots if they are very long. Set the root system so 

 it is free and not wadded in a ball. All the roots and the lower 

 part of the cro^\Ti should be in the soil and care should be exer- 

 cised to keep the heart and upperpart of the crown above the soil. 



The first season, if the plants are set in the spring, remove all 

 bloom and start cultivating shortly after the plants are set. 

 Cultivate after a rain, but not when the soil sticks to the imple- 

 ment. No practice is so valuable to the growth and production 

 of the strawberry as frequent and thorough cultivation. 



The bisexual (B) varieties have both the male and female 

 organs in the flower, and are therefore self-pollinated, while the 

 female flower, having only the female organs, if not pollinated, 

 will not bear fruit. 



The following list of standard varieties is recommended. 

 From one hundred and seventy-five to two hundred plants will 

 gupply a family of six with berries through the season : 



