CHAPTER XI 



Proper Distance for Planting; 



The best distance apart for the plants to be set in 

 the field varies greatly with the soil, the variety, the 

 methods of cultivation and other conditions. Plants 

 set as close in rich clay soil as would give the best 

 results in a warm, sandy one, or those of a strong 

 growing sort, like Buckeye State, set as close as would 

 be desirable for sorts, like Atlantic Prize or Dwarf 

 Champion, would give little but leaves and inferior 

 fruit. In field culture I like to space the plants so as 

 to facilitate gathering the fruit, and recommend the 

 following arrangement: Set the plants according to 

 soil and the variety 2^ to 4 feet apart in the row, 

 omitting two or three in every 75 or 100 plants so as 

 to form driveways across the rows. Set the first and 

 second and the third and fourth rows, etc., 2.^/2 to 3^ 

 and the second and third and the fourth and fifth rows 

 5^2 to 6 feet apart. As the plants grow, those of the 

 first and second and those of the third and fourth 

 rows, etc., are thrown together and in many cases it 

 will pay to have a pair of narrow horizontal strips or 

 wires nearly 18 inches from the ground upon which 

 they can be thrown. 



This arrangement of the plants allows us to con- 

 tinue to cultivate the wider spaces between the second 

 and third and fourth and fifth, etc., rows, much longer, 

 and tends to confine the necessary tramping and pack- 



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