34 A B C OF STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 



only for clean and timely culture. If weeds get started once 

 why, then we must use a common hoe to destroy them. The 

 pronged hoe acts as a rake or a weeder in the field. 



Now, remember that just stirring the soil slightly to keep 

 weeds from growing or showing at all, is nice work ; but that 

 if you let them once get a good foothold you have got either 

 defeat or a discouraging job before you. I know how hard it 

 will be, with the press of work that often comes on the farm, 

 to attend to this matter always promptly ; but that is the way, 

 and I know you can do it. The first summer we had strawber- 

 ries (a quarter of an acre) we took good care of them without 

 much trouble until haying and wheat harvest and potato culti- 

 vating all came in a lump, without a breathing-spell between. 

 For two or three weeks then we did not have a moment to 

 spare for the berries, as it seemed to us. We were much trou- 

 bled with purslain. During that hot weather it got well started 

 in these berries ; and if we did not have a time cleaning them 

 after that ! We picked up and carried out bushel after bushel, 

 as it had got started so well that hoeing would not kill it. 

 Well, we conquered, but at great cost. Since then we have 

 taken time to stir the soil hastily, even during harvest time, so 

 as to prevent the purslain from starting, and our other work 

 has been done all right too, some way. Few men are now do- 

 ing so much that they can not do more by a little better man- 

 agement or more system. 



I might say that the soil we selected for berries, although 

 moist, is a little better drained than some portions of our fields. 

 During a heavy shower water will collect in the low places in 

 the fields ; and although the drains take it away promptly, 

 these spots are not dry enough to cultivate as soon as the berry 

 ground where there are no low places. So we can have two or 

 three hours to work in the berries, after a shower, before the 

 land is dry enough to cultivate right through in the field. 

 Thus the berries have had proper attention without interfering 

 at all with field work, and we have all sorts of berries besides 



