ABC OF STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 39 



use marsh hay (because there are no seeds in it), or, what 

 will be handiest for most farmers, wheat straw, spreading it 

 evenly over the bed, just so you can not see through. Do not 

 leave any bunches of either straw or manure, or you may 

 smother some plants. I have heard of mice destroying straw- 

 berry-plants on a mulched patch ; but they have never got into 

 mine. We use wheat straw for mulching. Our fields are kept 

 very clean, so there is no chance for mice to hide, and I think 

 you will hardly find one at any time within fifty rods of our 

 strawberries. Where they are abundant I would try a light 

 coat of cut straw for mulching, not over an inch or so deep. I 

 never have any mice in my stubble (wheat stubble, newly seed- 

 ed), because we mow them once or twice ; and all the growth 

 falls down and partly decays, hugging the ground closely. 

 Mice will not come into such a field. They are too exposed. 

 Cut straw will lie down closely about the strawberry-plants, af- 

 fording less shelter to the mice from the eyes of hawks. In 

 the spring, after freezing weather is about over, select a wet 

 day and rake about half the straw (if long straw was used) off 

 from the plants, and tread it down in the paths between the 

 rows. You can do this best when it is wet. The plants will 

 grow up through the other half, with a little help. If there 

 are any bare spots, leave all the straw on them. You must 

 watch, and not wait too long before removing part of the straw 

 from the plants. If they grow much under the straw it will be 

 a white, feeble, tender growth ; and taking the straw off then 

 would leave the plants liable to injury by a frost, or the hot 

 sun. Remove the straw, then, before they make much new 

 growth. Do it in rainy, cloudy weather, so they can get a lit- 

 tle used to outdoor weather before the sun strikes them. If 

 you use manure for mulch, and shake it very finely, you may 

 not need to remove much. The plants may find their way up 

 through it all right. I like to have all the mulch left on them 

 that they can comfortably grow up through. You will, of 

 course, keep watch and help any plants that find trouble in 



