42 A B C OF STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 



plant this for early spring. In the summer, leave them all on 

 so they can go down deeper. The old roots do not grow after 

 you set out the plants ; but they keep the plants alive until new 

 ones can start. Trim of! all dead leaves and runners, as they 

 will be in the way when setting the plants out. After shaking 

 all dirt off, place the choice plants in a pail of water, to take 

 over to set in your new bed. Mr. Crawford says he would 

 shake all dirt off any way, to get rid of any worms that might 

 be in the roots, to save transplanting them to the new bed. 

 He pulled up some plants on his grounds, and showed me the 

 little enemy that was not wanted, quietly suggesting that shak- 

 ing thoroughly, and keeping in water, was bad for him. Skill 

 is better than luck to trust to. Of course, you will understand 

 that the roots of your plants should not be exposed to sun and 

 wind when you are taking them up. Some growers throw 

 them into a wet bag as fast as taken up, and remove them to a 

 cellar to trim. But we trim them right on the ground, one 

 person taking them up while two trim and put in water, having 

 a plant exposed but a few seconds. For transplanting in your 

 own grounds, use such care as I have spoken of, and your plants 

 will grow right along, every single one of them, as though they 

 had not been moved. 



There are many ways of growing strawberries. The farm- 

 er will not care to be perplexed with the details and advantages 

 of the different systems. I have given you a good, simple, and 

 safe way to grow berries for your own use. All is now told, I 

 believe, except how to eat the berries and how to can them. 

 Go out some morning while they are cool and moist with the 

 early dew, and bring in for breakfast a quart for each member 

 of the family, of great, large, dead-ripe Downings or Bubachs 

 or Jessies. Put on sugar and cream if you will, but it can 

 hardly improve them. After trying this princely way of living 

 for 66 straight meals, or longer, own up that you never knew 

 what luxury was when you bought your berries, now and then 

 a few quarts (picked before they were fully ripe, and common 



