72 A B C OF STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 



lars more from that little patch experience as to the methods 

 of growing, and the best varieties for us, etc. Now, this was 

 but a single experiment, and you must not give it too much 

 weight. It may not settle the matter for all growers and all 

 conditions, by any means ; but it did for us, taken in connec- 

 tion with former experience. All our berries were set out last 

 year in rows four feet apart, and two feet apart in the rows. 

 The plants were set in the spring, before we knew how the dif- 

 ferent varieties would yield, of course ; so some kinds were set 

 out that were rejected this spring. But we got the matted-row 

 experience in time, and all our half-acre was trained in thin 

 wide matted rows. We didn't even care to leave a few in hills, 

 or keep them in narrow rows, to further test the matter. 



Another point : Having large choice plants right from our 

 own grounds to set out, and doing the work so carefully that 

 practically their growth was not checked at all, and the land 

 being pretty clean, it semed to me unnecessary, and, indeed, 

 not best to keep the runners cut off the newly set plants until 

 the middle of Jnly or first of August, as most market-gardeners 

 advise, and as I have advised farmers to do, in a previous chap- 

 ter. I reasoned that my plants were as large and strong and 

 able to grow runners that were thrifty by the middle of June, 

 or soon after, as plants under ordinary field culture \vere a 

 month or six weeks later. Again, that the sooner the plants 

 which were to bear the berries the next season could be started, 

 with a sufficiently thrifty parent, the larger and stronger they 

 would have time to become, and the better able to prcduce a 

 big crop of berries.* Therefore we set out the plants as early 



* Friend T., on account of the value of our land, and the close crop- 

 ping we give it, we put out our strawberries after early peas or early corn 

 or potatoes. We have not the ground to spate at any other time. I^ike 

 yourself, I want the very best plants I can get, and I want to get them go- 

 ing as soon as possible, that I may get at least part of a crop next season. 

 AHer selling them out, of course we keep the runners off. it being so late 

 in the season. Well, with verv rich ground and gnod treatment we get 

 enormous plants, usually, by November, and often plow them under after 

 getting just one crop of fruit. So you see our strawberry-patch gets really 

 no more time than a crop of cabbage, corn, and many other vegetables ; 



