110 ABC OF STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 



in our cellar for two days. I should not be afraid to pick them 

 Saturday night, for sale Monday morning early. 



Now, do you want to know what berries, of all tested this 

 year, I would grow for my own eating? (We tested several 

 varieties not mentioned). By all means the Downing and Ster- 

 ling, with perhaps a few Summits to surprise our friends with. 

 These would fill the bill with us for family use. The Downing 

 is just deliciousness itself, and the Sterling more tart and ex- 

 cellent in fact, the best I have, to can. 



I am more than ever convinced that the very heavy manur- 

 ing practiced by some is all unnecessary on good soil where 

 clover is grown in rotation and the best of tillage is given ; 

 also that fresh manure plowed under is better than rotten ma- 

 nure harrowed in on the surface. The latter will be more like- 

 ly to grow an excess of vines, on my soil, with small fruit-yield ; 

 and the former, moderate vines and abundant fruit. 



In our strawberry-harrow we used, this year, teeth sharp- 

 ened flat, like a chisel, at the bottom, instead of round-pointed, 

 putting the beveled side back. They take hold and work bet- 

 ter. See cut, p. 66. 



We found the width of our rows all right except with the 

 Haverlands. They throw out their fruit- stems over on the 

 straw iu the paths so far that it would have been better to have 

 the rows fiv^ feet apart, giving the additional foot to the 

 path. The photograph of our bearing bed was taken a few 

 days before picking time ; that of our newly set bed July 3, 

 just as we had let the runners begin to grow. A few had taken 

 root. Our boys had ust finished tearing up the soil with the 

 cultivator, roughly, after a heavy rain had packed it down, and 

 were about to hitch on to the strawberry-harrow, to stir the 

 light-colored strip of soil you see under the leaves of the plants, 

 as well as fine what the cultivator had left so rough. I tell you, 

 this harrow leaves little for the hoe. 



Our plan of mulching, which was something of an experi- 

 ment, we consider now quite perfect, and shall do exactly the 



