ABC OF STRAWBERRY CUI/TURE. 135 



the soil below as you pick it up. Our boys use a short stick to 

 lay across the top of the tube, so as not to hurt their fingers. 

 As fast as the tubes are filled with plants, set them back in the 

 tray. When you get a wheelbarrow load, take them to the 

 field, or where you wish your new plantation. Before going 

 further, however, I wish to tell you how I fix the ground for 

 putting out these plants. 



PREPARING THE GROURD FOR SETTING OUT STRAWBERRIES, 

 IN SUMMER OR FAI,!,. 



My favorite ground for this purpose is the piece where we 

 took out our early potatoes. These come off by about the mid- 

 dle of July. A month later we can have the piece of ground 

 where sweet corn has been gathered. But any good ground 

 will answer where some crop has been taken off. We first work 

 up the soil fine and mellow, with a cultivator, or, better still, 

 a cut-away harrow. Then we draw on stable manure at the 

 rate of forty or fifty loads per acre. In fact, we put on just 

 about as much as we can plow under. After plowing we har- 

 row again, and roll until all lumps are mashed, and the ground 

 is fine and mellow. Then if we can we cover the surface with 

 fine old well rotted manure, put on with a manure-spreader, 

 and this is also worked in with a cut-away or Acme harrow. 

 If we can get hold of a dozen loads of ashes we spread them 

 on with a manure-spreader. Last of all, I harrow the ashes in 

 likewise. Now roll it, picking out all stones larger than a 

 hen's egg, in the act of rolling. In fact, we continually pick 

 up stones in this way until no more are to be found larger than 

 a hen's egg, or even smaller than that. The ground is now 

 ready to mark out for strawberries. I would mark it as friend 

 Terry does, with rows four feet apart. We use what is called 

 Darnell's patent furrower and marker, for this purpose. As 

 you may not be familiar with it we submit a cut of the machine 

 here. 



You will observe the machine is kept steady by a pair of 

 iron runners, something like sled-runners. The metal disks 



