A B C OF STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 155 



and the harrow kept going through the whole season. The 

 beds had better be worked rather narrow ; then the weeds must 

 be kept out by hoeing and hand weeding mostly by hand. 

 The only hope in either case is to keep the weeds from getting 

 a start. If they once get the advantage, and get away above 

 the plants, you might as well plow it all up. I will give you a 

 hint, however, in the line of " prevention is better than cure." 



A PI,AN TO LESSEN THE LABOR OF WEEDING. 



Some years ago during August I visited quite a strawberry- 

 grower. He showed me with pride a beautiful plot of perhaps 

 half an acre growing vigorously, and remarkably clean. Said I, 



" Mr. S , how many times have you weeded that patch 

 during the past summer ? " 



"Only twice." 



"Only twice /" repeated I, in great astonishment. He 

 smiled while he nodded bis head. I saw at once that there was 

 some trick, about it. Finally a thought came into my head. 



" Mr. S., will you please tell me what crop you had on that 

 ground last year? " 



He smiled again as he replied, " No crop at all." 



" Well, what did you do with the ground last season ? " 



" Oh ! I just plowed and harrowed it, and kept doing so all 

 the summer long. After I had made every weed grow that 

 could be induced to start, and killed it with a harrow, I set out 

 my plants on it this spring, and there did not many weeds 

 grow to bother me, as you see." 



Mr. S. was a farmer, and could spare an acre of ground 

 for one season much easier than he could hire hands to pull the 

 weeds from between the plants. I stated the matter to friend 

 Terry, and asked him if he could not grow a crop of some- 

 thing, and still kill the weeds as effectually as Mr. S. did. He 

 said at once that he could, and grow a crop of potatoes. And 

 this once more suggests the reason why friend Terry has little 

 labor in the way of weeding to do, compart d with what the 



