A B C OF STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 203 



the heavier tool continuously. Both of these plows are splendid 

 tools for working a strawberry-patch by hand.* 



PREPARING GROUND FOR STRAWBERRIES. 



From Gleanings in Bee Culture, May 75, 1898. 



Right near our quarter-acre of plant-beds is a piece of poor 

 clay ground that persistently refused to give decent crops of 

 any thing. It was not only poor soil, but it was in a low spot 

 where water had stood. I underdrained it, but it was soggy 

 and sour, even then. Then I made surface-drains all around 

 it. I plowed it up, worked down the lumps, and put on ma- 

 nure. I suppose a good many old farmers would have said I 

 had better let it alone and make garden somewhere else. But 

 the ground was near the railroad, and had cost at about the 

 rate of $2000 an acre. We bought it more to prevent somebody 

 else from locating there than for almost any thing else. Well, 

 I kept on working the ground, plowing manure under, and 

 working old well-rotted manure into the surface, but still it did 

 not seem to amount to much. Then I put on some cotton seed 

 that came to us with sweet potatoes packed in them ; put on 

 poultry manure ; then I gave it a good dressing with lime, and 

 finally it began to respond and " smile." We put out Marshall 

 strawberries and other kinds that were in demand, and began 

 to sell plants. The results of my patient working and manur- 

 ing began to be apparent. We had great beautiful berries, won- 

 derfully large and beautiful green leaves, and then great run- 

 ners almost as large as slate-pencils in size. And then what 

 beautiful plants we secured to send out to customers ! 



We kept working the ground with wheel-hoes between the 

 rows ; and every little while, when the plants got to getting 

 out into the paths, so it was difficult to cultivate, we would 

 stretch a string and take up all the plants outside of the string. 

 Then just after a rain we would run the hoes again until the 

 ground was fine, soft, and mellow. At one time I felt a little 

 fear that I was throwing money away by putting manure and 

 work on that piece of ground. But it has given us beautiful 

 plants that have paid several times over for the manure and 

 abor, and the ground is in such tilth now that it goes right 



