The Small Fruit Garden. 321 



Now, the above is the neatest plan I can figure out, and as I 

 should do if starting again after having had experience ; but this 

 is the way we are doing: We have the currants, raspberries, etc., 

 about in the proportion given standing by themselves, about fifty- 

 six square rods. Then we plant each spring a new bed of straw- 

 berries, plowing up a little patch of one tenth of an acre in a 

 field. Our fields come right up around the house and strawberries 

 work in to our regular rotation. For example, we plowed a field 

 for potatoes in the spring of 1891, and set out sixteen rods in one 

 corner with strawberries. The field was put in wheat that fall, 

 and clover seed sown this spring (1892). There was the straw- 

 berry patch out, of course, but as soon as they were all picked 

 we turned the vines under and sowed clover seed, and to-day 

 (August iyth) the land is green with clover. From a little distance 

 you would hardly notice but what it was all sown at once. Our 

 garden (what crops we think best to bother with) is right in our 

 potato field each year. I speak of this because I would not like 

 to have you come here and think I did not practice what I 

 preached. If I could straighten my berries around into the shape 

 I have advised you, I would gladly do so. 



Now for the strawberries: I am not going into careful details 

 for market growers, but just far enough to enable you to grow 

 plenty for your own use and to do it cheaply. Manure the land 

 to be set out in the fall, if it is not rich enough. It should be 

 rich enough to bring at least thirty-five" bushels of wheat or 200 of 

 potatoes per acre. Plow in the spring as soon as it is dry enough 

 to crumble nicely, as deep as it has been plowed before, but no 

 deeper. Harrow and roll until it is as fine and firm as you can 

 make it. Get plants from nearest reliable grower, allowing him 

 to choose varieties for you if you are not posted. Tell him you 

 are not, and the kind of soil you have. There are perfect and 

 imperfect flowering varieties of strawberries. The former will bear 



A Perfect Blossom. An .Imperfect Blossom. 



if set alone, but are not as productive as the imperfect. The 

 imperfect will not bear much if alone. They want some perfect 

 plants near to fertilize them. I advise you to set alternate rows 

 of each kind. When your plants come, put them in the cellar. 

 Take about fifty at once and set them in a pail and fill with 

 slightly warm water, and you are ready for setting out. A cloudy 

 day is best, but any day will do, although towards night will be 



