324 Our Farming. 



under them the better, if they can get through it. It keeps berries 

 clean and makes land moister in a dry time. Rake part of mulch off 

 after freezing weather is over and before much growth is made 

 under the straw. The mulch tends to retard spring growth, to 

 keep from starting as early. Where there is danger of frost, keep 

 on as long as it will answer. For early berries uncover early. The 

 danger if mulch is left too long is that plants will have made a 

 white, feeble, tender growth under it that will be killed by sudden 

 exposure. If you get caught that way, uncover when cloudy 

 just before a rain. If manure was used for mulch, go over them 

 and open with a fork and help plants to get through where they 

 seem likely to be smothered, soon after growth starts. This is 

 best done on a cloudy or rainy day. No further work need be done 

 until picking time. The mulch should prevent much growth of 

 weeds. If manure is used it should be free from seeds. A good 

 farmer, you know, cuts his hay before any seeds ripen, and has no 

 weeds in his hay or grain. There will be some growth of weeds, 

 grass or wheat (from grain in straw), towards the last; but no mat- 

 ter, you can soon plow them under. 



It only remains now to pick and eat them. The latter will 

 be much the pleasanter job. L,et them get fully ripe on the 

 bushes, and then pick and put down cellar until cool. Then use 

 granulated sugar and cream to your taste, and have them just as 

 free as water for weeks, at every meal great, large, delicious, fresh 

 berries, such as not one city man in ten ever tasted of. Where 

 picked for market, they must be gathered before they are fully 

 ripe, and they never can compare with fruit fully ripened on your 

 own vines. 



I tried to keep a little track of what our strawberries cost 

 us this season, as reported in The Practical Farmer of July 16. 

 Here are the figures, counting hired man's time, team work, and 

 all at cost, and I think I have them full high : 



Plowing (one-tenth of an acre) , $ .20 



Harrowing and rolling, 20 



Setting five hundred plants, 2.00 



Cultivating ten times, ' 1.25 



Cutting off runners and blossoms, 75 



Hoeing ten times (with hook), 2.00 



Hoeing five times, 1.50 



Cutting out paths in fall, 1.50 



Mulching, 1.50 



Use of land and manure, 1.60 



Fixing mulch in the spring, 30 



$12.80 



Last fall we did not thin out the plants. We got as many 

 bushels of berries, perhaps, but they were not as fine. This fall 

 we are thinning them. This would add a little to cost. In regard 

 to the figures given above, we could not plow and harrow a little 



