WINTER PRO TECTION VARIETIES. 99 



affording protection to the fruit from dirt and serving as a mulch 

 to prevent the escape of moisture while the fruit is ripening. 



After the fruit has been gathered, if the bed is very weedy the 

 plants, together with the mulch, may be plowed under and a crop 

 of late cabbage or turnips planted. If the Strawberry 

 plot is comparatively free from weeds, the bed may be cleared 

 up with profit for fruiting again, by first running the mowing ma- 

 chine over it, and then raking up the cut tops and as much of the 

 mulch as possible with the horse-rake. The plow is then run 

 between the rows, leaving a row of plants eight or ten inches 

 wide. The plow is to be followed with the harrow or cultivator 

 lengthwise and then all weeds are hoed out between the plants. 

 A bed treated in this way will often yield nearly as many quarts 

 the second season as the first, but the fruit will be smaller and 

 often of inferior quality. Should the growth of the plants show 

 the need of it, a dressing of stable manure or fertilizer should 

 be applied upon the plants in the fall. 



VARIETIES. The varieties of Strawberries may be divided into 

 two classes according to the flowers: The pistillate, which must 

 be planted near other kinds producing an abundance of stamens ; 

 and the perfect flowered kinds, that produce both stamens and 

 pistils. The former are often more productive than the latter. 



Among the sorts most valuable for market and also for home 

 consumption, in order of ripening are: 



Crescent. This is a very early pistillate variety, vigorous, and 

 one of the most productive. In quality it is rather poor, but its 

 fine color and perfect form make it a very attractive variety in 

 the market. It easily takes the place of the old Wilson. It 

 must be planted with some perfect flowering kind. Every fifth 

 or even tenth row, set with plants of the Miner's or Downing va- 

 rieties will be sufficient to fertilize the Crescent. 



Miner's. This is a very hardy, vigorous, perfect flowered va- 

 riety, the fruit of which somewhat resembles the Downing ; but 

 it is more productive, vigorous and nearly equal in quality. The 

 fruit is large and ripens soon after the Crescent. 



Sharpless. This variety, so well known on account of its large 

 and irregular-shaped berry, is proving a profitable market and 

 home berry under good cultivation and in a light soil. The fruit 

 is sweet, but lacking the lively acid so desirable in a fruit at this 

 season of the year. The flowers are perfect, and it may be used 

 to fertilize the Manchester, but does not blossom early enough to 

 fertilize the first flowers of the Crescent. 



Manchester. This is a late pistillate variety of fine form, good 

 color and quality, and very productive. It must be fertilized 

 with some perfect flowered kind, like the Sharpless. 



The four above mentioned varieties are more generally proving 

 valuable than any other kinds. The Downing, which has been 

 very popular, and is still grown in many sections, is superceded 

 by Miner's for market. 



