STRAWBERRIES. 177 



hoe. When the plants have approached so near 

 to the fruiting, the roots must not be disturbed at 

 all. Early cultivation gives time for new roots to 

 grow, and stimulates such growth. Where the 

 rows are sufficiently long, and the ground permits 

 it, this early loosening of the soil is accomplished 

 with a horse-cultivator better than with a fork, the 

 hoe following and levelling the soil and taking out 

 all weeds. 



My next step during the second season is to 

 mulch the plants, in order to keep the fruit clean. 

 Without this mulch the fruit is usually unfit for 

 the table. A dashing shower splashes the berries 

 with mud and grit, and the fruit must be washed 

 before it is eaten ; and strawberries with their sun- 

 bestowed beauty and flavor washed away are as 

 ridiculous as is mere noise from musical instru- 

 ments. To be content with such fruit is like valu- 

 ing pictures by the number of square inches of 

 canvas ! In perfecting a strawberry, Nature gives 

 some of her finest touches, and it is not well to 

 obliterate them with either mud or water. Any 

 light clean material will keep the fruit clean. I 

 have found spring rakings of the lawn mingled 

 dead grass and leaves one of the best. Leaves 

 from a grove would answer, were it not for their 

 blowing about in an untidy way. Of course there 

 is nothing better than straw for the strawberry; but 



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