318 THE STRAWBERRY. 



from the ground, according to the hight of the plants, a 

 good support and economical in labor-saving. Tlie wire, 

 at time of pruning away the old bearing canes, may be 

 removed from one side, and again replaced after the prun- 

 ing is done. Covering the blackberry for winter protec- 

 tion is the same as that of the raspberry. ' 



Culture and Management of the Strawberry. ( 



The strawberry is not difficult to suit in regard to the 

 nature of the soil, for every year we see abundant crops 

 gathered from a variety of soils, differing widely in char- 

 acter, from a light sand to a heavy clay. 



The best soil is a deep, strong, sandy loam, but any soil 

 suited to the growth of ordinary field or garden crops 

 may be trusted for successfully growing the strawberry. 

 This should be broken up and pulverized by spade trench- 

 ing (page 72) or subsoil plowing (page 71), and enriched 

 by the admixture of- good stable manure to the depth of 

 full two feet. The quantity of manure will, of course, be 

 regulated by the condition of the soil. New soils of 

 good quality, unexhausted by cultivation, will require 

 very little, just enough to quicken those chemical changes 

 which it is necessary the elements of fertility should un- 

 dergo to convert them into a nutritive state. In old, 

 pretty well-worn soils a coating of three, four, or even 

 six inches of manure should l)e spread on the surface be- 

 fore the trenching or plowing begins, and be regularly 

 incorporated with the soil during the operation. If this 

 trenching or plowing can be done in the autumn, all the 

 better, and the soil should be left as rough as possible, so 

 that the frost will act upon it efficiently during the win- 

 ter. Then before the . plants are set in the spring, the 

 ground siiould be turned over once more so as to loosen 

 it and incorporate the various parts thoroughly with one 

 another. The beneficial effects of manure depend much, 



