STRAWBERRIES. VJ 



finishes the operation by firming the plant in the soil with h is 

 hands. As soon as the planting is done the cultivator should be 

 started to loosen up the soil. Great care should be taken to keep 

 the plants from getting dry when planting them out. 



Winter Protection, — Under whatever system the straw- 

 berry ma^^ be grown, it is benefited by being protected in winter 

 by a mulch of sufficient thickness to prevent frequent freezing and 

 thawing, which is very injurious to the plants. Of course a cover- 

 ing of snow will answer the purpose, but it is not safe to trust to it. 

 This mulch should consist of marsh hay, corn-stalks, straw, boughs, 

 or any litter that does not lie too close and is free from Weed seeds. 

 It should be put on deep enough to cover the plants. Nothing is 

 gained by covering very deep. This should be applied after the 

 ground is frozen hard enough to bear up a team. In spring it 

 should be drawn from over the plants into the intervals between 

 the plants, where it will act to preserve the moisture during dry 

 weather and to keep the fruit clean. 



Avoiding Frosts. — It sometimes happens that the blossoms 

 which appear about the middle of May, and are quite susceptible 

 to frosts, are seriously injured of cold nights. They may often be 

 protected when in this critical condition oy taking the mulching 

 from the rows and throwing it back again on the plants for a few 

 days, or until the danger from frost is past. Hay or straw sprink- 

 led with coal tar may be burned to windward of the bed of frosty 

 nights, and will make dense, heavy clouds of smoke that will afford 

 protection. If the winter mulch is left on as late as it is safe to do 

 so, which is until the new growth starts strongly, it will serve to 

 retard the plants and they will not come into blossom until a week 

 or so later than they otherwise would were the mulch removed early 

 in the spring and not until the great danger of frost is pa^t. This 

 latter method makes the crop late, but I think it the safest plan to 

 follow. An ordinary frost seldom destroys the stamens, its dam- 

 age being confined to the pistils, therefore the center or berry part 

 of the flower turns black. 



How to Continue Beds in Bearing.— Some growers pre- 

 fer to fruit their strawberry beds but one season. I think it best 

 to fruit the bed at least two seasons, provided it is in good condi- 

 tion when the first crop is gathered. I have often had the second 

 crop on a strawberry bed better than the first, but generally it is 

 not quite as good. The best plan to follow with an old strawberry 

 bed is about as follows : 



Renewixg Strawberry Beds.— There are several ways of re- 

 newing an old strawberry bed, but perhaps the following plan is as 

 good as any: As soon as may be after the crop is gathered the bed 

 is closely mowed and all the weeds and strawberi-y leaves are 

 burned. A plow is then run on either side of the matted rows and 

 all but about one foot in width of it is turned under. The furrow 

 thus made is filled with tine rotted manure and the cultivator set 



