94 MASSACHUSETTS HOKTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



Treatment the first summer. Cultivation should begin as soon as 

 the plants are set, and should be repeated whenever necessary to 

 maintain a good physical soil condition about the young plants, 

 and is dependent largely on type of soil and condition of rainfall. 

 Usually the entire land is given over to the strawberry crop but 

 under favorable conditions inter-crops or companion crops of low 

 and quick growing vegetables are used but this is not a common 

 practice. Spring set plants should not bear fruit the first year, 

 the blossom clusters being removed, so that the plants themselves 

 may develop more rapidly. The first runners should be encouraged 

 to root as soon as ready. The cultivator must be narrowed as 

 the runners occupy the ground. It is doubtful if the practice of 

 sowing a cover-crop among the plants in the fall should be encour- 

 aged, as the disadvantages more than offset the advantages gained. 



Winter treatvient. Strawberry plants are perfectly hardy yet 

 some winter protection should be provided. The frozen ground 

 should be covered lightly with some material of a strawy nature, 

 not for the purpose of keeping the plants warm but to lessen the 

 damage to the plants from the repeated freezing and thawing of 

 the ground. This is but one of a half dozen benefits to be secured 

 by the use of a winter mulch. Materials used are dependent on 

 what may be available, anything that will accomplish the results 

 desired, and which will in no way injure the plants. 



Treatment the fruiting season. The strawberry bed usually 

 requires but little attention the following spring. As warm 

 weather approaches the winter mulch may require stirring to keep 

 the plants from becoming smothered and when too thick the 

 surplus is placed between the rows. Occasionally if land is foul 

 it may be necessary to remove the mulch and cultivate between 

 the rows after which the mulch is replaced, and the largest weeds 

 cut out or pulled after rains. It is doubtful if the possible benefit 

 of smudging as a protection against late frosts at blossoming time 

 will warrant much expense in the purchase of any of the various 

 smudging devices now on the market. The certainty of any 

 benefit is far too uncertain. 



Renewal of beds. Generally but one crop of fruit, yet in many 

 cases two and occasionally three crops are removed before the 

 strawberry bed is discarded. It depends largely on the condition 



