THE STRAWBERRY GARDEN. 173 



over the path so much, that the pickers tread upon and 

 destroy more berries than the space is worth. I began 

 with narrow paths, only to extend them a little each year, 

 till now they are, as you see, three feet wide." 



Just at this point a man appeared, leading a horse har- 

 nessed to a narrow stone roller. Behind came a couple of 

 bronze-faced German women. 



" Now," said Mr. Harker to the children, "you can see 

 the next operation. You will notice that the entire six feet 

 of space is bare, and that the runners are crowded up 

 against the plants. That was caused by the cultivator. 

 As it passed over the ground, it swept the runners one side, 

 and they clustered about the plants unharmed. The next 

 thing is to mark off a space three feet wide in the centre. 

 This is done by the roller. It is just three feet wide, and, 

 as it is dragged along, it rolls the ground down smooth for 

 the path, and marks the place where the new plants are to 

 be set. This having been done, the women come after, and, 

 selecting a strong runner, pin it down to the soil with a 

 small stone, so that the new plant, when it takes root, will 

 stand opposite, and just eighteen inches from the old plant." 



The horse stepped into the ploughed land, and the roller 

 went trundling down the hill, leaving its smooth track 

 behind. Then the women placed quickly and accurately a 

 runner at the edge of the path, and opposite each old plant, 

 A little arithmetic will show that the edge of the walk 

 would be just eighteen inches from the rows of plants, so 



