362 How THE FARM PAYS. 



to at least six inches in depth. This, then, is the preliminary work 

 before planting, to ensure a crop the next season after planting in 

 nine or ten months. The plants must be such as are layered in pots, 

 and the sooner they are planted out after the 15th of July the better, 

 although, if not then convenient, they will produce a crop the next 

 season even if planted as late as the middle of September; but the 

 sooner they are planted, the larger will be the crop. They may be 

 set from pot layers either in beds of four rows each, fifteen inches 

 apart, and fifteen inches between the plants, leaving two feet between 

 the beds for pathway; or be set out in rows two feet apart, the plants 

 in the rows fifteen inches apart; and if the plants are properly set 

 out (care being taken to firm the soil around the plant, which is best 

 done by pressing the soil against each plant with the foot), not one 

 plant in a thousand of strawberry plants that have been grown in 

 pots will fail to grow. For the first three or four weeks after planting 

 nothing need be done except to hoe the beds, so that all weeds are 

 kept down. Be careful to do this once in every ten days; for if the 

 weeds once get a start it will treble the labor of keeping the ground 

 clean. In about a month after planting they will begin to throw out 

 runners, all of which must be pinched or cut off as they appear, so that 

 by the end of the growing season (1st of November) each plant will 

 have formed a complete bush one foot or more in diameter, having 

 the necessary matured " crowns " for next June's fruit. By the middle 

 of December the entire beds of strawberry plants should be covered 

 up with salt meadow hay (straw, leaves or anything similar will do as 

 well) to the depth of two or three inches, entirely covering up the 

 plants and soil, so that nothing is seen but the hay. By April the 

 plants so protected will show indications of growth, when the hay 

 around each plant is pushed a little aside to assist it in getting 

 through the covering, so that by May the fully developed plant shows 

 on the clean surface of the hay. This " mulching," as it is called, is 

 indispensable to the best culture, as it protects the plants from cold 

 in winter, keeps the fruit clean, keeps the roots cool by shading them 

 from the hot sun in June, and at the same time saves nearly all 

 further labor after being once put on, as few weeds can push through 

 it. By this method we prefer to plant new beds every year, though, 

 if desired, the beds once planted may be fruited for two or three 

 years, as by the old plans; but the fruit the first season will always 

 be the largest in size, if not greatest in number. Another advantage 

 of this system is that, where space is limited, there is quite time 

 enough to get a crop of potatoes, pease, beans, lettuce, radishes, or, 

 in fact, any summer crop, off the ground first before planting the 

 strawberries, thus taking two crops from the ground in one year, if 



