226 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



however, the best soil is a deep medium loam, made rich by 

 the addition of stable manure ploughed deeply under, and the 

 surface well dressed with fine-ground l)one and potash, or fine 

 stable manure. An unfavorable soil may often be greatly 

 improved at a little expense. If too heavy and moist, under- 

 draining or the addition of sand will improve its condition ; 

 while if too light and dry, ploughing or spading under a 

 heavy coating of stable manure or other organic matter will 

 enable it to retain more moisture, without which a large crop 

 cannot be produced. New land gives the best results, ^. e., 

 that which has been in grass for many years ; but it should 

 not be planted with strawberries until some other hoed crop, 

 like corn or potatoes, has l)een grown on the laud one or two 

 years, to avoid injury from the "white grub" or larvae of the 

 May beetle, which are generally found in such land and would 

 continue feeding upon the roots of the strawberry when the 

 grass roots have decayed. 



Time for Planting. 

 The best time to set strawberry plants is as early in April 

 as the land will work up fine and mellow. Never set plants 

 in soil that will cake and dry into hard masses when pressed 

 in the hand. Early in the season plants have but little 

 foliage, the soil is moist and cool, evaporation is much less 

 than when the foliage is large and the sun high, and plants 

 are much more certain to grow than when set later. Sum- 

 mer and fall planting cannot be recommended when the best 

 results are desired. If one has neglected to plant in the 

 spring, it may be better to plant late than not at all, but 

 little or no profit can be expected. 



Setting the Plants. 

 Many persons fail to make strawberry plants grow, from 

 setting them too deep, others from too shallow planting, and 

 more from not pressing the soil about the roots firmly enough. 

 The following figures illustrate these conditions : Fig. 1, the 

 proper depth; Fig. 2, too deep, and Fig. 3, too shallow plant- 

 ing. A test of the proper firmness of the soil may be made 

 by taking hold of the leaf of the newly set plant, and if it is 

 properly firmed the leaf will break off, leaving the plant in 



