THE BUSH FRUITS 209 



With all of these systems it is best to keep all of the 

 runners cut off from the old plants until they have 

 gained considerable strength, generally up to the first 

 of July, before the permanent runners are allowed to 

 root. It takes more work to keep the weeds out of a 

 matted row than from the hills or hedge rows, as most 

 of them must be pulled by hand, the hoe starting the 

 half-rooted plants as it is run in among them. 



Thorough and frequent cultivation must be given 

 from the time the plants are set until the ground freezes 

 in the fall, as many weeds like grasses and chickweed 

 grow at any time when the ground is not frozen. One of 

 the great advantages of the hill system is that this work 

 can be done with the horse the wide way of the plants, 

 and the narrow way with the hand wheel-hoe. In the 

 spring we have grasses, pigweed, shepherd's purse, chick- 

 weed, etc., to contend w r ith; in the summer, "pusley," 

 barnyard grass, etc., and in the fall, shepherd's purse, sor- 

 rel, chickweed, etc., and the time to kill them is when the 

 little seedlings are bursting through the ground. From 

 April to July the work, except pulling off the runners, 

 may be entirely done by the horse with the cultivator 

 and weeder. The latter tool covers six feet of surface 

 at once, and where the soil is free from sticks, grass, 

 or weeds, the plants will not be injured by it. 



Winter Protection. 



The strawberry plant is perfectly hardy to the far 

 north, but is easily injured during the winter by freez- 

 ing and thawing weather, especially in moist soils, and 

 must be covered for protection from this danger. Coarse 

 strawy manure, old hay or straw, pine needles, pine 

 boughs, etc., may be used for this purpose. Care should 

 be taken that the covering material does not contain 

 weed seeds. Most growers put this covering on after 



