PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. 19 



PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. 



Clear the ground of weeds, roots, and seeds of all 

 kinds, as far as possible, in preparation for thorough, 

 drainage, which in most soils should be attended to the 

 first thing. The best drains are the earthen tile drains, 

 from two to four rods apart, which should be so con- 

 structed as to be left open at both ends for the circula 

 tion of the air, as well as the release of stagnant water. 

 A brush or coarse stone drain is beneficial as a tempo- 

 rary expedient. 



The strawberry is so sensitive to both drought and 

 stagnant water that most of the best land in our coun- 

 try should be well drained and trenched, if we would 

 receive in return uniformly large crops of fruit in all 

 seasons. After draining, break up the soil as deep and 

 thoroughly as possible with a subsoil plough, or trench 

 it with a spade to the depth of full twenty inches. 

 By this process the strawberry roots can penetrate far 

 below the effects of our severest droughts, which never 

 extend, in good soil, it is said, more than from five to 

 seven inches below the surface. Where the ground is 

 properly prepared, the roots penetrate to a much 

 greater depth than is generally supposed. 



The late Mr. A. J. Downing assured us that he had 

 traced the roots of a strawberry plant in one instance 



