SOIL AND CULTURAL METHODS 



325 



eased leaves removed. It is important, in transplanting, 

 to shield the roots from the sun and wind, hence they are 

 usually carried in a pail of water or in a basket covered 

 with moist cloth. 



If the strawberry plant is set too deep, the soil washes 

 over the crown and kills it, while if set too shallow, the soil 

 will soon settle away from the roots, leaving many of them 

 exposed to the sun. If the soil is light and sandy, there is 



Fig. 172. Strawberries planted between the rows in a young orchard. 



less danger in planting too deep, but even under these con- 

 ditions it is better to set the plant in such a manner that 

 the crown will be level with the top of the soil after it has 

 settled. 



There are several systems of training strawberries. The 

 system used will depend much upon the variety and de- 

 mands of the market. The matted-row system is the 

 most common. Here the plants are set about eighteen 

 inches apart in the rows with the rows three to four feet 

 apart. The new runners are allowed to set wherever they 



