THE STRAWBERRY. 169 



facilitate good planting, open a furrow on each 

 line with a hand plough, or hoe, in order that 

 the roots of the plant may be spread out evenly 

 and then pressed down firmly, as in natural 

 growth. It is a wretched practice to dibble the 

 roots into a hole and crowd them together in a 

 bunch, as is common. In such beds, the plants 

 being equi-distant, it will be easy to keep down 

 all weeds and also all runners with the hoe. 



Better results will be obtained by not allowing 

 any new plants to form, thus throwing all the 

 strength into the one crown which is to give the 

 fruit. By careful and persistent culture and 

 annual fall surface dressing, beds may be kept 

 under this single crown or stool system for sev- 

 eral years. It should be borne in mind, how- 

 ever, that a few kinds do not stool well and are 

 better adapted to the matted fyed system, which 

 is the plan most in favor in field culture. 



In matted culture the field is divided by the 

 hand plough into rows four feet apart, and the 

 plants inserted in the furrows one foot apart. 

 This work is done in April, and the plants are 

 expected to make runners and cover the field, 

 with the exception of a foot space for paths be- 

 tween the rows. When the ground is suffi- 

 ciently rich it is completely filled, and enormous 

 crops are obtained the second season. The ob- 



