Planting 95 



content of the soil will also help to insure the future 

 success of the undertaking. 



Whether to plant in hedge-rows or check-rows, must be 

 decided before planting begins. The decision will be in- 

 influenced both by circumstances and by the individual 

 preference of the grower. Many fields cannot well be 

 cultivated in both directions. This may settle the matter 

 at the outset. Much difference of opinion seems to exist 

 as to which is the better method, where either one is 

 feasible. The method of training to be used will also help 

 to determine the plan best adapted to the individual case. 



Those who advocate the check-row system claim that 

 larger and finer fruit is produced, with less hand work. 

 To keep a hedge-row free from weeds and grass is a labori- 

 ous and troublesome undertaking. Working both ways 

 with the horse and cultivator, taking care to keep the 

 hills well within bounds, does away with much of that 

 work, but increases the amount of horse-work. It is 

 generally believed that the yield from hills is less than 

 from hedge-rows, but some advocates of the hill system 

 claim that this is not the case. It would seem that to 

 secure satisfactory results from hills these hills would 

 need to be left quite large, and in that case there would 

 still be considerable opportunity for weeds to grow. For 

 hill cultivation the plants are ordinarily set six to eight 

 feet apart each way. 



Having decided on the method to be employed, mark 

 out the land to correspond, plowing good, deep furrows in 

 one direction to receive the plants. In setting, time will 

 be saved if three or four men can work together. Let one 

 carry the plants in a pail of water, and drop them at the 



