1 68 HIGGLE GARDEN BOOK 



for general planting hints. Before setting, many 

 growers practise shearing or cutting about one-third 

 off the ends of all roots. Remember that strawberry 

 plants are either pistillate (imperfect blossoms) or 

 staminate (perfect). Most growers insure good fer- 

 tilization of blossoms (without which the pistillate 

 varieties can not produce fruit) by setting one row of 

 a perfect-blossom variety, two rows of imperfect, 

 then another row of perfect and so on. As soon 

 as the field is all planted, start the cultivator and 

 loosen up the trodden soil. Hoe and cultivate the 

 plants often but shallow. Arrange the runners by 

 hand, spacing them properly and securing each one 

 in place with a little soil or a small stone. When 

 enough runners have rooted, cut off the surplus ones 

 the same as if they were weeds. Aim to have the 

 final row not more than eighteen inches wide, with 

 plants spaced (irregularly) six to eight inches apart. 

 Continue to hoe and cultivate until hard frosts come 

 in the fall ; then, when the soil is well frozen, mulch 

 the rows or the entire field with clean straw, marsh 

 hay, etc. In late March or early April, if the mulch 

 on the strawberry bed is heavy and packed down, 

 loosen it up a little and rake part of it into the 

 aisles between the rows. I do not believe that it is 

 best, usually, to cultivate or hoe the bed in the spring ; 

 simply pull up weeds that push through the mulch. 

 If you want to keep the bed another year, says a 

 writer in Farm Journal, after fruiting time mow off 

 the plant leaves and tops, let them dry, rake into 

 aisles, and set fire to dry leaves and mulch and burn 

 it off. Choose a dry, windy day for this job, so that 

 the fire will run quickly along the aisles. As soon 

 as the new growth starts, narrow down the rows 

 by plowing one furrow away from each side, and 



