SMALL FRUITS 441 



In irrigated regions planting can be done at whatever season the work 

 will give best results in future crop production. In humid regions rainfall 

 is a determining factor. 



How to Set the Plants. — Success in transplanting strawberry plants 

 depends, first, on the quality of the plant, and, second, upon the time and 

 manner of doing the work. If the plants are good, the stand, other condi- 

 tions being favorable, depends upon care in setting them. The success of 

 this operation is measured by the degree of compactness of the soil about 

 the roots of the plant. If the plant has many roots and these are thrust into 

 a hole made by an ordinary dibble, it is more difficult to get the earth in 

 contact "Rath the roots than when the plant has fewer roots. The plant 

 with the greatest number of feeding roots is, however, the most desirable 

 if properly handled. Such plants should be set in a broad, flat hole where 

 .the roots can be spread out in natural form. By giving the crown of the 

 plant a whirl between the thumb and finger to throw the roots out like the 

 ribs of an umbrella and quickly putting it in place while the roots are still 

 thrown out from the crown, the normal position of the root sj^stem can be 

 closely approached. 



Another very satisfactory method is to open a broad wedge-shaped 

 hole by thrusting the blade of a bright spade into the soil and moving the 

 handle forward. The roots of the plant are then spread in fan shape and 

 placed in the hole back of the spade. The spade is then withdrawn and 

 inserted about six inches further forward, and by a backward movement 

 of the handle the earth is firmly pressed against the roots of the plant. 

 Two persons — a man to operate the spade and a boy to place the plants — 

 can set plants very rapidly in this manner. This practice is particularly 

 well suited to localities with sparse rainfall, as it thoroughly compacts the 

 earth about the roots of the plant and allows the roots to extend full length 

 into the moist soil. Plants set in this way have their roots more deeply 

 inserted in the soil than when the roots are spread out in umbrella fashion 

 and as deeply as when set with a dibble. They also have the additional 

 advantage of being spread out so as to have a larger percentage of their 

 surface actually in contact with the soil than when set with a round dibble. 



Depth to Set the Plants. — No plant which the gardener has to handle 

 is more exacting in regard to depth of planting than the strawberry. As 

 the plant is practically stemless, the base of the leaves and the roots being 

 so close together, care is required to avoid setting the plant so deep that the 

 terminal bud will be covered or so shallow that the upper portion of the 

 roots will be exposed, either being a disadvantage which frequently results 

 in the death of the plant. 



Planting in Hills. — For the hill system of culture plants are set singly 

 either 3 by 3 feet apart, or with the rows 4 feet apart and the plants 2 feet 

 apart in the row, depending upon the character of the soil and the length 

 of time the plantation is to be maintained. In Florida a common practice 

 is to lay the land off in broad beds 8 to 12 feet Avide, the rows of plants to 



