Strawberries. 6 1 



an altitude of 7,000 feet, that will not grow some kinds ; as 

 we have known them to fruit bountifully at an altitude 500 

 feet higher than we have named. 



CULTURE. 



E. R. COSSON : When the plant arrives, should the ground 

 not be ready or the weather unfavorable, take them from 

 the package, loosen the branches, dip the roots in water, 

 and put them in a cool place away from the sun, wind and 

 frost. Moist but well drained land is the best for the straw- 

 berry. Avoid the shade of trees. The soil should be 

 thoroughly and deeply pulverized, and fertilizers used freely. 

 The size and number of berries will be in almost exact pro- 

 portion to the cultivation and fertilization given. In setting, 

 do not plant deep, but press the earth very firmly about the 

 plants. Do not plant on a windy day. The earlier plants 

 are set, the better, always. For hill culture, plant in beds 

 four feet wide, with alleys two feet wide between them. 

 Plant in each bed three rows of plants fifteen inches apart, 

 and the plants the same distance apart in the rows. For the 

 matted row system, plant in rows three feet apart, and the 

 plants a foot apart in the rows. 



H. McALiSTER, JR. : I prepare the ground for strawberries 

 with great care, manuring it heavily and digging it over 

 several times, thoroughly incorporating the manure with 

 the soil. I set the plants in rows two feet apart and about 

 a foot apart in the row. In a year or two I allow the plants 

 to thicken up in what E. P. Roe calls the matted row sys- 

 tem. The beds are carefully mulched every autumn, or 

 rather early winter, with leaves or long manure, scattered 

 very thinly over the whole bed. If properly cared for, a 

 plant will bear heavy crops for four or five years, although 

 most growers will find it profitable to renew every third 

 year. I keep leaf mould or other fine mulching around my 

 plants during the bearing season. 



It is said- that for every runner that is cut off, a fruit 



