140 The Canadian Horticui/iurist. 



The other man, with his basket of plants, follows closely, using both hands, 

 and spreads out the roots like a fan so the soil will come in contact with every 

 part of the roots, leaving the top of the crown just even with the top of the 

 ground. This is very important, as the fine teeth of the cultivator must slip 

 around the plants when you come to cultivating. If you get the plants too deep 

 they will rot, if not deep enough when the ground settles it will expose the roots. 

 Now quickly press it down so that no dry dirt from the top will fall in on the 

 roots, and press it firmly that no air may get to the roots. 



.\fter speaking of the great advantage oi aitting off all runners m order to 

 raise very large, rich, high-colored berries, he says : 



You will get almost as large fruit and very much more of it by setting plants 

 about eighteen inches apart and then allowing about five runners to take root, 

 placing them somewhat in this shape : Let " A " represent the mother plant, 

 and "b " the runner allowed to take' root : 

 b b b b b b b 

 b A b A b A b 

 b b b b b b b 



the outside plants being at least eight inches from the mother plant. All the 

 plants will be about 18 inches apart. New runners will now form, but a narrow 

 garden hoe will chop them off pretty fast after you have taken the Planet Jr. 

 lawn edger and removed the "plow" and run along each side. This is the 

 finest thing I have ever seen for the purpose. It is the greatest mistake to let 

 plants form too thick. You have no right to expect a big crop of berries with 

 a plant on every square inch. 



Our practice is to chop them out as evenly as we can with a narrow garden 

 hoe, and then go over them rapidly, after having used the Planet Jr. runner 

 cutter, and pull them out as you would weeds. 



Some time ago we gave Mr. J. H. Hale's plan of keeping tally with the pick- 

 ers. Comparing notes of this kind interest all strawberry growers. Here is Mr. 

 Kellogg's plan : 



We formerly used tickets similar to those used by milkmen, having them of 

 the denominations of one and four ciuarts, with 24 and 50 quart tickets to ex- 

 change for smaller ones, so they would not ^et too cumbersome to the pickers. 

 They were frequently lost, and the superintendent .sometimes dropped them, 

 which caused much trouble and dissatisfaction. U'e now use a check slip of 

 heavy manilla j)aper, or sbii)ping tags can be had very cheaply, giving each picker 

 one each day with date put on back with rubber stamp. They are made " not 

 transferable," and if lost cannot be collected if presented by anyone else. The 

 name of each picker is written at the top. A hole is made in the corner so it 

 can he attached to the button-hole with string, and when their picking stand is 

 full they go to the packing shed and have the number of quarts punched out by 

 the shed lender with a (X)ndu(tor's punch. When thi' tickets are presented for 



