Laying Out the Strawberry. 403 
districts flat culture is unquestionably best. Others lay out in 
double rows about two feet apart, and between each pair of 
rows the soil from the center is drawn up to each side, making 
a low ridge or level a little higher than the surface on which 
the plants are set. This levee serves as a walk between the beds 
and holds back the water upon the bed when irrigated by 
flooding. Another, and the generally-adopted plan, is to have 
the plants in double rows on a slight ridge, while between the 
beds is a furrow which serves as a walk and for irrigation. This 
is accomplished by throwing up the soil with the plow into 
ridges about two feet wide, with a double furrow between. On 
the sides of these ridges the plants are set, and often on the top 
of the ridge between the rows of strawberries a single row 
of onions or lettuce, or some other vegetable, is grown the first 
year. In irrigation the water is drawn up from the trenches by 
the roots and by capillary attraction, and the upper surface does 
not bake as it would by flooding if the soil be heavy. In hoe- 
ing out weeds and in fruit gathering, the workman walks in the 
ditch and does not pack the soil around the plant by tramping. 
This is the best method of laying out for large plantations. 
The rows are a uniform distance apart across the field, whether 
the space between be a ridge or a ditch. The method of ma<- 
ing the beds a little lower than the general surface of the ground, 
answers best on free, open soils with perfect drainage. Cultiva- 
tion can be reduced by covering the depressed surface of the 
bed with a mulch of fine, clean litter, such as chaff, cut straw, 
etc. This retains moisture and gives the berry a clean surface 
to rest on. Such a bed is an excellent arrangement for the 
home garden, 
In all arrangements the plants are set at less distances in 
the rows than the rows are from each other. Probably the pre- 
vailing distance is one foot between the plants; the range is from 
eight to eighteen inches in the practise of different growers, 
and determined, of course, largely by the habit of the variety. A 
vine like the Sharpless, with a spreading growth and long fruit 
stems, needs, perhaps, the sixteen inches which some growers 
give it, while the smaller, more compact, Longworth Prolific 
may do well with half that distance. 
Planting Strawberrics—Strawberry plants are set out either 
in spring or fall, or at any time in the winter when the ground 
is warm and in good condition. In the drier parts of the State, 
early fall or winter planting is more essential than elsewhere. 
If the ground is dry, water should always be used in planting. 
This may be given by thorough irrigation of the ground before 
planting, or a little water may be used in setting each plant. 
At planting it is usually best to remove all leaves from the plant, 
