126 FACTS AND FIGURES OR THE 



SETTING THE PLANTS. 



October is the best time for setting plants in all parts of 

 the State. If possible use Southern grown plants, as they 

 are better suited to the soil and climate. Make the rows i8 

 to 20 inches apart, setting the plants 12 to 16 inches apart in 

 the row. Cultivate the plants often when they are small, and 

 then less and less as they grow larger, running the cultivator 

 just deep enough to break the top crust of the soil. 



MULCHING. 



Pine straw or wire grass will do fine for mulching. Do 

 not put the mulch on too soon ; get your plants to growing 

 good before you use it. 



PICKING AND PACKING. 



Try not to handle the fruit, but catch hold of the stem 

 and pinch it ofif. The best time to pick the berries is in the 

 early morning, but they must be dried off before they are 

 shipped. Sort the berries very carefully, throwing out any 

 small or deformed fruit. The appearance of your berries 

 when they reach market tells whether you get a top market 

 price, so it will net do to put them up in a careless or 

 shoddy manner. 



VARIETIES. 



The Excelsior, Klondyke and Lady Thompson are the 

 leading varieties that are planted very extensively in the 

 large shipping districts. The Excelsior is an extra early 

 kind, the Lady Thompson medium late, and the Klondyke 

 a main crop berry. 



