21 



MULCHING- MATERIAL. 



The best for this purpose is clean rye straw, or hay of any kind, swale grass, corn 

 stalks, or crushed sorghum stalks. If these are >not to be had, well rotted tan ba'rk, 

 Baw-dust, or planing-mill shavings will answer. If the latter could be thrown in 

 heaps, and a little lime scattered through it, and remain thus for a few months before 

 using, it makes one of the best mulching materials. 



Many parties have tried, with good results, the practice of sowing oats among their 

 vines, late enough in the Summer (say July) to prevent them from ripening. These 

 fall down through the Winter, and make a fine mulch, evenly distributed over the 

 entire surface. 



There is no part of the cultivation of Small Fruits that pays better than mulching 

 the vines, for by so doing they will yield fully double the crop, and double the size 

 fruit, besides acting as a 



WINTER PROTECTION. 



This has become a necessary practice with those who are having the best success in 

 growing Small Fruits. Any of the above material scattered thinly over the surface, 

 late in the Fall, or early Winter, will prevent the ground from "heaving," which iia 

 .the ruination of many strawberry plantations that are almost perfection in the Fall. 

 Let it be remembered, that the germ of the fruit-buds are formed in the Fall and 

 consequently, if plants are disturbed by the action of the frosts, the bud must be 

 proportionally damaged ; therefore the great importance of preventing this "heav- 

 ing" of the soil. To do this, sudden freezings and thawings of the surface must be 

 guarded against and prevented. This is easily accomplished by merely scattering 

 enough mulching over the surface to shade it. 



After Spring opens, it is a good plan to pass over the plantation and loosen up this 

 mulching, especially if it be coarse, heavy material, so as to allow a free circulation 

 of air to the soil; for we have become satisfied that soil is "soured" by allowing 

 such to lay bound close to the surface, and the plantation damaged by such causes. 

 Herein is the trouble why many propagators denounce sorghum bagassa. If they 

 would stir it up after Spring opens, and draw it away from over the crowns of the 

 plants, they would find it one of the best materials for mulching. 



TAKING UP PLANTS FOR SETTING-. 



Persons who have not had the experience in setting out strawberry plant*, can have 



no idea how 1 important it is ^^ to have plants taken up wita 



the roots all kept straight, MMsE; aud Packed thus, (if they are 



to be shipped.) We would jSKgffifcj^jigllllfe^ P refer to pay $4 per 1,000 



for plants taken up and tied §^Qg||3p^^ K£!ga s l£ ™ bunches, as represented by 



Fig. S, than one-half the ,PpffiSiif«llS§BE== r Price, when they are taken 



up aad thrown into barrels 'OTwjH^ ^ ==s= "^===- or boxes " hilter skilter, " as 



is generally done by those ^«SZ3ro who sell plants "cheap." 



Fig. 8. 



When taken up for sett jig, the ground should be loosened up with a fork, and tae 

 plants carefully raised with one hand and placed in the other with the roots straight- 

 ened out, and the top and runners kept above the hand ; as fast as a handfull is taken 

 up, press the bunch close and cut off all superfluous leaves and runners ; then place in 

 layers in boxes or baskets, or lie in bunches as shown above. If taken up and kept in 

 this way, one good active man will set from 3,000 to 5,000 plants per day, while if 

 thrown in promiscuously as taken up, it will take at least one-half or a person's time 

 to straighten out the roots and pick off runners so that they will be fit to set, and 

 consequently double the time and expense is made in setting. To show this more 

 clearly we present here a drawing of a plant, the root of which has been kept 

 straightened (Fig. 9), and another (Fig. Iff) that has not been kept straight. Any 

 person will see at a glance that the straightened root is in fine shape for setting with- 

 out any tronble, whue the other has got to be all straightened out before it can be set 

 properly. 



