CHAPTER XXX. 



SOME SMALL FRUITS. 



THE home garden would scarcely be com- 

 plete without a strawberry patch, and 

 hardly anything gives better returns. 

 Strawberries grow in various kinds of soil, but 

 a light, sandy loam gives the earliest berries, 

 because that is the earliest, warmest soil. It 

 takes only a few well-developed, well-cared-for 

 plants to supply a family with berries enough, 

 and the care is no greater than would be given 

 corn. But you should make a careful selection 

 of your plants. Small, weakly plants, or plants 

 that have already been in bearing, are no good 

 for your purpose. Therefore, buy from an 

 honest dealer. Plants for setting should have 

 been grown for that purpose purely, and not 

 have been allowed even to blossom, as the im- 

 portant thing is to have a vigorous root growth, 

 and well-formed crown. 



This sort of strawberry plant will yield large, 

 delicious berries about ten to fourteen months 

 after setting out, and although a plot containing 

 100 plants requires not more than a half-hour's 

 work a week to keep the plants in condition, 

 after they have been well started, yet the jdeld 

 will be about a quart to each plant. 



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