THE n-Q 



GARDEN YARD ^^^ 



Cultivate as soon as all the plants are set, and 

 continue to do so once a week during the whole 

 season. Pinch off all blooms the first year and 

 cut off the runners. By so doing the plant wiU 

 spend its energy on root growth and in produc- 

 ing more fruit crowns for bearing the next year. 

 It never pays to crowd strawberry plants. Give 

 them room and keep them in hills with cultiva- 

 tion and you will get both pleasure and profit 

 from your patch. 



It pays to mulch strawberries. As soon as 

 the first hard frost has come, cover the bed with 

 about three inches of litter of salt hay or straw. 

 This prevents the ground freezing and thawing 

 during the winter. In the spring you clear a 

 space over each plant for the leaves to come 

 through, but leave the mulch on the ground. 

 It not only keeps the soil from drying out, but 

 it also keeps the fruit from getting dirty from 

 sand or mud. 



From the first ripening, pick your berries 

 as soon as they redden, every day if necessary, 

 and let the picking be done in the early morning, 

 before the sun has dried them. The berries 

 keep longer and have a better flavor. 



As soon as the plants cease fruiting, remove 

 the mulch and cultivate. A handful of bone- 

 meal mixed with the soil between each plant 



