CHAPTER XXXII 



The Fruit Garden 



I do not intend to discuss in this book the orchard fruits, 

 but shall keep to the kinds which young people can set out and 

 care for themselves, and which will yield quickly. Further, 

 I shall speak of only the common kinds of fruits and berries. 



Easy to cultivate, and best in yielding, is the strawberry. 

 It is usually planted in the vegetable garden, in rows, and 

 in good ground should remain but two seasons before it is dug 

 up. The plants can be most conveniently set in pairs of 

 rows, two feet apart, or less, and eighteen inches apart in the 

 rows. Once set, there are two methods of taking care of them. 



The first, hill culture, is simple. When once they are 

 established, strawberry plants send out runners, to make new 

 plants. In hill culture all these are cut off as soon as they 

 appear. Each plant then forms several crowns, which in the 

 second year make many berries. 



Matted row culture is different in allowing the plants each 

 to set runners (that is, to allow them to root) until the whole 

 double row is covered with plants standing about nine inches 

 apart. This must be carefully regulated by the gardener, 

 who should fix the runners in place by stones, pegs, or hand- 

 fuls of earth, so that they shall be properly spaced. Other- 

 wise the runners will crowd in some places, leaving others 

 bare. When once the row is filled, all new runners should 

 be cut off. Each plant will now form a crown, which will 

 make next year's berries. 



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