4. The Strawberry. 



The strawberry is the most popular fruit cultivated in Ontario. This is 

 doubtless due in part to the intrinsic value of the strawberry itself, which is one 

 of the most delicious of fruits, but it is believed that the popularity of the straw- 

 berry comes largely from the fact that it can be grown by almost every one, as, 

 unlike most fruits, very little land is required to produce sufficient for home con- 

 sumption. 



Strawberries can be grown in all parts of Ontario where the soil is suitable, 

 hence large quantities are produced and consumed annually,, and owing to the 

 difference in the time of ripening between the southern and northern parts of the 

 Province, the season is lengthened very much, and furthermore, the strawberries 

 of one district do not come in such close competition with those from another as 

 they would do if all ripened at the same time. 



Strawberries will succeed on almost any rich well drained soil, but the largest 

 crops are, it is believed, produced on a friable clay loam which is retentive of 

 moisture. It is important, however, to avoid planting- strawberries where water 

 is likely to lie at any time, as surface water is very injurious to strawberries, 

 and if water freezes over strawberries in winter they are almost sure to be killed. 



In preparing soil for this fruit, it should be made very rich. There are no 

 records known where land was made too rich for strawberries. There is nothing 

 so good as well rotted manure for this purpose. Fresh manure is not so good, 

 as it usually contains many weed seeds which will germinate after the manure is 

 applied. The manure should be thoroughly worked into the surface soil early in 

 the spring, for if this is not well done the soil will dry out, the conservation of 

 moisture being important in growing strawberries. Strawberries also do well 

 after clover, which in part takes the place of manure. The best time to set out 

 the plants is early in the spring. Fall planting is not recommended, as although 

 there is fair success in wet seasons, in a dry year the plants usually suffer. 



When the ground has been marked off into rows about 3J feet apart with 

 cross rows about 18 to 20 inches apart, the plants are set at the intersections of 

 the rows. The usual practice with large growers is for one person to open a hole 

 with a spade", and another, preferably a boy, to place the plant, the soil being 

 then pressed against the plant with the foot. In smaller plantations, planting with 

 a trowel will be found very satisfactory. The chief essentials in planting are first 

 to have the crown of the plant a little below the surface of the soil when it is 

 pressed down. If the crown comes above the surface of the soil the plant is 

 almost sure to die from drying out, and if set too deep the plant is liable to rot. 

 The second important point is to make the soil firm about the plant, thus causing 

 the moisture to rise to the roots. Strawberry plants are almost sure to die, 

 especially in a dry time, if this precaution is not taken. A third essential, is to 

 spread the roots in the cleft made by the spade, as although the plants will live 

 even if this is not done, they will start quicker and thrive better if the roots are 

 properly spread. After the plants are set cultivation should be thorough to con- 

 serve moisture and encourage the production of young plants early in the season, 

 as the earlier these young plants are produced and become rooted, the larger 

 crop they are likely to bear the next season. 



All flowers should be pinched off the first season, as they exhaust the strength 

 of the plant and delay the production of runners. The most common method of 

 growing strawberries is in the matted row. Grown in this way there should be 

 a row of plants about two feet in width by autumn. During the summer, as 



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