The Strawberry Book. 24 
fall, as above), I take out the old strip with some of the 
new for my path; and thus I keep my plants one year 
old, which is the best for bearing. I ever allow weeds 
to grow at any season of the year.” 
Mr. Parker’s success is a guarantee that in his hands, 
at least, this system is a very profitable one. 
If more specific directions are needed for laying out a 
garden bed of strawberries, to be used for the supply of 
one’s own table, the following proportions will be found 
convenient : — 
Select a piece of good strong soil, — say sixty feet long and 
twelve wide, — spread on it early in the spring, and spade in, 
two or three inches of well-rotted stable manure. Rake off, 
and level the surface, removing all sticks, stones, and coarse 
lumps of manure; stretch a line one and a half feet from 
‘the edge of the bed, and set a row of plants one foot 
apart the whole length of the piece. Move the'line along 
three feet and set a similar row. Then set a third and 
fourth row in the same way, the fourth row, of course, 
being a foot and a half from the other edge of the bed. 
This being done early in April — in this latitude — the 
spring rains will soon give the young plants a good:start. 
Until the runners begin to grow, keep the bed hoed clean, 
and through June and July sprinkle a few handfuls of 
guano or unleached wood ashes over the bed on the ap- 
proach of showers or during settled rain. By the first of 
September the bed will be one thick carpet of healthy, 
luxuriant, well-rooted vines, which must have a good cov- 
ering of leaves and pine boughs in November. 
The next spring rake off the leaves, and put on a light 
dressing of well-rotted manure or a sprinkling.of guano, 
and pull out any large weeds that may show themselves. 
A narrow path, six inches wide, might be cut out through 
the middle of the bed for convenience in picking, but in a 
small garden this may be neglected, the pickers taking a 
little extra care not to step on and crush the crowns of the 
