RENOVATING THE OLD BED gI 
shading of the soil and the liberal supply of 
moisture in the topsoil, making root growth; 
in colder regions retarding growth until all 
danger from frost is past. 
6. Lessens weed growth by smothering 
the young seedlings. 
7. Where some of the mulch is left on the 
bed after plant growth starts in the spring, 
it holds the fruit up from the soil, thereby 
enabling the grower to obtain cleaner fruit. 
HOW TO APPLY THE MULCH 
The easiest and quickest way to apply 
stable manure, fine chaff, or any other fine 
material on matted rows of strawberries, 
after the ground is fairly firmed by freezing 
in the fall, is with a manure spreader which 
straddles the rows. Set the spreader to throw 
fifteen tons to the acre; the plants will be 
covered just deep enough and very evenly. 
All coarse straw, vines, etc., will require 
hand labour. Stacks of these materials 
should be made, or loads should be dumped 
at convenient distances along the sides or 
ends of the strawberry bed; then men with 
forks can spread the material over the plants, 
being careful not to cover them too deeply 
