STRAWBERRIES FOR THE HOME 147 
could be plentifully supplied from 400 plants 
set out each year, which would give 1,200 
bearing plants at the end of three years. 
“I believe it is a good plan for every gar- 
dener to have a few bell glasses to place over 
some of the largest plants, so that they can 
be forced to provide a few berries two or 
three weeks earlier than the regular crop. 
““A great deal depends upon the proper 
care of the strawberry bed. Cultivate it 
frequently, keep the runners removed, and 
in extremely dry weather water it thoroughly. 
““As to varieties, I would advise growing 
such varieties as have proved successful in 
your locality. Try some of the more promis- 
ing of the new ones, if you like, but for the 
greater part of your bed use the same varie- 
ties that your neighbour is successfully 
growing. 
“Mulch the bed in fall, but wait until the 
soil has frozen a little. This prevents the 
constant freezing and thawing, and if you 
use a good quality of manure it prevents the 
bed from running down and producing poor 
berries. In spring I turn the mulch right 
under between the plants. 
** After applying the mulch, which should 
