Planting 31 



horse, is the chief factor. If plants of strong-growing 

 varieties are set at least thirty inches apart in the row, 

 they may be worked both ways several times with a horse 

 cultivator before they have thrown out many runners; 

 this saves much hand hoeing. Most growers, however, 

 use the horse cultivator but one way, and set the plants 

 closer together in the row. The interval should be such 

 that it can be covered with one round of the cultivator 

 conveniently. Where eight or nine inches of mulching 

 material are nieeded, the rows should be six feet apart in 

 order to accommodate the large amount of straw that is 

 pushed into the middles when the plants are uncovered in 

 the spring. 



Whether the plants are set alone or with a companion 

 crop may affect the distance between rows. In the Nor- 

 folk district, strawberries are set between rows of potatoes, 

 cabbages and other truck crops. This leaves the rows 

 five to six feet apart after the vegetables are removed, 

 which is one reason why wide matted row training is pre- 

 ferred in that district. 



SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF SPACING 



The great body of commercial planting in Canada and 

 northern United States is in the matted row ; the plants 

 are set fifteen to thirty inches apart in the row and the 

 rows thirty to forty inches apart. Under hill training in 

 market-gardens, strawberries are grown in slightly raised 

 beds five feet wide. The plants are set one foot apart 

 each way, making four rows to the bed. A space of two 

 feet is left between the beds for a path. This method 

 was practiced near Boston over a century ago. When 

 planting in the fall, especially if potted plants are used. 



