THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



221 



nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash in the 

 ratio of 3, 7 and 9 per cent, is recommended, 

 or nitrate of soda, 150 pounds, bone meal 550 

 pounds, wood ashes 1,400 pounds to the acre. 



There are two methods of culture — hills 

 and matted rows. Where labor can be freely 

 given the hill culture will give the largest and 

 finest fruit. It consists in placing the plants 

 two feet or more apart, cutting off all the 

 runners, and giving thorough cultivation. 

 As a result of this each plant will enlarge its 

 crown into a great collection of crowns from 

 which fruit stalks in great numbers will be 

 thrown up bearing the highest quality of 

 fruit. Soon after the fruit sets the ground 

 should be thoroughly mulched with litter so 

 as to conserve the moisture of the ground and 

 to keep the fruit clean from grit. There is 

 just one objection to mulching in any system 

 of cultivation. It keeps the ground cool, so 

 that the greatest development of sugar can- 

 not take place. Where the sun shines directly 

 upon the ground more sugar and a higher 

 flavor are produced. 



The matted-row system involves less labor 

 than hills, gives a great yield of berries, with- 

 out the fine development of the hill system. 

 The plants are set two feet apart, with 

 five feet between the rows. The runners 

 are allowed to cover the ground, being 

 assisted in proper distribution by being placed 

 in the vacancies by hand. These plants 

 cover one or two feet in width, the remaining 

 space between the rows being well cultivated. 

 Where plants are set too thickly they are 

 removed with a pointed hoe. The next sea- 

 son before fruiting the ground between the 

 rows should be well mulched with litter. 



With either system it is well to cover the 

 plants lightly with stable litter early in win- 

 ter after the ground becomes frozen. Injury 

 from mold may result if the covering is 

 applied too early. Under any system one 

 crop is all that will prove satisfactory. This 

 involves new planting each year. New plan- 

 tations may be made from the runners in 

 August and will do excellently. Fall planting 

 is not a success as a general rule, especially 



282. Runner plants are lifted from the beds in August for summer planting. Cut the connecting stalK and 

 lift young plant with a hand forK; never let the roots get dry. This crop of runners shows the value of 

 copious and frequent watering. The bed was irrigated every day during the summer 



on heavy soils. Spring is the best time to- 

 plant, and don't let the plants bear a crop the 

 first year if you want the best possible results 

 from them. Concentrate all the force in the 

 second year and then clear off the bed. A 

 system of renewal planting is often followed 



in the home garden, the runners being set 

 between the rows for the new planting and 

 the old plants dug up in the fall. When the 

 time comes to renew again the runners are 

 set into the place where the original plants 

 were growing. 



283. Ready to plant. Surplus leaves re- 284. Just right. The crown just above 285. Set too high. Plant will be heaved 286. Sett 



buried 



moved. Roots cut to three or four inches surface of ground, as it was before lifting out by freezing and thawing in winter and liKely to rot. Always plant firmly 



