The hill system, individual plants. The most 

 intensive method 



The single hedge row. a moderately intensive system. 

 Less costly than the hill 



The matted row system, the easiest with great pro- 

 duction but not large berries 



Making a Strawberry Bed — By a. e. Wilkinson, 



New 

 York 



SET OUT A NEW STRAWBERRY PATCH THIS SUMMER AND RELIEVE THE GREAT SPRING PRESSURE WHEN 

 THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF OTHER THINGS TO DO — WHERE SUMMER AND FALL PLANTING IS PROFITABLE 



IF YOU are in the proper belt, by all 

 means plant the new strawberry bed 

 this summer. The exact time that is 

 most suitable depends on the rainfall 

 more than on any other factor. If the 

 seasonal rains occur in July and August, 

 that is the time to plant; if the rainfall is 

 later, defer planting accordingly. Other 

 things being equal, the earlier date of 

 planting the longer period the plants will 

 have in which to grow, exactly as it is in 

 spring planting. In some localities that 

 should be done in April or May, using 

 the plants that are made this year, 

 while iij other locations, the rainfall 

 being in June, planting is best done 

 then, with the crop of runners of the 

 same season. So, it all depends! 



In the Middle Atlantic States the 

 work is divided between spring and 

 August, the balance in favor of August 

 planting generally. In New England, 

 spring is the best as also in the northern 

 half of the prairie region west of the 

 Mississippi. 



There are four systems of planting. 

 The most common system is the matted 

 row method because less labor is required 

 in setting and caring for the plants and the 

 crop of fruit is larger. 



After the plants are set in rows, which 

 are three to three and a half feet apart, with 

 the plants from eighteen to thirty inches 

 apart in the row, the runners are allowed 

 to have full swing. In cultivating, the 

 machine is only run in one direction and, 

 as the plants spread, the cultivated space 

 narrows until twelve or fifteen inches at its 

 greatest width. 



The greatest drawback to this system is 

 a crowding of plants, resulting in a some- 

 what smaller crop and quite small fruit. 

 Proper thinning of the plants in too heavily 

 set matted rows will obviate this. 



Single-hedge row. This method is quite 

 well adapted to a more intensive system of 

 strawberry growing. The main idea is to 

 set out the plants in rows two to three feet 

 apart, the plants being twenty to thirty 

 inches apart in the row. Each plant is 



allowed to produce two runners, and one 

 plant is produced on each runner. Other 

 runners are clipped off as they appear. 



These two new plants are trained to 

 grow in the row of older plants, each plant 

 being one foot distant from its neighbor in 

 the row, and allowing no runners to grow. 



Double-hedge rows. A development of 

 the single-hedge row idea, in which the 

 mother plant is allowed to set either four 



An ideal potted plant which is best for August plant- 

 ing, if the plants have to make a journey 



20 



or six plants instead of but two. These 

 plants are trained to form three rows, one 

 being in line with the older plants and a 

 row each side of the mother plant row, each 

 plant having a certain allotted space, 

 which permits ease in hoeing and cultiva- 

 tion, also eliminates crowding. 



The plants are set thirty inches apart 

 in the row, the rows three feet apart, allow- 

 ing, when the plants are grown, about one 

 half the space for the plants and one half 

 for clean culture. 



The hill. This is the most intensive 



system of strawberry growing, in which the 



plants are set from one foot apart each way 



to one foot apart in rows eighteen 



inches to thirty inches apart; 



the plan being not to allow any 



runners or new plants to set, but 



permitting the plants to grow to great 



size. 



This system, being so very "intensive," 

 requires heavy manuring and fertilizing, 

 as well as constant cultivation and atten- 

 tion to runner cutting. After the plants 

 are properly set it is often necessay to 

 water them, particularly if the soil is quite 

 dry when the plants are set. 



This first watering is often helped by the 

 proper removal of the leaves when the 

 plants are set. 



From twenty-five to ioo plants well 

 cared for will answer for the majority of 

 families who have but small space. 



As soon as the plants arrive unpack the 

 box without delay, and, if you do not 

 immediately plant, dig a shallow trench and 

 place the plants in this. Be sure that the 

 bundles are untied; be sure that the soil is 

 moist and packed firmly around the roots. 

 If there is any trouble with the plants, such 

 as mould, or the plants are of poor quality, 

 notify the dealer at once. 



Notice the roots of plants. If they are 

 black or dark colored, better not take the 

 plants, as they are old. The best plants 

 have light yellow, sometimes light orange 

 colored roots, which denote that the plant 

 ' is young. If there is a good, well-developed 

 root system, so much the better. 



