Strawberries 



you can spare the ground. Set the plants at 

 least eighteen inches apart in the row. A good 

 many persons advise a foot, but I have found 

 that plants set as closely as that are pretty 

 sure to crowd each other, if they make a strong 

 growth, and this is something to guard against 

 while they are making their first season's 

 development. Plant farther apart and you 

 will get more and finer fruit from a less number 

 of plants than you would from a larger number 

 closely set. 



In setting the plants be very careful to do 

 good work, as much depends on the start they 

 get early in the season, and, if carelessly planted, 

 they will be a long time in getting thoroughly 

 established. It does not take long to set them 

 out in a haphazard way, but the plants will 

 lose a thousand-fold more time by that method 

 of planting than you will gain. Well-set plants 

 will begin to grow right away, and as they 

 will have none of the difficulties of poor plant- 

 ing to overcome their development will be rapid 

 from the start. Spread out their roots as evenly 

 and naturally as possible, and make the soil 

 firm about them by pressing it down with the 

 foot. Cut away all bruised and diseased leaves 



137 



