Spacing, of course, provides the effect of having 
edges all through the row. 
Hill System, or Hill rows. Under the hill sys- 
tem of training plants are set closer together, all 
runners are kept cut off, and the original plant 
depended on to bear the crop. A variation of this 
is the hill row. In this system the original 
plants are set quite far apart (about three feet) 
and sufficient runners for two parallel rows are 
allowed to set to fill in the spaces, the new plants 
being rooted from eight- to twelve-inch intervals 
and the two rows being about 12 inches apart. 
This system gives the benefit of growing in hills 
but requires far less plants than under the hill 
system proper. Grown this way berries will 
average as large or larger than the spaced row, 
and if rows are kept closer together the produc- 
tion per acre may be almost as great. Probably 
the work of keeping the surplus runners removed 
will be less. The hill row system adapts itself 
admirably to the use of mulching materials. The 
hill system proper is not recommended except for 
Everbearers. The chief advantages of these sys- 
tems are the same as for the spaced row with 
probably larger average size and better grade of 
berries but very considerably reduced yields as 
compared to the well spaced matted row system. 
Blossoms should he removed from newly set 
plants as soon as they appear. To allow them to 
set berries and mature them involves a drain on 
the vitality of the plant. Removal of blossoms 
aids the plants in overcoming unfavorable condi- 
tions and in starting growth and runner produc- 
tion quicker, as well as helping Everbearers de- 
velop the vigor required to produce a crop of 
fruit so quickly after being set. This has much 
added importance when the extra fruitfulness of 
early formed runner plants is considered. 
Mulching 
A mulch is applied for one or all of several 
reasons: First, to guard against winter injury to 
roots and crowns by protecting them from the 
extremely low winter temperatures. Second, to 
avoid lifting the plants by the freezing and 
thawing of the soil in winter. Third, to keep the 
soil cool and moist and to retard or check growth 
of weeds and grass during the season when fruit 
is being produced. Fourth, to keep berries from 
being spattered with dirt by rain during fruiting 
season. Fifth, by delaying blooming it tends to 
prevent injury by frost in the spring. 
Time of Application. Experiments have shown 
that plants gain in hardiness during the winter 
and are much more resistant to low tempera- 
tures in March than in November. Thus the 
mulch can be applied early and removed early 
even before the last freezes are over unless it is 
left to delay blooming either to escape late frosts 
or to aim for a better late berry market. 
Dr. Roberts' experiments in Wisconsin, re- 
ported in 1933, indicated that the common prac- 
tice of applying the mulch after the ground is 
hard frozen makes the work easier but may be 
too late to be fully effective. He obtained com- 
plete protection from an application made before 
first freezing weather but much injury to both 
crowns and roots from an equally heavy applica- 
tion two weeks later after a freeze had occurred. 
Generally speaking, mulches are not needed 
for winter protection South of Washington, D. C. 
Also the danger from 
partial smothering is 
greater unless watched 
carefully. In some sec- 
tions of the South a 
mulch of light straw or 
pine needles is applied 
after cultivation in the 
spring to give the other 
benefits of mulching if 
winter protection is not 
needed. 
The amount of mulch 
required varies from one 
to four tons per acre. In 
removing the mulch the 
larger amounts should 
be raked up and re- 
moved from the field. 
The smaller amounts 
may be pulled to the 
center between the rows 
with enough left on 
them to work down be- 
tween the plants in the 
row. 
The practice of leaving a mulch on to avoid 
late frosts involves much risk, and should be at- 
tempted only by experienced growers or on a 
small scale. 
Materials. Wheat straw and marsh grass are 
considered the best materials, but rye, pine 
needles, coarse strawy manure and various kinds 
of hay or roughage can be used to advantage. 
A good practice is to use the materials which are 
readily available at a reasonable price. . 
Irrigation 
Various forms of irrigation are used by grow- 
ers in different sections. Overhead irrigation is 
used successfully in many places. In addition to 
supplying moisture, proper handling of this 
method may enable a grower to ward off light 
frosts by keeping a fine mist in the air on frosty 
nights. The big advantage, however, is in pro- 
viding adequate moisture. The main disadvan- 
tage is that it wets -the foliage and plants caus- 
ing them to be more likely to rot than if kept 
dry. 
Surface irrigation is used mostly in the west 
where water supplies are available for this pur- 
pose. Canvas Hose Irrigation is a new and 
promising method of irrigating small plots of 
garden crops as well as larger areas of straw- 
berries. It has several advantages over over- 
head irrigation, chief of which are that water 
can be supplied at somewhat less 'expense, the 
foliage and fruit of plants are not wet and the 
method is flexible enough to adapt itself to any 
type of water supply. We have not used this 
method extensively ourselves but can give some 
information about it and supply the name of 
manufacturers to those who are interested. 
In conclusion we want to point out that while 
irrigation is helpful it is not necessary for good 
results. Most of the good berry crops in this 
country are produced on good strawberry land 
that has been well filled with organic matter by 
the addition of stable manure or growing green 
manure crops. 
Results from our variety-spacing experiments 
this year indicate that plant beds that have been 
kept thinned or spaced can produce much larger 
and better crops of berries on a limited water 
supply, or moderate rainfall than thickly set, 
matted rows of the same variety on the same soil. 
Perfect and Imperfect Varieties 
Perfect flowering varieties planted alone will 
mature a crop of perfect fruit. Imperfect flower- 
ing varieties should have perfect varieties 
planted with them, at least one row for every 
five or six. When two varieties are used in equal 
amounts, they are often alternated three or four 
rows of each. Alternating plots of different 
varieties made necessary by one of them being 
imperfect are a nuisance to the grower at har- 
vest time. In our price list perfect flowering 
varieties are followed by "per" and imperfect 
varieties by "imp." 
Spraying 
Spraying is not usually necessary in growing 
strawberries successfully. Care in purchasing 
healthy plants, and in selecting varieties im- 
mune or resistant to disease and insects is much 
more important. 
Mr. Underhill of New York State practices spacing. About four plants 
per square foot. A wonderful crop in prospect 
11 
