STRAWBERRIES 



241 



with a sprinkling of bonemeal, and in this plant your Strawberries one 

 foot apart in the rows and two feet between the rows. 



After the first hard frost throw over them some light protection — 

 straw, old hay or anything that will not be liable to pack down on the 

 plants too tightly. The object of this covering is not to keep the 

 plants from the cold, but to protect them from the sun, which causes 

 more failures than the cold. This covering should be removed after 

 Spring opens up, but not too early, as a little growth may have al- 

 ready started, and if exposed to a late frost may cause much injury. 

 The plants which will have become loose by the action of the frost, 

 should be gone over and firmly pressed into place, the beds lightly 

 forked to prevent the growth of weeds, and when they are in bloom, 

 some straw or salt hay should be placed around and between the 

 plants to prevent the soil from splashing on the ripe fruit. 



To lengthen the season of fruiting, the first blossoms may be 

 picked from some of the plants, and these will fruit about three weeks 

 later. Strawberries are sexual and bi-sexual, that is to say, in some 

 the flowers have pol- 

 len and seed organs, 

 in others only one 

 set of these. To in- 

 sure fruiting it is 

 necessary to plant 

 some of each kind, 

 unless the bi-sexual 

 varieties alone are se- 

 lected. A bed once 

 planted is good for 

 at least three years, 

 when it should be "re- 

 newed. If at all pos- 

 sible start a new bed 

 one year before the old 



bed is to be destroyed. Good Sized strawberries 



All runners should be cut away annually as soon as the fruiting 

 season is past, unless some are wanted to make a new bed, in which 

 case the strongest plants should be left until wanted and the runner 

 -should be stopped at the first strong plant to accelerate rooting. 



Strawberries, fortunately, are not troubled with many insect 

 pests or fungous diseases, and their propagation by runners is very 

 simple, as they root freely of their own accord and can be cut off and 

 planted where they are to remain. 



