10 
R. M. KELLOGG'S GREAT CROPS 
high wind is blowing, so the fire will pass 
over quickly so as not to heat the ground, 
set fire and burn insects, fungi and weeds. 
Lose no time, not even an hour, in cultivat- 
ing as capillary action is perfect to the sur- 
face and the precious water is getting away 
Old Wilson's Albany (b). 
rapidly. If you have a weeder, use it, if 
not, take a fine sharp tooth harrow and go 
through the row lengthwise and cut it all 
up fine, so the water will collect under the 
dust and a vigorous growth will be started 
at once. Of course, if you practice hill cul- 
ture, cultivate with a Planet Jr. fine tooth 
both ways. Keep off new runners for best 
results. 
SPURIOUS VARIETIES. 
Strawberries rot on the ground and the 
seeds spring up and grow. They resemble 
the parents but very rarely are they equal 
in any respect, but growers occasionally 
resort to the old bed for plants which soon 
become mixed in and lower the crop. It is 
only to within a few years that growers 
have discontinued this practice, yet the 
baleful influence is still left with many 
nurserymen and growers. Half the varieties 
on many farms and nurseries are spurious. 
No Test. It is not a test of varieties to 
get plants of low vitality. They cannot 
demonstrate their worth, and more valuable 
varieties go out of sight on this account 
than any other one thing. Take no chances. 
Special Selection. After plants have 
been brought to a high fruiting power you 
can easily maintain it by removing blossoms 
on spring-set plants and take plants next 
year from this bed, and thus preserve their 
vigor for years without any special selec- 
tion. 
MANURE. 
The soil should be reasonably rich, con- 
siderably richer than for corn or potatoes. 
Avoid putting on large quantities of coarse 
manure at once and plowing it under. It 
cuts off capillary action so water cannot 
come up from the subsoil. Spread manure 
in winter or early spring, so rains will wash 
juices out into the ground and before plow- 
mg rake up coarse straw and draw it ofif for 
BUBACH (p). 
currant mulching or pile it up to rot. Bone 
meal at the rate of four hundred pounds 
and from twenty to fifty bushels of un- 
leached wood ashes per acre is a great 
favorite with me. Too much barnyard 
manure makes foliage at the expense of 
fruit. 
Smith's Improved (b). 
