SMALL FRUITS AND HOW HE GROWS THEM 
involves a larffe amount of labor in pulling' out 
grass and weeds and fruit is a*ways of a lower 
grade. Make rows four feet apart and set 
plants eighteen to twenty-four inches in the 
row. Let the cultivator go in the same direc- 
tion every time, so as to throw runners around 
without tangling them and as they root narrow 
up the cultivator. 
In the thick matted row there is not enough 
room for the roots, and plants forming later 
find it difficult to establish themselves; being 
supported with the "wire" from the mother 
plant they set buds and attempt to produce 
fruit which, for the want of rootage, they can- 
not bring to maturity. Thus they are not only 
worthless in themselves, but injure other 
plants near them. Careful growers thin out 
the plants when they get too thick. 
SETTING PLANTS. 
The great point is to have all the roots 
straight and separated from each other and 
imbedded in soft mellow earth so that new 
feeding roots can start out in every direction 
without any hindrance and thus secure a vigor- 
ous growth at once. 
The Spade is quite generally used, but in 
the hands of a careless man is about the most 
villainous tool ever used for the purpose. The 
first objection is that when forced into the 
ground, moved back and forth and sideways it 
makes a glazed surface and when closed by the 
foot in the ordinary way incases the roots in a 
veritable pocket and if dry weather follows the 
glazed surface will dry out and no feeding root 
can penetrate it. Dig a plant up a week after- 
wards and find the little white rootlets tracing 
up and down the old root to find a crack in this 
"plastered wall" through which it can pene- 
trate to the mellow soil just beyond. No good 
growth can be had under such circumstances. 
If the ground be moderately loamy or clay the 
weight of a man will not close the bottom of 
the cavity. (See figure.) 
The Wrong W.^y. 
A " Rat Home." 
(Bottom of hole uot 
closed.) 
Set a plant and step on it in the usual 
way and then dig down by the side of it and 
see how many " rat homes " you will find with 
roots hanging in free open air. You will be 
surprised to find that often more than half are 
exposed. Another objection is that the lower 
ends of roots are buried too deep. The roots of 
a plant spread out in all directions and coming 
near the surface feel the warmth of the sun 
and send out feeders much sooner. Notice the 
natural tendency in roots to run near the sur- 
face when taking them up in propagating bed. 
Use the spade this way. Let a man go 
ahead of the setter, force the spade straight 
down two-thirds the length of the blade, then 
draw the handle towards him about ten inches, 
force one inch deeper, push from him far 
enough to make the earth stay and withdraw 
the spade, thus leaving the opening so the bot. 
torn is easily closed. Quickly insert the hand 
rub off the glazed surface and take a few roots 
from one side of the plant, holding crown in 
left hand, deftly drag the roots sideways 
into the opening and when all spread out 
evenly and center of crown just even with sur- 
face of ground quickly fill the cavity, piling 
the earth so that when stepped on it will be 
perfectly level around the plant. 
Too Deep. 
Too Shallow. 
If the crowns are too low they will rot or 
make a feeble growth. If too high the upper 
roots will be exposed to wind and die. The 
new roots always start from above the old 
ones and if the plant is not in the ground deep 
enough they will not start. (See engravings.) 
If a little too deep new crowns will not start on 
the side of the plant, and if a little too high it 
will make only a feeble growth. I urge great 
care in doing this work. 
The most perfect 
tool ever invented for 
this purpose is the Per- 
fection plant setter. It 
digs the hole, leaving in 
the center a cone. It is 
set with a gauge so it can 
be neither too deep nor 
too shallow. Take the 
plant by the crown and 
hold the roots upside 
down, giving it a slight 
quick jerk and roots will 
fall over the hand when 
you can quicklj' turn it 
over the cone and the 
roots will arrange them- 
.selves evenly around it. 
Then the dirt is quickly 
brushed back into the 
opening and firmed. The| 
cone comes clear upl 
under the center of thef 
crown, the bot- 
tom of cone be- 
ing about five' 
inches in diam- — 
eter and roots Perfction Plant Setter. 
so distributed there can be no tangled mass 
as it gives a circumference and immediate root 
pasturage of over fifteen inches. 
The Perfection 
Plant Setter does 
the work faster 
than any other 
machine that will 
do it equally well. 
The only re- 
quirements are 
that the ground 
shall be properly 
fitted by rolling 
and reasonably 
The Cone. 
(Ready for the plant.) 
