TWO OF A KIND-AND YET WHAT A DIFFERENCE! 
■y^HIS hen was bred from a strain of well-known layers 
at the Maine Experiment Station, and made the 
world's greatest record of 231 eggs in her first year, 
although many of its males attained above the 200-a- 
year mark. It is easy to make money with a strain of 
fowls selected and bred for large production ; but the 
selection and breeding must be done. 
^HIS hen was bred at the same place from a strain of 
fowls deficient in laying power, and it is not sur- 
prising to learn that she succeeded in laying only eight 
eggs in her first year. But her consumption of food was 
as great and she was given the same care as was given 
the other. But selection and breeding was in the wrong 
direction. 
30 it is with strawberry plants. It requires the same amount of fertilizer, land and labor when weak and ooorlJ 
same1fu^L^ltlVh:n":hirelt^t^d^'^ ■^ei-oS^s^Zti ^ 
Cultivating the Fruiting Bed 
"Y^EEDS must never be permitted to dispute 
for the possession of the strawberry bed. 
They are apt to press any advantage they are 
allowed to the point where they become master 
of the situation and leave the fruit "in the shade" 
so deeply that it never gets into the sunlight. 
Therefore, even fruiting beds may be culti- 
vated. This, indeed, is another way to down the 
weeds. First draw the mulching close up to the 
row of plants and then cultivate in the vacant 
spaces between the rows. By doing this the 
mulching will be so thick along the rows that 
weeds and grass cannot come up through it, and 
the stirring of the soil between the rows will 
prevent seed from germinating there. 
If the grower is careful to see that he does 
not cultivate too deeply; does not start the work 
until danger from frost is past; does not culti- 
vate when plants are in bloom, save when the 
soil is so damp that the dust will not fly — if these 
points are observed this work will serve two pur- 
poses ; it will destroy foul growths and conserve 
moisture in the soil, and these will insure an 
increase in crop. If any weeds should grow in 
the row they would be so few as to make it a 
simple matter to pull them out by hand; and 
this easily is done when the soil is soft and yield- 
ing, as after a shower. 
Picking the Strawberries 
JUST how ripe to allow berries to get before 
picking them depends entirely upon the mar- 
ket and marketing methods. If the berries aie 
to be shipped some distance it is best to pick them 
a little under ripe — when the berries are colored 
on top and beginning to color on the under side. 
In this condition they will stand shipping for a 
long distance. If the market is near home the 
berries should not be picked until fully ripe. In 
any event the picking never should be done while 
the vines are wet from dew or rain. Of course, 
if the season is one of frequent rains the picking 
cannot be deferred until the vines are dry. In 
such cases the grower must use his own judgment. 
