SPLKNDID. 
EARLY TO IjATB. Bl-sexual. No one could 
possibly select a better name for this grand variety 
for it surely is splendid: also unusually productive 
of darlt red berries, almost round and very smootii 
and even. It scarcely needs any grading as almost 
every one can be put in the fancy grade. Tiie foliage 
Is a rich, dark green tliat fairly sliines. We have 
seen the berries lay so thiclt ■ along the rows that 
the foliage had to stretch to cover them all lllie a 
hen trying to protect her brood of chicks. We are 
not afraid to recommend the Splendid because It 
never disappoints. We started to breed it up shortly 
after its introduction, and it Is now showing up 
grandly. 
sible so we can see what varieties they are 
going to set; then we can mate them intelli- 
gently and if there are any mistakes made in 
the selection it will give ns time for corre- 
spondence, and the error can be corrected by 
mutual consent. 
SETTING THE PLANTS. 
We have used a number of different tools 
for setting the strawberry plants and have 
found the ilibble most practical on account of 
its simplicity. It is made of steel, one-eighth 
:nch thick, four inches, wide and ten inches 
long, with a wood handle, as shown in cut. 
Taking it in the right hand, it is thrust into 
the soil about six inches, pressing it from you 
to make an opening, holding it there to pre- 
vent the top dirt from falling in; we then 
take the plant in left hand, giving it a quick 
motion to spread the roots, which also throws 
them down straight into the opening arid 
brings each one in contact with the fipe soil; 
holding the plant so the crown \yill be on a 
level with the lop surface we withdraw the 
dibble and plunge it down two inches from the 
opening and force the soil back hard against 
the plant, at the same time pressing the dirt 
with the left hand. The work is done quickly 
and one man can easily set two thousand 
plants a day and do good work. Our men 
keep their left knee on the ground, which is 
padded with an old sack; the plants are kept 
in a tight basket with a sack thrown over the 
top to shade them. The basket is pushed 
along on the ground with the left hand while 
the dibble is kept in the other; while making 
the opening with right hand the left is getting 
a plant ready to set and not one motion lost. 
We gencrallv employ about thirty men to set, 
PARSON'S BEAUTY. 
MEDIUM. Ei-sexual. A remarkable producer of 
brlglit red berries, firm and attractive, ha\in^ yeilow 
seeds that, when placed in a neat crate, siiinc like 
gold. The berries are conical in form and hold their 
size up to the last picking, and as it has a long fruit- 
ing season it is a prpfitable variety. It is also an 
fexcellent canning berry. 
It is a luxuriant grower, with bright green foliage 
BO hijrhiy poll^^hed it fairly glistenii In the sun; it 
presents a most ' bt autiful sight in the blooming sea- 
son, W'lth Its flood nf Ilnwers peering through and 
above Us foliage. It is one of the strongest pollcnizers 
among mid-season varieties for pistilate varieties of 
its season. 
It is difficult to describe a variety having as 
many good points as this one: we were enthusiastic 
over it during its first fruiting season with us, and 
after three years of careful selection we are per- 
fectly secure in our sta'.ements concerning It. You 
will make no mistake In giving it a trial. 
with our regular foreman walking behind, 
seeing that each one is doing careful and thor- 
ough work. All leaves are removed and the 
roots cut back to four inches so they will cal- 
lous where this cut is made and send out feed- 
ers, making a much heavier root system. With 
nothing to support but a crown and roots, the 
plant will start growing vigorbusly. It is a 
big mistake to set plants with large foliage 
and double the roots uj) instead of pruning 
them; no matter how favorable climatic con- 
ditions are, the plants arc checked and quite 
often results in losing a big per cent of them. 
It is a heavy strain on a newly set plant to 
sustain a heavy foliage before the roots be- 
come established in the soil. Properly prun- 
ing them reduces the strain, giving the roots 
a chance to take hold of the soil and start 
feeding; then it is in a good physical condition 
to build up and support a strong, healthy 
foliage and it has a decided advantage over 
the plant which has not been pruned. 
SOIL CULTIVATION AND ITS EFFECTS. 
A thorough preparation by making the 
ground porous and spongy, with a deep plow- 
ing, which should be broken down to the sub- 
soil, is the important starting point of soil 
cultivation; the deeper you get your soil and 
the more perfectly it is fined and firmed, the 
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