Small Fruits for Colorado. 
i3 
the field is plowed up and planted to some other crop. While it is 
possible to grow three or more crops from the same bed, the yield 
decreases rapidly and it is more profitable to start a new bed. Some 
growers prefer a raised bed about two feet wide, leaving two feet 
for cultivation, claiming that the bed so made is easier to irrigate. 
Personally, we prefer planting on the level, as ridged beds dry out 
more quickly and the water has to run for a longer time. Where 
extra fancy fruit is demanded, hill culture is employed. The land 
is prepared in the same manner as for rows. The plants are set in 
hills three by three feet. Some growers set only one plant to the 
hill, others three, or four. In the latter case no runners are per¬ 
mitted to grow, at least not more than to provide for three or four 
new plants for the following year to replace the old ones. By this 
system extra large berries are obtained, though 1 datively few in 
number. The cost of cultivating and weeding is greatly reduced 
under hill culture system, as the field can be cultivated both ways, 
though it takes considerable time to cut off runners. The hill sys¬ 
tem is not recommended for the general grower or for the average 
market. The yield in quart per acre from hill culture is consider¬ 
ably less and the market is too limited for extra fancy fruit to war¬ 
rant the average grower to employ the hill system of culture. 
Varieties .—In selecting varieties, the grower ought to choose 
those that are best adapted to his particular conditions of climate, 
soil and market. There is hardly a single variety that is adapted to 
all localities and the grower must discover for himself what varieties 
will do best in his particular section. Some of the best varieties of 
strawberries have imperfect or pistillate flowers and must be pol¬ 
linated by other varieties in order to bear fruit. In such cases the 
two varieties must be planted near each other, say three rows of 
the variety with imperfect flowers and one row of the variety with 
perfect flowers, alternately. 
It is very difficult to give a list of varieties which will prove 
satisfactory in all parts of the state,, because productiveness and 
quality are greatly affected by local conditions. It is always de¬ 
sirable that the prospective grower inform himself on varieties by 
visiting plantations in the neighborhood and by personal observa¬ 
tion and talk with the successful growers he will avoid costly mis¬ 
takes. The following varieties, however, have proven valuable 
both at the Experiment Station and in other parts of the State, and 
are recommended: 
Bederwood (Perfect flowers). 
*Captain Jack “ “ 
* Adapted to heavy land. 
