- 6 - 
fcwo furrows being thrown together; the top of this ridge is 
smoothed off with a small spiked harrow, then follows a man with a 
stick about four feet long and two or three inches in diameter, sharp¬ 
ened to a point at the lower end ; by thrusting this down, a hole is 
made to receive the plant; with a little practice, one can make the 
holes very rapidly, nearly as fast as a person can walk ; then, with 
one to drop, and another to set, the work of planting goes on finely. 
Here, where level culture is necessary, rows are laid off with any 
convenient marker; a man witli a good sharp spade thrusts it down 
to a depth of 5 or 6 inches, pressing the handle from him, thus 
making an opening, into which a helper places a plant, the roots be¬ 
ing spread out in fan shape; the soil is then well firmed about it. 
Care should be exercised that the plants are not set either too 
deep, or too shallow ; the crowns should be just above ground; if 
the bud is covered the plant will likely die, and the same will follow 
if any roots are exposed. After a few rows are set, shallow furrows 
should be run on each side of the row of plants, and as close as pos¬ 
sible without covering any; water is then run through the furrows 
slowly until the space between is thoroughly soaked. Surface irriga¬ 
tion, or flooding, is never advisable, as the ground will bake and crack, 
causing many plants to die. Cultivation should commence in about 
two weeks after planting, and should be frequent and thorough. 
Keep the middles mellow with cultivator; directly around the 
plants the ground should not be hoed deeply. As to the number of 
times strawberries should be irrigated, it depends upon the season, 
and the kind of soil on which they are grown. Light, sandy soils 
require more water than stiff* or clayey. Ordinarily, they should be 
irrigated every two weeks, and should be cultivated and hoed after 
each watering, as soon as the soil is in condition to work. Cultiva¬ 
tion should continue until frost. Late in the fall, just before freez¬ 
ing, plants should be well irrigated. 
MULCHING. 
Mulching, in some cases, is an advantage, while in others 
it proves a detriment. It has been clearly demonstrated that 
mulching retards ripening from a week to ten days, and as early 
fruit generally commands the highest price, a week in time of ripen¬ 
ing often makes a great difference in the growers’ returns; and 
again, unless the mulch is free from weed seeds, it will be the means 
of giving much extra work the following season, in the way of hoe¬ 
ing. The points in favor of mulching are: That by retarding plant 
growth there is less danger of the blooms being killed by late spring 
frosts; and when all the covering is not lifted from the beds it serves 
to keep the berries clean and free from grit, also helps to retain 
moisture. Where one is growing berries for market, it would be 
well to cover a part of his patch, and leave uncovered a portion. If 
mulching is to be done, during November or December is the proper 
