THE W. F. ALLEN CO., SALISBURY, MD. 
7 
We cannot emphasize too strongly the importance of 
planting early. In this section the last two weeks in 
March are the ideal planting days. We cannot get our 
entire plantings out during those two weeks, but the 
ones we do get out then always start quicker, grow 
better and make better beds than those planted later 
unless conditions are very favorable. 
We have just sold one northern customer 250,000 
plants for shipment the last of March. He has over 50 
acres of the same varieties he is buying—but says it 
pays him to get our plants and get them earlier than he 
could dig from his own beds or get them from north¬ 
ern nurserymen. 
Setting the Plants. Just before planting, the ground 
should be harrowed and made as level as possible. Then 
mark out the rows and you are ready to plant. There 
are a number of different methods of planting but 
an ordinary garden trowel or a flat dibble are the best 
tools to use. Whatever tool is used try to have the 
roots of the plant spread out fan-shaped and be sure 
to have the crown just at the surface of the ground— 
not below nor above. 
In some sections where large acreages are planted, a 
small three furrowed list or row is run up with a plow 
and then leveled off with a rake or drag. This gives a 
nice soft planting bed, but unless the ground is quite 
moist the rows should be run up two or three days be¬ 
fore planting to allow the moisture to rise, and then 
rake off just before planting. Plowing, harrowing thor¬ 
oughly, and marking off rows is the best for small fields 
and gardens. It is best for larger fields unless the 
grower is familiar with other methods that have worked 
well under his conditions. 
Methods of Training. The matted row, hill, and 
hedge row systems are most commonly used. We ad¬ 
vise the hill and hedge row methods only for those who 
have used them and found them satisfactory or for 
those who know of others nearby who have used those 
methods successfully. They require more time, trouble, 
and expense. It is claimed for them that they make a 
larger yield of fine berries. 
We prefer the matted row both for garden and for 
field culture. The extra foliage protects the fruit from 
scalding, makes them less sandy after a rain, and 
with us the yield of large, well-shaped berries is usually 
greater than with any oiher system. It is not so im¬ 
portant to keep the row narrow, especially if the ground 
contains plenty of moisture. Varieties with large plants 
like Big Joe, Ekey, Chesapeake, Wm. Belt, Early Jersey 
Giant, Paul Jones, etc., rarely get either too wide or too 
thick. Very vigorous growing varieties that have small 
plants as, Senator Dunlap, McAlpin, Warfield, etc., on 
rich ground will set too thickly for fruiting purposes if 
not kept thinned. 
Probably 90% of all the strawberries grown in this 
country are grown in matted rows. Under average 
conditions and especially with present labor shortage 
we would not want to use any other system. 
Cultivation. Young plants should be cultivated fre¬ 
quently after they begin to grow. This is done not only 
to keep down weeds and grass, but also to 3ave more 
moisture. After heavy rains the soil will become hard 
and “bake,” causing it to dry out quickly and be very 
cloddy when cultivated, unless the cultivation is done 
while soil is still damp. So it is best to cultivate as 
soon after a rain as condition of the soil will permit. 
