If your plants are set too deep they rot, if too high they dry, if not well firmed they fail.  When I have used a tobacco planter I have had to put my heel on every plant.  Of course you know that newly planted June varieties must have the blossom buds cut out, and everbears bearing must also till July.

Picking. The man who has acres to pick must secure his boxes the winter before and have at least part of them made up if they are to be tacked.  I have found a boy can make up boxes as fast as thirty pickers can fill.  If you use the folding box no tacks are needed.  Too many boxes made up ahead are liable to be damaged by the mice.

Pickers. Engage your pickers ahead; agree on the price and that a part of the pay is to be kept back till the close of the season, which is forfeited if quitting before time.  If pickers are too far away, transportation must be furnished—­free boxes of berries are appreciated by the pickers.

Marketing. Sometimes the marketing of the fruit is harder than the growing of it.  If enough is grown form an association to sell it, get advice from a successful association how to form and how to run it.  Sometimes a well made wagon, a good team and a good man can sell from house to house in the country and city and make good returns.  In this way you get back your crates and part of the boxes.  I know a successful grower in Iowa, who sold his crop of ten acres to the farmers and city people, they doing their own picking and furnishing their own boxes, at a given price.  All the proprietor had to do was sit at the gate and take in the cash.  It is worth a good deal to know how to grow the best of strawberries and often it is worth more to know how to turn them into cash.

What Varieties? Dunlap and Warfield have a general reputation for profit, can be picked together and sell well; dark color, good canners and good shippers.  If you want a third variety take Lovett.  Some of your growers want nothing but Bederwood, but it is too light and too soft to ship, though it is a good family berry.  I expect Minnesota No. 3 will soon be the only variety you will want of the June kinds.

Insects. Winter drouth often injures the roots and some lay it to insects.  The winter of 1899 was the worst winter drouth I ever knew; it killed every thing.  If you are troubled with the crown borer, root lice, leaf roller or rust, grow one crop and plow under, or move your fields a good distance from the old bed.  What shall be done with the old bed?  If you have insects or rust plow under and get the best place to start a new bed, and don’t set any of your own plants if you have insects or rust—­and be sure you buy of a reliable grower.

Old Beds. If the first crop is big, plow under, if light and you have a good stand of plants, no insects or rust, you can mow and teddy up the mulch and in a high wind burn it over—­a quick fire will do no harm.  Then you can plow two furrows between rows and drag it every way till not a plant is seen.  Soon, if the rows are left a foot wide, the plants will come through.  Then manure (better be manured before plowing), and you may get a good second crop.  Some mow and rake off and burn outside the bed, then with a two horse cultivator dig up the paths and cultivate and get the ground in condition.  Put on the manure and hoe out part of the old plants.