VT. STKAWBERRIES IX 1897.* 



WENDELL PADDOCK. 



SUMMARY 



The Station has no more plants of the Hunn for distribution. 



Of strawberries in one-year beds Beder Wood was the most 

 productive early berry. It is also a satisfactory general purpose 

 variety as it took second rank as to yield among the kinds that 

 were fruited in one-year beds. Marshall is worthy of a trial for 

 fancy fruit. Glen Mary was the most productive berry and pro- 

 duced the largest late yield. 



None of the strawberries in two-year beds succeeded more 



than moderately well, owing no doubt, to winter injury and an 



unfavorable growing season. Earliest produced the largest early 



yield while Robinson was the most productive and gave the 



largest late yield. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The soil at the Station gardens is not well adapted to straw- 

 berry culture as it is composed of a stiff clay loam. Such soil 

 is particularly hard to work in a wet season as some little time 

 must elapse after each rain before the ground is in a condition to 

 be worked. In the meantime weeds grow apace and if great 

 care is not exercised to start the cultivator at the right time a 

 crust soon forms and the soil becomes hard and compact. When 

 such conditions arise the ground can only be gotten in good con- 

 dition by cultivating at the proper time after another rain. The 

 amount of rainfall at Geneva during a portion of the spring was 

 rather large and considerable difficulty was experienced in keep- 

 ing the soil in good tilth and in subduing the weeds. 



The strawberries are grown in matted rows. As soon as the 

 ground is lightly frozen in early winter the beds are mulched. 

 Last winter coarse stable manure was used which had not be- 

 come well rotted and which became more or less frozen before it 



♦Reprint of Bulletin No. 127. 



IS 



