634 Report of the Department of Horticulture of the 



Winter treatment. — Winter protection of some form should be 

 given for several reasons. It protects the roots against repeated 

 freezing and thawing; mulched soil retains more moisture the follow- 

 ing spring; the soil is left in better physical condition; additional 

 plant food is given when coarse stable manure is used; growth is 

 retarded in the spring diminishing clanger from late spring frosts; 

 weeds may be smothered out in early spring; berries may be kept 

 much cleaner at fruiting time. Various materials may be used for 

 mulching, that most easily obtained at minimum prices ordinarily 

 being selected, such as coarse, strawy horse manure, marsh hay, 

 wheat or oat straw, swale grass, leaves for small beds, or even corn 

 stalks if nothing else is available. The best mulch is one that may 

 be spread rapidly and evenly, will furnish the desired protection and 

 yet will not injure the plants nor introduce too many weed seeds. The 

 mulch should be applied to the entire surface of the ground as soon 

 as it is sufficiently frozen to bear a wagon. A light coating an inch 

 or two deep that covers the plants out of sight is preferable to one 

 of greater depth. 



Treatment during fruiting season. — The mulch should remain 

 over the plants as long as possible in the spring. On the approach 

 of warm weather it may be necessary to shake up the covering one 

 or more times to prevent the plants from smothering, placing a portion 

 of the material, if too thick, between the rows. The plants should 

 grow up through the mulch left on the ground. Later in the spring 

 it may be necessary to hand-pull the larger weeds after a soaking 

 rain. Occasionally it may be necessary to remove the mulch and 

 give thorough cultivation, replacing it before the berries ripen. 



Renewing old beds. — It is usually better to set new beds each year 

 than to continue the old ones. This, however, depends on the 

 condition of the bed. Under favorable conditions two and some- 

 times three profitable crops may be harvested. Berries ripen 

 slightly earlier and average smaller on old beds, and there is more 

 danger from insects and disease. It usually costs more to rejuvenate 

 an old bed than to set a new one. A quick-growing crop may some- 

 times be harvested upon the same soil if the vines be plowed under 

 as soon as the crop has been harvested, or the ground may be sown 

 to a clover cover-crop to be plowed under the following spring. 



It will be necessary to clean out, fertilize and cultivate the rows 

 if retained for a second crop. Some growers use a mowing machine 

 and as soon as the leaves are sufficiently dry burn over the field during 

 a wind blowing in the direction of the rows. There is some danger 

 of injury to the crowns of the plants unless great care be taken. 

 The rows are narrowed down with plow, disc-harrow or cultivator 

 to a width of from six to twelve inches, the soil thoroughly stirred 

 and a heavy application of plant food, preferably well-rotted stable 

 manure, applied broadcast and directly over the rows. 



