FORTY-FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. 41 



CULTIVATION. 



In traveling over the country, I am sometimes amnsed at the cul- 

 tural methods employed by some fruit growers. I can hardly under- 

 stand how a berry grower expects to grow a profitable crop of berries 

 with the kind of cultivation he practices. I never aim to have a hobby, 

 but if I did I believe that hobby would be cultivation. 



Just as soon as plants are set cultivation should be started, and 

 the tools used should have small teeth. It has been my experience that 

 two inches is about as deep as we should cultivate strawberries. If 

 the ground is heavy and packs easily, then it sometimes becomes neces- 

 sary to run a five-tooth cultivator in the center of the spaces between 

 the rows, going deep enough to stir the soil four or five inches. This 

 tool should be followed with a twelve-tooth cultivator to level down 

 the surface, so that a perfect dust mulch may be made. During dry 

 spells plants should be cultivated every week or ten days. The fact 

 that you have a splendid dust mulch is no evidence whatever that mois- 

 ture is not escaping. If you will obser^'e the dust mulch after it has laid 

 undisturbed for a week or ten days, you will find the moisture working 

 very close tO' the top, so close that it will be evaporated by the hot rays 

 of the sun. By disturbing this dust mulch with cultivators and hoes, we 

 break up the little chimneys through which the moisture escapes and 

 thus prevent the moisture from evaporating. 



I realize that these repeated cultivations during hot, dry weather will 

 burn out the humus, but I also realize that humus is of little benefit 

 until it begins to break down, or bum out as we would call it. It is 

 only through the decaying process of humus that we derive benefit 

 from it. 



Cultivation is important for these several reasons : First, it destroys 

 weed seed while in the genninating stage; it creates a dust mulch and 

 this prevents the escape of moisture; moisture dissolves plant food, plant 

 food makes active roots, active roots develop or build up a strong, vig- 

 orous plant, a strong vigorous plant developes a large fruit-bud system 

 and a large fruit-bud system is the foundation for big yields of fruit. 

 I feel that it is unnecessary to go into further details as to this line 

 of work. 



SPRAYING. 



Fortunately for the strawberry grower, he has but few insects to 

 fight. Most of the strawberry growers' troubles come through neglect 

 and carelessness. I find that where fields are kept thoroughly cultivated 

 and no weeds or grass are allowed to grow among the plants, that 

 insects will not select that field as their home. 



Rotation of crops has much to do with the control of insects. I aim 

 to grow two crops of strawberries, and after the second crop plants 

 are buraed over, the ground plowed and sowed tO' some leguminous crop. 

 This in turn is followed with some cultivated crop, such as potatoes, 

 garden vegetables, corn, etc. This manner of rotation discourages the 

 insects and they seek other quarters. But I appreciate the fact that in 

 spite of all we may do, some insects will insist upon making their 

 homes with us, and in this case spraying is necessary. 



For fungous trouble such as leaf spot, blight and mildew, I find nothing 



