20 State Horticultural Society. 



DISCUSSION ON STRAWBERRIES. 



There being no papers present on the subject, the session opened 

 with a discussion on growing and cuhivating the strawberry in the 

 field. 



G. T. Tippin — In southwest Missouri the strawberry business 

 reaches large proportions, last week a hundred cars were shipped from 

 that district. That this success is being made commercially is due to 

 the varieties chosen and the system of planting and cultivation. The 

 Associations making the greatest success study first the time of coming 

 into market, and plant therefore the variety which ripens at the best time 

 for the market. Most successful points have a gravelly soil, and practice 

 a thorough preparation of the soil before planting ; they plant early in 

 the spring and give intense cultivation. All get good returns the first 

 year. The matted row, which is kept about two feet wide, gives a 

 double surface, and as the best berries are always at the edge this shows 

 that they need space, therefore the rows are thinned and the plants left 

 in individual hills. This thinning it is estimated costs as high as ten 

 dollars per acre, but the result is large berries all along, and last ones 

 are good commercial size. 



Mr. Dewey — Wouldn't rows only i6 inches wide be as good as two 

 feet? 



Mr. Tippin — That would not bring the results because the narrow 

 row would be thick with plants. The object is to cover the. row with 

 good strong bearing plants and have them not too close together. 



W. G. Gano — What is the time of thinning? 



''Mr. Tippin — After the plants are well set, about September first. 

 Plowing the plant beds in the spring gives good results, plow before 

 mulching, for this also is done in the spring. 



C. H. Dutcher — In Johnson county we mulch the Haverland and 

 let the Marshall go unmulched. 



Mr. Tippin — Plants take their growth and vitality in the fall. The 

 roots are disturbed by the thinning in the fall, so the places thinned 

 should be filled up and leveled that the roots may spread and recover 

 before spring. 



iMr. Dewey — Wouldn't it be better to leave the rows thin in the 

 first place? 



Mr. Tippin — Yes that would be good but it requires too much care 

 and is not practical on a commercial scale. 



J. C. Evans — What is the best mulch in the absence of clean wheat 

 straw ? 



