EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 387 



STRAWBERRIES IN 190G. 



The low yields in 1906 are principally due to the fact that this was 

 the fourth bearing season of most of the varieties, and that the damage 

 from dry weather at ripening time was accordingly greater, for the plants 

 being in matted rows, the difficulty in giving i)roper cultivation in- 

 creases with the age of the rows. Cutworms did considerable damage 

 and destroyed most of the plants on the outside rows of the later planted 

 varieties. Those tested for the first time are: Warficld (Imperfect), 

 one of the principal market varieties. Ripe June 28. Size medium to 

 large, conical to wedge-shape. Color dark crimson; flesh firm and of 

 excellent quality. Plants were badly rusted. Kansas (Imperfect), Ripe 

 July 3, Size small to medium, conical to roundish with tip often ending 

 in a depression. Color dark scarlet; flesh red, firm, juicy, mildly acid, 

 good in flavor and qualit.y. Plants strong but smtill. An excellent 

 variet}' except for the short stems and the small size of the fruit. 

 Dunlap (Perfect), Ripe June 28, Size medium to large, roundish conic 

 or somewhat elongated and slightly necked. Color dark scarlet; flesh 

 red, quite firm, mild, sprightly, of excellent quality and flavor. Plants 

 rather too numerous, but very vigorous and productive. The fruit picks 

 easily and- is desirable owing to its attractiveness. On account of its 

 many good qualities, this will no doubt become one of the most popular 

 market varieties. Wm. Bell (Perfect), Ripe July 3. Size large to vein- 

 large, wedge-shaj)ed. Color dark scarlet; flesh red, firm, mild and of 

 excellent qualit}'. Uncle Jim (Perfect). Ripe July 5. Size large to 

 very large, round conical to wedge shape and often corrugated. Color 

 bright crimson ; flesh red, firm, very good. 



The rows were 50 feet long, and, as during former seasons, the plants 

 were mulched between the rows from the time the earliest fruit Avas 

 about two-thirds full grown until the picking season Avas over; the 

 mulch being thereafter removed and kept off until the following season. 

 Earlier observations have show-n that mulching in the winter time is a 

 detriment rather than a benefit, and that under the prevailing climatic 

 conditions, the snow constitutes the best and safest kind of a mulch. 

 In order to observe the value of the mulch as a protection during frosty 

 nights while the plants are in blossom, one-half of the row of Dunlap 

 was covered towards evening of June 11 when a frost seemed eminent 

 Though the frost was light, subsequent observations showed that about 

 ten per cent of the blossoms of unprotected plants were damaged and 

 that none of those of the covered plants had been injured. 



As will be seen in the following table, this protection increased the 

 yield by nearly 218 quarts per acre: 



