PROCEEDINGS OF THE WINTER MEETING. 3 



PAPEES AND DISCUSSIONS. 



THE STRAWBERRY IN MICHIGAN. 



BY ME. C. M. WELCH OF DOUGLAS. 



There are nearly as manj- advocates of different methods of growing 

 straw^berries as there are growers, but the method that will bring the 

 greatest number of dollars and cents, other things being equal, is what 

 we as practical growers want. Many of our growers have been quite 

 successful with the straw^berry, and each has, in a measure, methods of 

 his own, some ways of doing things that have aided largely in making 

 the business a success with him. 



The methods pursued in our vicinity, western Allegan county, vary 

 from setting the plants on half-prepared land, with as little care as pos- 

 sible, and grow'ing them in connection Avith a crop of weeds and grass, 

 to following the more improved methods of preparing the soil and cul- 

 tivating in the best way known. The plan more commonly followed, 

 and one that has brought good results, is to thoroughly prepare the soil 

 the same as for other farm crops, set the i^lants in the spring and give 

 good cultivation throughout the season, the plants being allowed to form 

 in matted rows. Mulching is practiced but very little. The beds are 

 picked as long as they will bear a paying crop, or until the grass or 

 weeds become so troublesome as to make it unprofitable to longer clean 

 them out. 



For fertilizers, when used, stable manure is mostly depended upon, 

 although many grow^ers have been using in a small way diiferent com- 

 mercial fertilizers. 



As the possibilities of the strawberry become better know^n, and we 

 begin to realize that in the near future it is to occupy an important place 

 among what we call our money crops, and we begin to comprehend our 

 many advantages along the lake shore, over other sections of country, 

 for its profitable cultivation, there is a marked improvement in the care, 

 culture, and handling of it. 



As I am better acquainted with my own doings than with my neigh- 

 bors' I will give the methods I have pursued and that have made my 

 strawberry patch the best paying part of my farm for the capital 

 invested. As a rule we, in common with other growers, set our lower 

 lands because of their holding moisture better in a dry time, which, 

 being near the lake, we are safe in doing. Our soil is a rather low, 

 sandy loam with a clay subsoil, w'ell underdrained, one that has brought 

 us some fine crops of berries when w^e have had some very dry seasons. 

 For years we have grown them after the manner of farm crops, using 

 in preparing the ground and cultivating the crop the same tools and 



