494 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



HORTICULTURE. 



SMALL FRUIT FOR THE FARMERS' TABLE AND ITS CULTIVA- 

 TION. 



Isaac Jo/mson, West Union, Iowa, Before Winneshiek County Farmers' 



l7istitnte. 



In giving me this subject it must be understood that this means a garden 

 for the practical farmers. And by a good collection of varieties and good 

 care, can have plenty of fruit on the table the year round. 



This farmer's fruit garden I want to select near your house where the 

 wife and children can see it. You want it ten rods long and five rods wide. 

 The ground can not be too rich or too finely pulverized. To prepare the 

 ground deep fall plowing and replowing in the spring is far better than only 

 one plowing in the spring. After the ground has been pulverized and 

 thoroughly harrowed; then mark out six rows four feet apart for straw- 

 berries. Have them planted twenty inches in the row. In the first row I 

 would plant one hundred Crescent. In the second row plant one hundred 

 Bederwood, in the third and fourth rows plant Crescent, in the fifth row 

 plant Lovett, and in the sixth row I would plant Warfield. These four va- 

 vieties of strawberries are selected out of hundreds of varieties, and for years 

 have been thoroughly tested and tried and found perfectly hardy, good 

 bearers of fine fruit for home use. We nearly all know that by fruit agents 

 there have been varieties recommended to us far better than those I have 

 named, and been selling at one dollar a plant, but my advice is, keep your 

 money in your pocket until you know what you are buying. All strawberry 

 plants are staminate or pistillate (male or female) and pistillate varieties must 

 have staminate varieties planted side by side. Many have failed to raise good 

 crops because they do not understand this law of nature. You will notice 

 that in the first row are Crescent. In the third and fourth rows are Crescent 

 also. In the sixth row are Warfield. Those are pistillates. In the second 

 row are Bederwood and in the fifth row are Lovett. 



Those are staminate varieties. In planting out strawberries you should 

 always use new strong plants for setting. Never let the roots be exposed 

 to sun or wind. Let one man insert a spade in the ground to a depth of six 

 inches, and lean forward to open a hole, while a man or boy takes the plants 

 and spreads the roots out fan shape and place in the hole. Have the dirt 

 well packed about the roots just even with the top of the ground, neither 

 above or below. I think the best time for planting out strawberries is in the 

 early spring. Not too early, but just as soon as the ground becomes warm 

 and can be worked nicely. It should be so that the plants will begin to grow 

 at once. The important part of raising strawberries is to keep the ground 

 loose and free from weeds. This is very easy said, but not so easy done, 



