THE MINNESOTA 



HORTICULTURIST. 



VOL. 27. DECEMBER, 1899. No. 12. 



THE MATTED ROW SYSTEM OF GROWING 

 STRAWBERRIES. 



GEO. R, WIDGER, CHATFIELD. 



A strawberry crop is very uncertain in this section of the state,and I 

 have not had very good success with the exception of two years, 

 those of 1893 and 1897. In the year of 1893 I raised 2,100 quarts from 

 less than one-half an acre; in the year 1897 I raised 8,000 quarts 

 from two and one-fourth acres; both years on new land. My land is 

 hig^h and clay soil. 



I plant in rows four feet apart, fifteen inches apart in the row. In 

 setting out plants I use a spading fork. I prefer a fork instead of 

 a spade, because a spade leaves too smooth a surface and packs the 

 soil on both sides. I insert the fork in the ground the full length, 

 and push it forward while another puts the plant in. He holds the 

 plant in place while I press my foot firmly on the roots just below 

 the crown. Soon after setting I commence hoeing and cultivating as 

 often as every week or ten days. When the rows commence matting 

 I hoe them just the same. I loosen the dirt among the plants and 

 leave not an inch of ground unworked. Fifteen inches is wide 

 enough to let the rows spread. I never thin them out, and I never 

 do much weeding by hand, it does not pay. I do all the work with a 

 hoe and cultivator. If my strawberry bed gets too grassy, I plow it 

 up and set anew; it can be done cheaper. I do not wait for weeds to 

 grow; I never allow them to get started. I plant one row of stamin- 

 ate to two rows of pistillate. 



I have had the best success with the Bederwood and Lovett for 

 the staminate, and the Warfield and Crescent for pistillate. The 

 Bederwood and Warfield together have done the best with me. 



If there is a prospect of a frost I do nothing to prevent it from 

 hurting the strawberries. I tried a few times to keep off the frost 

 with smoke, but it did no good. After picking I mow the bed and 

 burn it over, then plow a back furrow between the rows, then drag it 

 lengthwise, then crosswise until it is very smooth; then after the 

 plants begin to show above the soil, I commence hoeing and culti- 

 vating the same as I do new plants. 



