114 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



STRAWBERRY GROWING. 



C. A. SARGENT, RED WING. 



The growing of strawberries seems to be very uncertain, and 

 what we learn one year seems sometimes to be all undone the next, 

 and varieties that do well one year are almost useless another. 

 One important thing about growing strawberries is to have the 

 ground enriched and kept clean from weeds the year before, and 

 you will thereby save more than one-half the work in keeping them 

 free from weeds the first year. 1 think I have better success plow- 

 ing the ground in the fall for setting out strawberries, as it does 

 not seem to dry out as badly in a dry season. I have tried both 

 ways, that is, fall and spring plowing, and think I like fall plowing 

 best. I have my ground plowed now for next spring planting. 



I plant with a dibble and have good success usually. We read 

 about and see pictures in catalogs about the right way to plant 

 strawberries, with the roots all spread out in regular order, each 

 one in its particular place. I would like to ask any one here how 

 many plants they ever saw set out in that way. I think there is 

 more theory than practice in that way of setting. If you should 

 dig up a plant from almost anybody's planting, you would find the 

 roots all pressed together. 1 can plant this way and have them 

 grow as nice as any I ever saw from anybody's planting. And if 

 they will grow this way all right, what more do we want? 



This year I think we had too much rain. It seems when we 

 have a good deal of rain when the plants are in bloom it washes 

 the pollen off so there is not enough left to pollenize the pistillate 

 plants or even themselves in some cases. I have planted three 

 rows of pistillate to one of staminate, because the pistillate varieties 

 are the best and more productive ; but I think two rows of pistillate 

 to one of staminate is better, although some recommend staminate 

 in every other row. If I could find a staminate as good and as 

 productive as the pistillate, I would use all of that kind. 



Strawberries should be cultivated often to do well. This should 

 be done with a fine tooth cultivator so as to keep the ground as 

 level as possible. I find June grass and white clover about the 

 worst things to get into a strawberry field. If they once get a 

 good start, it might as well be plowed up. 



I nearly always find that strawberries do the best the second 

 year, especially the Warfield; also the third year if they do not get 

 too weedy. This year I did not pick my new field at all. The 

 Warfield do well except in a very dry year. Warfield, Splendid and 

 Bederwood are the best I have tried. The strawberry field should 

 be covered in the fall with straw or poor hay. 



