THE MINNESOTA 



HORTICULTURIST. 



VOL. 33. APRIL, 1904. No. 4. 



FIELD CULTURE OF STRAWBERRIES. 



A. BRACKETT, EXCELSIOR. 



The first thing to consider is location, which I think can be found 

 and should be found upon everybody's land, whether he owns a 

 town lot or an entire section of land. The next thing is the fertility 

 of the soil. I think that a soil which is naturally fertile, one that will 

 grow potatoes and corn, is better than one fertilized by manure. 

 If the ground is foul wath weeds and has not been taken care of, 

 that is, if it is thoroughly seeded with weeds, such ground should 

 be prepared at least a year beforehand. I thoroughly manure my 

 ground with strawy manure from the stable, spread it all over the 

 ground and plow it under in the fall, but I do not harrow it. Next 

 spring after the weeds come up I harrow the ground and then plow 

 the weeds under, and I keep it harrowed and plowed until the first 

 of July. At that time I seed it down to buckwheat, three pecks to 

 the acre, and before it comes into seed I plow it under, let it lie 

 until spring and then smooth it down with harrow and planker. In 

 that way the ground is made thoroughly fine, it is free from weeds 

 and it is mechanically in the best shape it can be put into. It seldom 

 bakes. The weed seeds have nearly all started to grow and have 

 been destroyed. You will find this preparatory work will pay you 

 in the future cultivation. 



After I have the ground in the condition desired, I mark it with 

 a corn marker, making the rows five feet one way and two feet the 

 other, or four and one-half if you are short of land. 



I will now give you my method of planting, having my land 

 marked ofif in good shape. I take my plants up with the spading 

 fork, put them in baskets and take them to the packing house, where 

 I have men to trim them, taking ofif the runners and surplus leaves. 

 I find two men and a boy constitute the best force for planting. 



