CONSERVATION OF SOIL MOISTURE FOR STRAWBERRIES. 



dew or rain. If the weather is hot, 

 leave them in a cool place for some time 

 before packing in cases and shipping. 

 Cases should be neatly directed on both 

 ends, and your own stencil on the sides 

 or top. If you have long shipments to 

 make, grow only such varieties as will 

 reach their destination in good order. 

 Ship to small towns only on regular 

 orders and at agreed prices 



Always bear in mind that choice fruit 

 is always in demand at good prices, and 

 the market never overstocked ; and that 

 poor fruit never sells well, brings low 

 prices, and the market is easily over- 

 stocked ; that it costs as much to raise 

 poor fruit, costs more to pick poor fruit ; 

 that it costs as much to box and case 

 poor fruit ; that express charges are just 

 as high on poor fruit, and when sold it 



is after good fruit is gone, and then at 

 half price. Another thing in marketing 

 berries is to pick them before they are 

 over ripe, especially if you want to ship 

 them a long way to market. 1 require 

 my pickers to throw away all berries 

 over-ripe or soft. 



Some fruit growers lose a great deal 

 of their profits by undertaking to top 

 their berries out with a better variety of 

 berries. Now, whatever else you do, let 

 the quality be as good at the bottom as 

 at the top. Whether your customers be 

 high or low, rich or poor, give them 

 good measure and good fruit. You had 

 better take the poor berries and throw 

 them away than to undertake to get 

 them to market, because it ruins your 

 reputation and ruins the balance of the 

 fruit. — Minnesota Horticulturist. 



THE CONSERVATION OF SOIL MOISTURE FOR 

 STRAWBERRIES. 



n LTHOUGH strawberry plants will 

 M\ not thrive where the soil is perma- 

 i/li nently wet, they do require an 

 abundant supply of moisture, both 

 during the growing and fruiting seasons. 

 The non-observance of this requirement 

 is the occasion of heavy losses. In the 

 first place, the ground for strawberries 

 is often left until planting time before 

 plowing, and breaks up in clods, occa- 

 sioning much labor in preparation with 

 harrow and roller. Although it may be 

 possible to put such a soil into fairly 

 good condition for planting, the water 

 which has been lost cannot be restored, 

 and weeks may elapse before sufificient 

 rain falls to keep the plants alive. It 

 has been shown that more than 1,500 

 barrels of water, per acre, may escape 

 from unplowed ground in one week, in 

 excess of the quantity which will pass off 

 from an equal erea which has been 

 plowed and harrowed at frecjuent inter- 

 vals. Moreover, the ground which has 

 been plowed late will continue to dry 



out during the season at a rate in excess 

 of the early plowed. This shows plainly 

 that early plowing and frequent harrow- 

 ing are essential, in order to retain the 

 soil moisture, even though planting may 

 be delayed. The difference between 

 fall and late spring plowing, is still greater 

 than between early and late plowing, 

 especially as affecting the capacity of the 

 soil to retain moisture during the season. 

 The best preparation for a strawberry 

 bed is fall plowing, where the soil will 

 admit, and if not then as early in the 

 spring as the ground is fit to work. 



The prevention of escape of moisture 

 from the soil during the growing season 

 is also important, and this can be ac- 

 complished, very largely, by frequent 

 cultivation, especially after every rain. 

 It is quite as important to stir the soil 

 after light showers as after heavy rains. 

 Retaining of moisture after mulching 

 during the fruiting season is no doubt a 

 more practicable method than cultiva- 

 tion. — O. Ex. Station. 



268 



