MULCHING STRAWBERRIES. 



Burt ; March 26th, Native Ferns of New 

 England, illustrated with numerous slides, 

 H. L. Clapp. 



Why should not our Ontario Societies 

 take a hint, and plan out a course of 

 meetings for the remaining months of 



the winter, with one subject for discus- 

 sion at each meeting, introduced by one 

 capable person. Eleven o'clock Satur- 

 day morning might not suit every where ; 

 for often an evening meeting will be 

 preferable. 



MULCHING STRAWBERRIES. 



T is a general practice among fruit 

 growers, especially those in locali- 

 ties where the winters are severe, 

 to give their strawberry beds some 

 kind of mulch after the ground becomes 

 frozen in the fall. 



The mulch serves for several purposes, 

 winter protection to the plants, summer 

 conservation of moisture, cleanliness of 

 berries and subjugation of seeds during 

 the fruiting season. 



It may be of clean straw, marsh hay 

 or forest leaves. Fine marsh hay or 

 leaves is the best, but one must be gov- 

 erned by the variety and cost of the 

 material at hand, especially an extensive 

 grower, but whichever material is used, 

 it should be free from foul seeds, and be 

 evenly distributed over the plants that 

 the plants are not smothered. 



It should be only thick enough that 

 the plants are not discernible. As soon 

 as freezing weather is past in the spring, 

 this mulch can be worked away from 

 over the plants and into the middle of 

 the row, leaving that which is under the 

 plants undisturbed, so as to keep the 

 berries free from sand. 



Should the season be dry, this mulch 

 will be of much benefit to retain mois- 

 ture for the development of the fruit, as 



the strawberry is 82 % water. 



It likewise serves the purpose of a 

 cultivator, preventing the growth of 

 weeds. When the fruiting season is 

 over, we mow the vines over, and as 

 soon as dry enough, are burned, select- 

 ing a day when a brisk wind is blowing 

 so the vines will burn quickly without 

 injuring the crowns of the plants: 



The cultivator is kept going often 

 enough to keep the ground mellow and 

 the weeds subdued. By winter a new 

 growth of vines have appeared and are 

 prepared to yield another crop. This 

 method has enabled us to keep our beds 

 in bearing much longer than by any 

 other method we have yet tried. 



Unless the ground is previously free 

 from all foul seeds and grasses, this plan 

 will prove a failure. It is necessary that 

 some cultivated crop be grown upon the 

 ground before setting to plants. Buck- 

 wheat has proved a good crop to grow 

 on my soil. Sod ground should be 

 avoided as it is quite apt to be infested 

 with the larvae of the May beetle, com- 

 monly known as the white grub, besides 

 several other injurious insects. 



B. H. Wood, 



Kalamazoo Co., Mich. ' 



'^^r 



56 



