November, 1916. 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



273 



quarters for the summer, and so leave 

 spaces for the later flowering plants. 

 If we realize this, it may help us to 

 plant accordingly. 



Just a reminder here to any who 

 have wallflowers in their garden from 

 seed last spring. These plants will not 

 have flowered this summer. Lift them 

 now with as much soil as can be kept 



around their roots and place them in 

 vases, pots or fruit baskets. These 

 plants, kept in a window where there 

 is plenty of light, and well watered, will 

 bloom in profusion next April and May. 

 As soon as the weather permits, they 

 can be set out in the border, even when 

 in bloom. Do not neglect the watering. 

 Give at least once a week. — ^B. C. T. 



QUESTION BOX 



Prof. J. W. Crow, O.A.C. 



Mulching Strawberries 



H. S. Fry,;;B.S.A., O.A.C, Guelph 



MANY growers of strawberries 

 make a practice of mulching 

 their plantations in the fall to 

 bring the plants through the winter in 

 the best of condition. Any material 

 such as leaves, old hay, straw or strawy 

 manure, is suitable for this purpose. 

 Manure is the most common mulching 

 material used, since it acts both as a 

 mulching material and a fertilizer. In 

 most of Ontario, the mulch is applied 

 in late fall as soon as the soil has been 

 frozen hard enough to bear the weight 

 of team and wagon. The mulch is 

 spread over the surface of the ground, 

 about three inches thick, and is remov- 

 ed in the spring as soon as the leaves 

 of the strawberry plants "begin to show 

 a little yellow, as a result of lack of 

 -sunlight. 



In Ontario strawberries should al- 

 ways be mulched, even in the Niagara 

 District. The principal reason for 

 mulching is to protect the crowns of 

 the plants from injury as a result of 

 heaving by frost or alternate freezing 

 and thawing. In some places where 

 the winter is less severe than in On- 

 tario the mulch is of value in autumn 

 before the ground gets frozen solid, but 

 in Ontario it is of greatest val^e about 

 March, when we usually have a con- 

 siderable amount of freezing and thaw- 

 ing before spring sets in. 



Strawy manure is the best material 

 for Ontario stra\v*berry growers to use, 

 as it is easier to obtain than other ma- 

 terials and has a fertilizer value be- 

 sides. It can be applied very easily 

 with a manure spreader if it is not too 

 long, and in such a case the spreader 

 should be set to apply about fifteen 

 tons to the acre. 



It has been mentioned that this 

 mulch should be removed in the spring 

 before the leaves are unnecessarily 

 checked by lack of sunlight. A good 

 practice is to merely pull the mulch 

 between the rows of strawberries and 

 leave it there so that it may act as a 

 mulch for the soil, and as a means 

 whereby the fruit may be kept from 

 getting dirty during the picking sea- 

 vson. Providing the soil is in good con- 

 dition and the manure is not too full of 

 weed seeds, a mulch of this kind will 



conserve soil moisture just as well as 

 if the ground were kept cultivated, 

 while the fruit can be kept cileaner 

 than if the soil were being constantly 

 stirred. 



Strawberry growers also make con- 

 siderable use of this mulch in districts 

 where it is desirable to prolong the sea- 

 son to secure better prices. 



In view of the benefits to be derived 

 from mulching it is to be recognized 

 as a very desirable practice, especially 

 where tender varieties are being 

 igrown. It may be well to mention, 

 however, that in very cold districts 

 where the snowfall is abundant and 

 serves as a cover for the soil for four 

 or five months in the year without 

 imdting, the mulch ineed not be as 

 heavy as in districts with only light 

 snowfall, since a heavy mulch in ad- 

 dition to a heavy snowfall might be 

 suffioient to smother the plants. 



Some time ago I brought from Quebec (Cityj 

 a number of Hautbois strawberry plants. They 

 bloom slightly later than the ordinary plants, 

 and bloom heavily. They present a beautiful 

 sight in bloom, but their flowers must be Im- 

 perfect, for they do not set a single fruit. The 

 blossoms simply wither on the stem. Could 

 you suggest a variety that could be planted 

 alongside for cross fertilization? 



I have also been trying a plant called the 

 Strawberry-Raspberry — originated, 1 am told, 

 by Burbank. This also blooms liberally but has 

 set no fruit. I am told by tlie nurseryman 

 from whom I procured It that it has a perfect 

 flower. As it has failed to set a single fruit, 

 the blossoms drying up on the stem, it would 

 also appear to be imperfect. I have seen the 

 fruit offered for sale elsewhere, so it can be In- 

 duced to fruit. I should be glad to have the 

 opinion of some one who knows the plant and 

 its fruit as I am only a beginner with small 

 fruits J. R. O. 



I am inclined to think the tijouble 

 is either frost or an unfavorable 

 soil. If the strawberry-raspberry 

 fails to fruit, the difficulty probably is 

 not in pollenation, because there is no 

 other plant needed to pollenize Ithe 

 strawtberry-raspiberry. Perhaps you 

 are taking too good care of them, and 

 forcing the growth of the plant _ too 

 much. I am not sure whether this is 

 possible with strawberry-raspberry, 

 because I have had very little ex- 

 perience with them, but should expect 

 it would be. 



The Hautbois strawberry (Fragaria 

 mosehata) is dioecious, that is to saj', 

 some of the plants are male and others 

 are female. It is necessary to have 

 both types before fruit will be pro- 

 duced. 



To have strawtoerrlci like these next season protect your beds by mulcJilns thoroughly this 

 fall. Spring thaws are apt to prove disastrous wticn this Is not done. 



