3270 



STRAWBERRY 



STRAWBERRY 



farms but for garden culture nothing is better than a 

 line for securing straight rows. 



Whether set in spring or fall, cultivation of the soil 

 should begin as soon as the plants are set and kept up 

 until late September, when cultivation should cease 

 and the plants given a chance to harden up for the 

 winter. Cultivation, whether done by wheel-hoe, hand- 

 hoe, or weeder, should be shallow, never more than 2 

 inches deep, as the strawberry roots are near the surface 

 and light cultivation of the surface soil does as much 

 good as any other form. Weeds of all kinds should be 



3731. The forcing of strawberries under glass. 



kept down and comparatively little weeding will be 

 necessary provided the ground is kept stirred. 



During the summer at least three applications of fer- 

 tilizer should be made, preferably before or during a 

 rain. If the fertilizer mentioned previously cannot be 

 obtained, bone-meal will give good results, particularly 

 if wood-ashes are added. 



If the season is particularly dry or the land is in- 

 clined to dry put rapidly, artificial watering may be 

 practised, but it is better not to use water if it can be 

 avoided. Plenty of cultivation will grow good plants 

 on nearly all soils. 



In the late fall after heavy frosts have come and the 

 ground freezes slightly at night, it will be necessary to 

 put some winter protection on the strawberry-bed. 

 Many kinds of materials may be used, but first it is best 

 to have a light mulch of well-rotted stable-manure 

 scattered among the plants and worked under the foli- 

 age. Following this the winter protection may be put 

 on. This should be of coarse hay, cornstalks, or very 

 strawy manure, care being taken not to put on too 

 much. A good rule to follow in placing a covering is that 

 it must not be too close to prevent seeing some of the 

 foliage of the strawberry plants under the mulch. The 

 mulch may be held in place by brush, light cordwood 

 or even soil, and in places where there is little snow 

 great care must be taken to keep the mulch in place. 

 It must be borne in mind that this careful protection is 

 not to prevent the ground from freezing but rather to 

 prevent the alternate freezing and thawing of unpro- 

 tected ground in winter. In the spring as soon as 

 danger from extreme frosts is past, the material for 

 holding the mulch in place should be removed and also 

 a part of the mulch itself, leaving some of the covering 

 on the land to serve as protection to the fruit in the 

 fruiting-season and to keep the soil moist. Some 

 persons prefer to remove all the mulch and to cultivate 

 the ground, and in some cases this is desirable; but, 

 when the plants have had good culture the previous 

 year it is just as well not to do much cultivating in the 

 spring. Fertilizers should be added at this time, pref- 

 erably bone-meal and wood-ashes mixed at the rate 



of one-half pound of ashes to one pound of bone-meal 

 and put on about one-eighth pound to the square foot. 

 If the weather is dry and the soil more or less inclined 

 to dry out, water may be added at this time and up to 

 the time the fruit is well set, being careful not to water 

 during the daytime when the sun is shining. The ques- 

 tion of watering strawberries is a very difficult one as so 

 many conditions enter into the discussion. Some soils 

 are naturally moist, and when water is added artificially 

 to these, the tendency is for the plants to go to foliage 

 or soft fruit or decayed berries. Too much water on a 

 dry soil, particularly if added as the berries 

 are coloring, is likely to injure the quality of 

 the fruit while increasing the size, so that 

 quality often is sacrificed to bulk. Generally 

 speaking, in most seasons, if the land has 

 been well cultivated the season before and 

 the bed has been well mulched, there will be 

 enough moisture in the land to carry the crop 

 to maturity. 



As quality in the strawberry depends very 

 much upon ripeness and condition, it is well 

 not to begin to pick too soon, but wait until 

 the fruit has colored all over and has taken 

 on the characteristic depth of tint which 

 may be common to the variety. Be sure 

 to pick the fruit early in the morning before 

 the sun gets hot, keeping what berries are 

 not used early in the day on ice. Pick the 

 fruit with a stem; and for household use ber- 

 ries are much more attractive when picked 

 in a shallow basket with some kind of 

 foliage. 



Within the past few years a new race of 

 strawberries has been developed commonly called ever- 

 bearing from their habit of producing fruit after the 

 regular strawberry season has passed. This strain has 

 now been permanently established and it is a great source 

 of satisfaction to strawberry-lovers to have fruit after 

 the regular season is over. There are several varieties of 

 these everbearing strawberries, and every garden should 

 have a few of them. They may be planted in any of 

 the ways suggested for the regular varieties but they 

 should have plenty of water during the summer to 

 insure the full development of the fruit. In most loca- 

 tions in the northern states these varieties begin to 

 ripen early in August and continue until heavy frosts. 

 It is advisable to cut off the blossoms in May if a 

 large crop is wanted in August, but they will fruit at 

 both tunes after a short rest in July. Many of these 

 varieties have a tendency to make too many plants 

 and it is well to follow the same general directions as 

 given for growing the standard varieties. Most of 

 these everbearing varieties do very well in the usual 

 hill culture. WILFRID WHEELER. 



Forcing of strawberries. (Figs. 3731, 3732.) 



The forcing of strawberries for a winter crop has not 

 as yet become of any great commercial importance in 

 North America. Some gardeners grow a few potted 

 plants for either Christmas or Easter decoration. Very 

 few, if any, commercial growers are forcing strawberries 

 exclusively to any profitable extent. The few straw- 

 berries that are forced are grown either in pots or 

 planted out on benches. The former method is the one 

 generally employed. There are several good reasons for 

 this, some of which are: first, the confinement of the 

 roots; second, the ability to ripen the crowns in the fall; 

 third, the control of fertilizers and liquid manure; 

 fourth, the privilege of having the crop grown in several 

 houses at one time or brought from a coolhouse into 

 heat; and fifth, the opportunity to supply particular 

 demand of the potted plants or their fruits. The first 

 expense of the pot method is considerably more than 

 when the plants are grown in the benches, but after 



