262 HORTICULTURE, FORESTRY, FLORICULTURE 



it is the practice to put on the mulch as soon as the ground is suf- 

 ficiently frozen to allow driving upon it with a loaded cart or 

 wagon. Where the freezing of the soil is only superficial or only 

 temporary, if at all, the mulch serves the purpose of a protection 

 from wind more than from frost, and in such sections the mulch is 

 put on as soon as active growth ceases, usually early in December, 

 and is allowed to remain until after the crop is harvested. 



Some growers remove the mulch early and give the plants 

 thorough cultivation before the fruits are half grown; then if it 

 seems desirable to protect the fruits from the earth the mulch is 

 replaced for this purpose. In other localities where heavy snows 

 are of annual occurrence and where they remain throughout the 

 winter, thus affording protection from repeated freezing and thaw- 

 ing, as well as preventing deep freezing of the soil, mulching is not 

 generally practiced; if practiced at all a light mulch only can 

 be used, as a heavy covering is likely to cause loss by smothering 

 the plants. 



Harvesting and Shipping, The time of gathering the fruit, as 

 well as the manner of handling, is governed by the use to which it is 

 to be put. If for a local market, much riper fruits can be handled 

 than when they are to be shipped long distances. The most 

 progressive growers of strawberries for local markets not only give 

 particular attention to the ripeness of the fruit, but to assorting and 

 grading as well, only large perfect berries being placed in the first 

 grade, and all small or soiled fruits in the second. 



Shipment to Distant Markets. For a distant market the fruits 

 must be gathered as soon as fully grown and colored. When the 

 fruits are removed from the plants they should go either into cooled 

 shipping cases or into a cool storeroom where the temperature can 

 be maintained at about 50 F. If this is impracticable, they should 

 be placed in the shade in as cool a situation as possible. Fruits to 

 be shipped in refrigerator boxes such as are used by the southern 

 growers (Florida growers in particular), can be placed in the 

 chilled carriers as soon as they have stood in the shade for a half 

 hour. Such hardening off or chilling has much the same effect 

 on soft fruits of this nature as it has upon flowers; it checks the 

 ripening process and, while it does not entirely stop it, the effect 

 is to deliver the fruits at the end of their journey in much better 

 condition than when not so chilled. In this, as in all work of like 

 nature, careful judgment is necessary. Too much cold is as bad as 

 too little; in any case the chilling and icing should be considered 

 merely as a means to an end. Experience has demonstrated that it 

 is not advisable to attempt to hold soft fruits for any length of 

 time in cold storage. The icing or shipping in refrigerator car- 

 riers allows the grower to bring his fruits to a higher state of perfec- 

 tion on the vines than when he is obliged to ship long distances 

 without such appliances. For that reason alone this method of 

 handling should be encouraged, as it gives the consumer a higher- 

 grade product. 



Receptacles. Whether it is to be shipped in crates or refrig- 



