- 3 - 



The 19^2 Strawberry Planting. It is not too early to begin planning the 

 strawberry bed to be planted next spring. In fact, some of our raost successful 

 growers take a full year in preparing the soil, by growing tvro or three ferti- 

 lized cover crops to provide a reservoir of fertilitj'' and improved texture for 

 the newly set plants, ""/here this is done, perennial grasses are eliminated and 

 the plants get off to a flying start. In late summer there is still time to plov/ 

 and harrow, lime if necessary, and sow rye in September in preparation for plovdng 

 under early next spring. The resulting organic matter will be a partial substitute 

 for barnyard manure. And ivhere poultry manure is available, it can be used to 

 excellent advantage before sovdng the rye, since it will encourage a rank growth 

 which will decompose readily next summer. On a light soil, a larger amount of 

 poultry manure can be used safely in this way than p.s a -direct application to the 

 growing plants. 



B lackbrrrlea , an Inch in Diameter . A small patch of blackberries, vfith fruit 

 of unusual size, was visited a fev^ days ago and a quart of berries was picked in 

 about the time it takes to write this paragraph. Tv;elve of the largest berries, 

 laid side by side in a rov;, measured 11 inches. Laid end to end, they measured 

 13 inches. And that's an average diameter of about one inch. These plants are 

 probably "escapes" from a former garden. From an old cellar hole in the vicinity, 

 it appears that the area has been unoccupied for many years, perhaps a centuiy. 



■K- -K- -j;- -;;- -a- ■/- * ^a- -a- * ■?;- <- -»■ •«• * * -x- -ss- li- 



LEAVE TFfE POOR APPLES AT HOllE 



(A borrowed editorial from The Produce News, August 11, 1951) 



"The third consecutive big apple crop is coming up. The last two v/ere 

 unprofitable to many growers. Does the third crop have to be unprofitable? Not 

 necessarily so. Business is good and consumers want good apples. Good apples can 

 be marketed profitably - if a lot of poor apples are kept off tho market. Thir. 

 sounds simple, but there are some complications. 



"It costs a lot of money to grov; and distribute apples nowadays, even poor 

 apples. The poor apples discourage buying and reduce apple consumption. One of 

 the first steps on v/hich action is needed is the elimination of poor quality and 

 poor-condition apples from retail channels. This calls for some concerted action. 

 The first point of attack is on grade enforcement. Grades must be enforced better 

 than they have been in the past. The grade mark on the package must mean what it 

 says, if trade and consumer confidence is to be restored, 



"However, c^rade enforcement alone is not enough. Poorly graded apples can 

 still be marketed as unclassified, or under some evasive term. About October or 

 November, in recent years a great mass of ungraded fxiiit has descended on our 

 markets, large and small alike, pushing dovm the price of all apples and killing 

 the consumer desire for more apples. These ungraded apples practically always lose 

 money for the producer. He vrould lose little or nothing by not marketing them at 

 all. Container and hauling charges, for example, are just as much for poor fruit 

 as for good. Yet these apples are alv/ays expensive to the consumer. The poorest 

 consumer ^vould not lose anything if these apples wore eliminated entirely. V<7ien 

 a consumer buys poor apples, there is alvrays enough v/astu to offset the differe^nce 

 in price. 



