"7 -- 



IVhen shoul d geese be removed from the planting? The geese are of little value to 

 the plantuig after the first hard freeze, Jiulch your planting over mnter. The 



mulch should keep the planting clean up to harvest time. Thus, geese should be used 



only the year you establish your strawberries, 



Vjhat breed of geese is best for use in strawberry plantings? The breed has little to 

 do Y^ith the kind of \reeds or the amount of weeds the geese will eat, 



Yi/hat precaution should be taken to confine birds during the vfeeding periods If the 

 birds are permitted to roam the farm, they will not keep the berry planting vreed-free» 

 A woven wire fence 30 to 36 inches high will keep most geese confined. 



What feed should be given v/hile birds are in the strawberry planting? Tlie feed should 

 be in proportion to the weeds present. If you feed grain free choice, the birds will 

 eat fewer weeds. If there are no weeds, then grain is needed to keep up the body 

 weight of the birds. Geese have been known to eat strav/berry plants only -vvhen starved, 



YJhat provision should be made for watering? Geese need fresh water everyday. The 

 water container should be placed away from the shelter and feeding space so the birds 

 are forced to tour the far end of the planting each day. 



Is a house or shelter needed? Shade is important and some type of shelter should be 

 made from scrap Ivimber, In hot weather, the geese will eat vreeds in early morning, 

 ^evenings, and even at night, 



■Yc ^A- if- * ■/- * -/- -Ji- •?!• -/<■ -A- -;!• ^ 



MORE PROFITS FROH ^aiD HIGHBUSH BLUEDERRI5S 



Most of the soils of Massachusetts are acid and many of these are good blue*i 

 berry soils if there is enough moisture. Consequently, highbush blueberries may be 

 fou.nd growing wild in almost every town in the state. In many of the hill tamis 

 high blueberry bushes are especially plentiful. Usually these wild bushes are yield- 

 ing neither as large nor as many berries as they could if given a little care, A 

 little brush clearing, a little pruning, and a. little fertilizer would more than pay 

 for themselves in many fields, Vifild blueberry bushes frequently grovf in places where 

 they are shaded by trees and crov/ded by brush. In such places the growth of blue- 

 berries is long and spindly and few berries are produced. Shade and crowding take a 

 heavy toll. 



The first step, then, toward getting more blueberries is to remove this compe- 

 tition. If trees are present, they can be cut for firewood, thus making the labor 

 serve a double purpose. After the brush and trees have been cut, resprouting can be 

 greatly reduced by spraying or painting the stumps vdth a vreed killer, A low volatile 

 ester formulation of 2,l4-D and 2,U,5-T in oil is good if used only during the winter 

 and kept off the blueberries. The manufacturers' directions as to dilution should be 

 followed. 



The next operation to consider is pruning. This is an extremely important op- 

 eration for both cultivated and wild blueberry bushes. By correct pruning vreak, dis- 

 eased, and dead wood is removed, healthy wood is stimulated and the bush is prevented 

 from overbearing, \fiien a new area is first opened up, the pruning v/ill need to be 

 aimed at removing weak, diseased and dead virood to invigorate the remainder of the 

 bush. Overbearing will seldom be a problem in fields of wild berries, especially at 

 first, 



■rfild bushes usually have a large cluster of branches groiiring fron; the base. 



