\ 



-3- 



"We found that our own inspection in the field was better than we could get 

 from a State-Federal man that we hired for five consecutive years during harvest. 

 He was valuable on packed fruit, but did not cover enough boxes or enough pickers 

 in the field inspection. 



"We like many aspects of Bill Blackburn's plan of picking into the cartons that 

 fruit is stored in, but have not seen how We could adapt it to our opetation." 



0. C. Roberts 



I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 



HIGH STRATOERRY YIELD IN 1959 



At least one grower, Harvey Turner of Andover, Massachusetts had a bumper 

 crop of strawberries this year. A total of 6,000 quarts on 18,000 sq. ft. (less 

 than 1/2 acre) of fruiting bed. 



This high yield while other growers secured from no crop to not over 1/2 crop 

 following losses from winter injury and rot during harvest raised the question. 

 Why and how did Mr. Turner do it? 



^ Harvey states that he planted strawberries the same as each year (May 25, 

 1958) 3 ft. apart in the row and rows 4 ft. apart. 



The soil is medium gravelly loam (Hinckley) well drained with a west and 

 south west slope. This plot had been planted to vegetables for 4 years before 

 strawberries were planted in 1958. No commercial fertilizer was used but a 

 heavy application of hen manure was applied before planting sweet corn in 1957. 



Harvey uses a unique method of culture keeping a wide alley 15-18" wide 

 and at least 4" lower than the narrow matted row. Throughout the first year 

 each time the bed is hoed or weeded, soil is pulled around the plants so that 

 the matted row is raised at least 3 to 4" above the alleys. 



Only two varieties were planted, Catskill and Robinson. Salt marsh hay 

 mulch was applied in late November before the ground froze. 



I To control rot on Robinson 8 dusts of 57o Captan were applied weekly 



beginning May 1st. Four Captan dusts were applied every other week to Catskill. 

 Losses from rot were negligible. 



Thus a coiTibination of factors were responsible for this high yield; well 

 drained soil; high bedded, well spaced, narrow rows; early mulch; high organic 

 content in well prepared soil and excellent rot control. 



Calton 0. Cartwright 



