173< 



STRAWBERRY 



STRAWBERRY 



can be done by men with a little experience in a small 

 part of the time taken to write it out, but one must re- 

 member that the doing of this work well or ill will make 

 the difference between success and partial failure. The 

 writer has several men who will set half an acre a day, 

 and do it easily and well. If the weather is dry and 

 warm, it will greatly aid the young plants if half a pint 

 of water is put around each one. 



When the beds are filled with plants, run through 

 them with a hand-cultivator before they come into 

 bloom. This may not be 

 necessary, but in most cases 

 it will be. If the plants 

 start nicely, they will soon 

 be in full bloom, but they 

 must not be allowed to bear 

 fruit this summer. Go 

 through the beds and pinch 

 off all the blossoms, and see 

 that there are no stray 

 plants among them of a dif- 

 erent variety. The beds 

 must be kept clean, free 



2422. Haverland Strawberry. 



(X %.) 



from weeds, and well cultivated as often as they re- 

 quire it. In July the runners will start. Before the 

 runners take root they should be trained around the 

 parent plant like the spokes of a wheel, having the 

 parent plant for its center. Simply lay them out in 

 equal distances around the parent plant and throw suffi- 

 cient earth upon them to hold them. Otherwise the 

 runners are likely to come out on one side and make al- 

 most a solid mass of roots on that side and few or none 

 on the other, the result being that the crop the following 

 season will not be as large or of as good quality as when 

 they have been properly tended. This is about all there 

 is to be done until the ground freezes for winter, when 

 the plants should be covered with marsh hay. Straw is 

 as good, provided it is free from weeds and grass seed, 

 but it is sometimes impossible to obtain such straw. In 

 covering the plants, merely hide them from sight. 

 There are two objects in view: first, to protect the 

 plants from the many sudden changes in our winter 

 weather, and, second, for spring protection. During the 

 thawing days and freezing nights in the early spring, 

 the ground is likely to become "honeycombed." The top 



of the ground is a little raised from its natural position, 

 and the plants are lifted up and their roots broken off 

 in the frozen earth beneath. To avoid this danger, 

 leave the cover upon the plants until all freezing nights 

 are over. Some growers recommend leaving the cover 

 on and allowing the plants to work their way through 

 it. The writer has tried this plan, but the crop was 

 only half of that obtained when the cover had been 

 taken off and the ground kept cultivated. Better take 

 the cover off, haul it away and stack it for another win- 

 ter's use. 



Some growers recommend that the mulch be re- 

 tained in order to keep the berries from being soiled. 

 If the plants grew last season as they should have done, 

 they have by this time nearly or quite covered the 

 ground, and the leaves and fruit-stems will so support 

 each other that there will be very few berries in the 

 dirt unless it rains almost constantly. When there are 

 open spaces of any size, and the fruit is likely to get 

 into the dirt, it is well to put back a little of the mulch 

 after the thorough cultivation of the spring is done. 

 For the spring dressing, wood ashes are to be preferred. 

 If unleached, they should be applied at the rate of not 

 less than 50 bushels to the acre. Twice that 

 amount should be used if the ashes have been 

 leached. If ashes are not to be had, put on 

 well-rotted stable manure at the rate of about 

 20 wagon-loads per acre. The spring cultiva- 

 tion consists of pulling out by hand all the 

 weeds that can be found among 

 the plants and then hoeing over 

 all the open spaces large enough 

 to accommodate a common broad 

 hoe. Do not work the ground 

 more than half an inch deep, for 

 the roots have much work to da 

 within the next few weeks. 



Now it is time to begin to count 

 the cost. We will consider the 

 land worth $200 per acre : 



Expense of an acre of Strawberries 

 up to picking time. 



Interest and taxes $15 00 



Plowing, harrowing and 



surface-draining 5 00 



Value of 11,000 plants at $5 



per 1,000 55 00 



Manure, 60 loads, at $1 per 



load 6U 00 



Marking ground and set- 

 ting plants 4 00 



Summer cultivation 8 00 



Training runners around 



the plants 3 00 



Winter covering and cost 



of putting it on 6 00 



Taking off winter cover, 



and spring cultivation.... 500 



Total $161 00 



In a very dry and unpropitious 

 year, the yield on the writer's 

 place was 7,136 quarts, or 223 

 bushels per acre; the gross receipts in cash were a few 

 cents over $500 per acre. In the year 1886 the yield was 

 over 8,000 quarts, or something over 250 bushels per 

 acre; and the gross receipts $633 per acre. These were 

 both hard years for Strawberries. In 1875 exactly one- 

 quarter of an acre yielded 3,571 quarts, or 111% bushels, 

 of marketable fruit. The average price was 12 cents per 

 quart. In 1876 one-fourth of an acre yielded a fraction 

 less than 100 bushels. These were both favorable sea- 

 sons for berries. But we will take the first mentioned 

 crop for our estimate, as it was the poorest of the four. 

 The boxes and crates cost a fraction less than $7 per 

 1,000 quarts ; picking, packing and carrying to the depot 

 not to exceed $15 per 1,000: 



The story of an acre' of Strawberries' in an unfavorable season. 



Gross receipts $500 00 



Cost of growing the crop $161 00 



Picking, crating and marketing (7,136 



qts.) 157 00 



318 00 



Net profits above expenses $182 00 



