126 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



March, 



Growing Strawberries for MarVcet. 

 First Paper. 



L. J. FARMER, ORANGE CO., N. J. 



Location. In grosving Strawberries for 

 market much after-labor may be avoided 

 by selecting a suitable location and soil. In 

 open places unsheltered from the driving 

 winds, plants are often injured in the winter 

 even through a thick mulch. In blossoming 

 time heavy wiuds will blow away the pollen 

 and thus the blossoms are improperly fer- 

 tilized. A piece of woods, a row of trees, 

 the farm buildings, or if nothing better, a 

 high, loose fence, will catch the snow and 

 furnish the protection needed. 



Frosts occur more frequently and cause 

 more damage on low ground and hemmed in 

 on all sides by woods. An elevated position, 

 sulliciently open to allow a free circulation 

 of air, which lends to drive away frosts and 

 to assist in the distribution of pollen, Is 

 most desirable. Slope has much to do in 

 hastening or retarding the time of ripening 

 of the fruit. A level surface is easier of cul- 

 tivation, and the berries ripen more evenly. 

 Other things being equal, a southern slope 

 produces earlier fruit, whUe a northern ex- 

 posure produces fruit later. 



Soils. Sandy soils require less skill in 

 handling, and are more easily worked than 

 clay. The ideal soil for Strawberry growing 

 is a combination of all soils; sandy loam 

 most nearly approaches that. It always 

 produces a fair crop of berries that ripen 

 medium early, bringing fair prices. Light, 

 sandy soils produce a small crop of extra 

 early berries, which on account of earliness 

 bring high prices. Unless the season be 

 wet the later part of the crop may not pay 

 for the harvesting. 



Sometimes the roots extend down several 

 feet in search of fertility and moisture, and 

 thus the plants are better able to stand the 

 drouth. At the foot ot hills and along small 

 streams may sometimes be found moist, 

 sandy soils that always produce a large crop 

 of medium late fruit of the largest size. 

 Such soil cannot be surpassed tor Strawberry 

 growmg. As sand does not heave, plants 

 may be set at any time, even late in the tall 

 or at open spells in the winter, and thus a 

 better growth secured the next. 



Strawberries grown on sand are better 

 colored, firmer and in proportion to their 

 size, bring better prices in.market than those 

 grown on clay or heavy soils. Clay soils 

 retain moisture, and when well under- 

 drained endure the drouth better than sand. 

 It requires considerable experience and 

 skill to know the exact time to work clay. 

 It should never be stirred when too wet, 

 else it will bake into a solid mass, nor when 

 too dry, as it will then turn up in great lumps. 



Some clay soils are too heavy for growing 

 Strawberries, in fact, fit only for making 

 brick. The value of clay is in proportion to 

 the amount of other soils mixed with it. 

 Clay loam forms a very productive soil, in 

 fact when rightly treated, the largest and 

 most paying crops are grown thereon. A 

 very light freeze will disturb plants on clay, 

 and they should be mulched early and deep, 

 keeping them covered till growth starts in 

 the spring following. 



Muck. When thoroughly decomposed 

 and incorporated with other soils, muck 

 forms an admirable mixture for Strawberry 

 growing. The largest crops of some varieties 

 we ever grew, notably so the old Chas. 

 Downing, were produced on muck mixed 

 with clay. But as muck is only found 

 in low places, one runs a great risk in plant- 

 ing it to Strawberries, for in addition to the 

 otherreasons given lor avoiding low ground. 

 If the season is wet it may be impossible to 

 get on the patch to hoe or to gather the fruit. 

 Better to cart the muck to higher ground 

 and incorporate with other soils. Stony 

 soils have the advantage of being well 



elevated, thereby facilitating drainage. Be- 

 ing naturally strong, with a judicious use 

 of fertilizers and muscle, a large crop may 

 almost always be secured. Instead of roll- 

 ing over the stones from year to year, as 

 some people do, the largest ones should be 

 removed each year as the plow brings them 

 to the surface. We have spent hundreds of 

 dollars in picking stones and underdraining 

 a few acres of such land, but are annually 

 repaid with large crops. I believe the small 

 stones improve its value, for when removed 

 the soil becomes cold and clammy, conse- 

 quently less productive. 



PREPAR.\TIoy OF SolL A-vD MANLTRING. 



With us the preparation and fertilization of 

 the soil for Strawberries begins two years 

 previous to setting out the plants. Taking 

 old meadow land, a heavy coat of manure 

 is applied in the spring, plowed under and 

 the ground planted to Corn the first year 

 and Potatoes the next. Good cultivation is 

 given and the weeds all destroyed, that the 

 ground may be clean for the Strawberries 

 that follow. The frequent cultivation given 

 to these crops prevents the May beetle from 

 laying its eggs in the soil, and also turns up 

 whatever white grub may be in it, when the 

 birds and poultry soon dispatch them. 



After the Potatoes are dug the land is 

 plowed in the fall and cross-plowed in the 

 spring, when all large stones are dug out 

 and removed. A coat of ashes is now ap- 

 plied and the ground thoroughly harrowed 

 both ways, so as to refine the soil and make 

 the surface level . The last harrowing should 

 be crossways the direction that the rows are 

 to run, so that the mark will show. 



We find there is nothing better to secure 

 a good healthy growth of plants than well- 

 rotted barn manure. Ashes increase the 

 quantity of the fruit, make it better colored 

 and firmer. Superphosphates are also val- 

 uable. We apply phosphates by sifting on 

 the rows of plants when the leaves are dry, 

 preferring a small application repeated sev- 

 eral times, to applying all at one time. If 

 put on when there is dew or rain on the 

 leaves it will burn and injure them. What 

 lodges on the plants is removed by brushing 

 ott with a broom. As soon as possible after 

 applying the phosphate it is hoed in. 



Fresh horse manure may be applied the 

 year of setting out the plants to heavy clay 

 soils and plowed under, when it tends to 

 warm and liven up the ground. 



If manure is applied just before setting 

 out the plants, one should be sure it is free 

 from grubs and weed seeds, or else trouble 

 will follow. We once had a trial plat of new 

 varieties almost ruined by grubs from the 

 rotted manure, applied before setting the 

 plants. Horse manure is more free from 

 grubs than any other. 



The Snowy Tree Cricket— A Friend 

 More than a Foe. 



The tree cricket has always been classed 

 among the "insects injurious to fruits," and 

 we have often been called upon to publish 

 means how to prevent its ravages. Now it 

 seems that instead of responding to such 

 requests, we should have pleaded for the 

 cricket's protection. In a recent number 

 of "Insect Life," Mary E. Murtfeldt states 

 that the food habits of the tree cricket are 

 strictly carnivorous. They are accused of 

 cutting into and sipping the juices of various 

 fruits, of severing the berries from Grape 

 clusters, and even of cutting the latter from 

 the vines, says Miss Murtfeldt. In the pro- 

 cess of oviposition also they are charged 

 with the destruction of Grape and Rasp- 

 berry canes and the twigs of various fruy, 

 trees by their punctures and by crowding 

 the pith with their eggs. The latter charge 

 is irrefutable; but when we consider the 

 amount ot wood that it is necessary to re- 

 move from vines and trees annually, the 



few trees punctured by these insects should 

 not be allowed to count against them. As 

 to their injuries to growing fruit, all my ob- 

 servations upon them in the rearing cage 

 prove that at no stage of their existence can 

 they subsist upon vegetable food, either 

 fruit or foliage. When deprived of other 

 insects for their sustenance, they perished. 



Early in .June of last year I had a colony 

 of (E. niveus hatch from Apple twigs, about 

 a dozen in all, and I kept them under con- 

 stant observation on my writing-desk. Dur- 

 ing the day they remained almost motion- 

 less in one position, if possible concealed 

 from light and sight on the under side or in 

 the folds of a leaf. They were, from the 

 first, supplied with various berries and ten- 

 der leaves, but evidently never touched 

 them for food. On the morning of the 

 fourth day two or three were dead, and 

 showed signs of having been nibbled by 

 their hungry brothers. Some leaves of 

 Plum infested with a delicate species of yel- 

 low aphis were then put into the jar, but 

 attracted no immediate attention. As twi- 

 light deepened, however, the crickets awak- 

 ened to greater activity. By holding the 

 jar against thelightof the window or bring- 

 ing it suddenly into the lamp light, the lit- 

 tle nocturnal hunters might be seen hurry- 

 ing, with a furtive, darting movement over 

 the leaves and stems, the head bent down, 

 the antennae stretched forward, and every 

 sense apparently on the alert. Then the 

 aphides provided for their food would be 

 caught up one after another with eagerness, 

 and devoured with violent action of the 

 mouthparts, the antennaj meanwhile play- 

 ing up and down in evident expression of 

 satisfaction. Unless I had provided very 

 liberally, not an aphis would be found in the 

 jar the next morning, and the sluggish 

 crickets would have every appearance of 

 plethora. Later on in their lives, by reduc- 

 ing them to the point of starvation, I re- 

 peatedly made them feed in the daytime, so 

 that I might the more distinctly observe 

 the process, which is certainly interesting. 



The growth of the insects is very slow. 

 Wings were not acquired until late in Au- 

 gust, and at this time I again attempted to 

 change their diet to fruit. Grapes, Plums, 

 etc., an experiment that resulted in the 

 death of all but three of my specimens. 

 Those which remained, fed for about two 

 weeks longer upon Oak Tinriis, Aphis jjop- 

 !((/, and on a brownish aphis which infested 

 the new shoots of Grape, but neither of the 

 two males essayed any musical perform- 

 ances, nor would the single female that 

 reached its perfect state puncture any of 

 the twigs that were furnished her, and all 

 three died long before those out of doors 

 had ceased to sing. 



During the present summer my attention 

 was again attracted to these insects by find- 

 ing them so constantly and numerously on 

 Oaks infested with P/iy;((i.i't'roiJi!(;/(. Every 

 leaf dotted by the aphis would have its tree 

 cricket in addition to various smaller foes. 

 The species most commonly seen was CE 

 Intipinnis, distinguished to casual observa- 

 tion by its somewhat larger size and by the 

 brilliant orange red or red and yellow dorsal 

 stripe of the pupae. The size and the broader 

 wings sufficiently characterize the mature 

 insect. A close examination reveals many 

 less obvious distinctions between the two. 



I found that one specimen of UScnnthus 

 would clear the PhyUox-era from a large 

 Oak leaf in the course of a single night when 

 confined to one leaf. On one occasion one 

 of the crickets ate two saw-flies which had 

 emerged in the jar. I have also had them 

 feed upon various kinds of small leaf hop- 

 pers and tingids, and am convinced that 

 they are thoroughly and constantly carniv- 

 erous and therefore a valuable ally in re- 

 ducing the number of our smaller insects. 



