STRAWBERRY CULTURE 95 



of the bed. No ironclad rule can be laid down, either as to how 

 many crops shall be harvested or the particular method to follow 

 in the renovation of the old bed. Usually by some method the 

 matted row is narrowed down, the ground which has become hard 

 and compact by the pickers is broken up and thoroughly worked, 

 the remaining plants put in the very best possible condition to 

 start new growth, stable manure or fertilizer added if available. 

 There is no uniform practice as to mowing and burning over the 

 old bed, some successful growers never omitting the operation, 

 while other equally as successful growers never practice the method. 

 It has some advantages and also some disadvantages. 



Irrigation of strmcberrics. The importance of an adequate 

 supply of moisture has already been referred to. All strawberry 

 growers are familiar with the disastrous effects of periods of drought 

 and it would seem at first sight as highly desirable to install some 

 system whereby one would not be at the mercy of the elements as 

 far as they relate to the water supply. Were it possible to control 

 or regulate natural rainfall or to prognosticate the future weather 

 conditions with accuracy, a regular, never failing, always available 

 artificial water supply might become a valuable asset to the straw- 

 berry grower, but unfortunately, in New York State at least, we 

 not only have no control ovev nature'^ operations but also are 

 exceedingly poor guessers when it comes to foretelling the weather; 

 and the experience of many a grower who has installed some plant, 

 as the "Skinner" system for instance, has found that the systems 

 rust out far quicker than they wear out and that in a series of years 

 there has been but little if anj^ financial return at all adequate to 

 the amount of investment involved. There are, of course, excep- 

 tions to this experience. It would seem, however, judging by past 

 experience, to be highly desirable to more full}- make use of the 

 means already at hand of conserving and utilizing the moisture 

 supply normally available through more intensive methods of 

 cultivation, and of previous soil preparation, especially by increas- 

 ing its capacity to hold and retain moisture. 



Pests and their control. Some benign influence must brood over 

 the strawberry, shielding and protecting against many of the 

 troubles that fruits are heir to, for it may truthfully be said that 

 items for spray machinery and for spray materials are conspicuous 



