THE STRAWBERRY FEBRUARY i906 



much I could make, but kept putting ref- 

 use on as it trot soaked. I applied it to 

 garden and I ha\ e had no reason to find 

 any fault with the quality of it as a fertil- 

 izer. I kept the weeds out and gave it 

 clean cultureand have the satisfaction, not 

 only of abundant crops of e\erything, but 

 also the reputation of the best garden in 

 town. 



Nothing will more quickly add that all- 

 important factor, humus, to the soil, than 

 decaying vegetable matter, and when to 

 that is added the refuse waters of the 

 house and the kitchen slops, an ideal fer- 

 tilizer is created. We pass this sugges- 

 tion along to strawberry growers who 

 may have access to great quantities of 

 autumn leaves and other matter which, 

 instead of being burned, should be turned 

 into fertility and food and cash. 



Spring Setting in the South 



SOUTHERN growers who insist that 

 success with strawberries in their 

 latitude can be had only by setting 

 their plants in the fall should learn a les- 

 son from J. E. Miles of Friendswood, 

 Tex., whose experience as a money 

 maker with strawberry plants certainly 

 gives him a right to be heard. 



Mr. Miles buys his plants in the 

 North because they are dormant when 

 dug and shipped, sets them in April and 

 says that "nearly everyone of them will 

 grow and by July 15 will have run to- 

 gether." He keeps the runners off from 

 that date until early in August, when he 

 lets them make some good strong plants 

 on each side of the row, and after a good 

 rain in August or September, sets out 

 two-thirds of an acre more, and if any 

 die keeps filling in until he has a perfect 

 stand. He cultivates from April to No- 

 vember with a fourteen-tooth adjustable 

 harrow and mulches them with prairie 

 grass or rice straw, placing no mulching 

 over the plants, except in extremely cold 

 weather, but spreading it thmly between 

 the rows. 



For fertilizer Mr. Miles uses about 

 thirty two-horse wagon loads of manure 

 to the acre the fall previous to setting out 

 the plants, and raises some kind of winter 

 garden crop in order to get the manure 

 well mixed with the soil. He finds this 

 the most satisfactory of all fertilizers. 



Mr. Miles appears to have made Ex- 

 celsiors and Lady Thompsons his favor- 

 ites. He says he thins the former to 

 eight inches apart; the latter to from four- 

 teen to sixteen inches apart. We shall 

 let Mr. Miles tell the balance of the 

 story in his own words: 



'I had ripe berries to sell by the quart 

 from January 4 until Februar>' 20, when 

 I sold my first crate at Galveston for 

 $4.20 net. The highest price I received 

 that year was March 2, two crates to 

 Colorado Sprincrs, $12.53 net. (Berries 

 sold for $15.00.) April 14 we had a hail 



storm almost ruining one crop of late 

 berries, but one-half acre of Excelsior 

 made me over $240 before that date. 

 Total for year from two acres, 170 1-2 

 crates; average per 24-quart crate, $2.42; 

 net returns, $412.94. 



In 1903 I sent four quarts to Thom- 

 aston November 20, began to sell by the 

 crate December 10, shipped every few 

 days until February 14, and from 1 1-4 

 acres of mostly new Excelsior plants 

 set out in October I had checks for 

 $156.06, having sold thirty-eight 24-quart 

 crates averaging $4.10 per crate. The 

 next shipment was six weeks later on ac- 

 count of a severe freeze and continued 

 shipping until May 8. Total crates from 

 two acres, 136; average, 2.84 2-3. Cash 

 received, $387.14. 



My 1904 crop first berries were sold 

 December 24 at 40 cents a quart net. 

 During January I sold ten crates and 

 thirteen boxes, averaging $7.42 per crate. 



One crate I sent to Chicago. Check re- 

 turned $7.74; one crate to Dallas, Tex., 

 $7.75; one crate Dallas, $8.40; one crate 

 to Omaha, Neb., $9.95 (this sold for 

 $12.00 in Omaha.) Total berries sold 

 in 1904 from two acres, 173 crates, six 

 boxes, averaging $3.23 per crate; returns 

 $571.77. 



In 1905 one acre of my berries was a 

 new variety and was worthless. One 

 acre of Excelsior ripened late on account 

 of freezes. The first crate sold March 

 27. Total for year seventy-six crates, 

 averaging $2.52. Checks received for 

 $191.41. I had ripe berries as early as 

 October 15 one year; other years about 

 November 15, and by covering the Ex- 

 celsior berries as I have spoken of before 

 I always have ripe berries in the patch 

 all the time in the winter. 



T have a few special grocery men I 

 supply with my berries and the remain- 

 der I consign myself to reliable commis- 



Evergreens 



that are hardy in your soil and climate. 



You can have a perfect wind-break, grove, 

 hedge or screen of hardy evergreens at a very low cost; also forest 

 trees, etc., all nursery grown. I ofifer 



50 GREAT BARGAIN LOTS AT $1 TO $10 PER 100 



freight prepaid to your station. My catalog tella my own experience in planting 

 a five-acre grove on the bleak prairies of Minnesota, that is now worth $5,000. 

 Don't miss this chance — send for my free catalogue and bargain sheet today. 



D. HILL, Evergreen Specialist, DUNDEE, ILL. 



The Basket 



with the 



Rim 



That is the distinguishing feature of the 



Wax Lined Paper Berry Basket 



the height of Clean, Odorless, Taint- 

 less, Pure and Perfect Basket Perfection 



If you are a Berry Grower you want our Basket 

 and %ve want your name. 



MULLEN BROS. PAPER CO. 



Senil lor Free sample anil catalog ol this 20lh Century Basket. ''*P'- ^* 



ST. JOSEPH, MICH. 



Special Fertilizers for Strawberries 



peaches and other fruits. To give color, flavor and substance to the fleshy parts of the 

 fruits requires a good supply of soluble plant food, especially potash. Quality is wUiit 

 counts in fruit, not quaiititv 



■ WE MAKE SPECIAL BRANDS 

 FOR THE DIFFERENT FRUITS 



W'e sell goods direct to the consumer at wholesale 



prices where we ha\e no agents. 



For further information address 



THE BUFFALO FERTILIZER COMPANY 



BUFFALO, N.Y. 



Page 29 



