THE STRAWBERRY FEBRUARY 1906 



in January or early in February would be 

 the better time. Place the mulching be- 

 tween the rows about three inches thick, 

 and one inch thick directly over the rows. 

 4. We have cultivated the strawberry 

 from early spring right through the fruit- 

 ing season with success. In doing this 

 the mulching between the rows should 

 be raked up close to the plants and only 

 the bare spaces cultivated. By having the 

 straw close to the plants they are given a 

 clean bed on which to ripen. 



A. P. T., Hammond, Wis. Would it be all 

 right to mulch between the rows with fresh 

 lawn-mower clippings in September, and after 

 freezing cover the plants with straw? 



There would be no reason for not ap- 

 plying lawn clippings between the rows 

 early in the fall and covering the plants 

 over with straw after the first light freez- 

 ing. In fact, this is an ideal way to do 

 the work, although somewhat more ex- 

 pensive than applying all the mulching at 

 one time would be. 



B. M. S., Aspen, Colo. This is a climate 

 where we always have snow in the winter and 

 usually pretty heavy, but it does not always 

 come when the ground is first frozen. There 

 is very little clay in the soil and the snow lies 

 until late in the spring. Should I mulch my 

 plants with straw? 



Where such conditions as you describe 

 prevail danger of plants being injured by 

 alternate freezing and thawing is lessened, 

 and it is not necessary to mulch so early 

 as under other conditions. But we advise 

 you to apply mulching of some kind, if 

 for no other purpose than to keep berries 

 clean during the picking season, so that 

 your berries may go to market in the most 

 attractive shape. You need have no hes- 

 itation about applying the mulch on top 

 of the snow. 



W. F. O., Tempe, Ariz. I am thinking of 

 setting out a strawberry patch as an invest- 

 ment. Here we have to depend upon irriga- 

 tion exclusively. I would not be able to 

 water them oftener than once a week. Would 

 that be sufficient? 2. Would you use cor- 

 rall or stable manure? 3. Is it possible to 

 get the soil too rich? Arizona soil is naturally 

 very rich and productive. 4. I wish to set 

 plants of a number of different varieties to de- 

 termine which does the best on our soil. 



1. Once a week will be often enough 

 to turn the water on the plants between 

 the rows provided you follow irrigation 

 with the cultivators just as soon as the 

 surface will permit, which in your climate 

 will be a very short time. Repeat this 

 cultivation in three or four days. This 

 will make a complete dust mulch that 

 will hold the moisture in the soil until 

 the next irrigation. A better grade of 



berries will be produced in this way than 

 may be had by more frequent irrigation. 



2. Either corral or stable manure will 

 give good results, but we advise you to 

 apply the manure sparingly, as in such a 

 warm climate it is not well to use manure 

 too liberally. 



3. Soil may be made too rich for 

 strawberries. Applying manure excess- 

 ively will result in too much nitrogen, 

 which stimulates the soil to too great ac- 

 tivity; that is, makes too much plant food 

 immediately available. This encourages 

 a large foliage at the expense of fruit. 



4. You are on the right track in the 

 matter of selecting your plants. By tak- 

 ing a number of varieties you will be able 

 quickly to decide which will best suit 

 your fancy and your environment. 



^ <^ 



W. B. , Elizabethtown, N. J. I have some rich 

 loam land, but cannot obtain enough manure 

 to cover the entire piece. What commercial 

 fertilizer should I use, and how much should 

 be applied to each acre? 



First apply such manure as you can se- 

 cure over the entire area, even though it 

 be spread out very thinly. As to com- 

 mercial fertilizers, we would refer you to 

 any of the fertilizer houses advertising in 

 The Strawberry Ask them for their com- 

 plete brand for strawberries. The amount 

 you should apply to the acre will depend 

 entirely upon the analysis of the brands 

 used, which should contain about as fol- 

 lows: Nitrogen, available, 4 per cent: 

 phosphorous, available, 9 per cent; potas- 

 sium, 10 per cent. Commercial fertiliz- 

 ers always give better results when used 

 in connection with barnyard manures. 



H. N.. Adams, Mass. How much of a crop 

 will a strawberry bed bring at the second 

 picking if given good care after the first crop 

 is picked? 2. Where can I get nitrate of 

 soda, and what will it cost per pound? Shall 

 I put it on the plants or scatter it along the 

 rows? 3. Can you give me an idea how 

 many boxes and crates I will need to handle 

 the berries from one-half acre. Do you have 

 your boxes and crates returned to you after 

 shipping? 



1. If a bed properly is handled after 

 the first crop is picked it should yield as 

 heavily the second year as it did the first. 

 In narrowing down the rows be sure to 

 leave the younger and more vigorous 

 plants, treating them as mother plants, 

 and allow a double-hedge row to form 

 from them. 



2. Nitrate of soda may be purchased 

 from almost any fertilizer works or their 

 distributing agencies. Write to any of 

 the fertilizer people advertising in The 

 Strawberry. They are reliable and will 

 give you correct prices and good fertilizers. 

 Nitrate of soda should be scattered along 

 the sides of ths rows when plants are dry 



Page 44 



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