THE STRAWBERRY MAY 1906 



before it peeps its head above the surface, 

 and then is when you should get after the 

 weeds most vigorously. 



WHAT about weeds in wet weatherr 

 This is a question frequently asked 

 us, and some of our folk say that during 

 wet weather weeds and grass get the start 

 of them, and want to know how to over- 

 come this in view of the fact that it will 

 not do to cultivate or hoe while the ground 

 is wet. Here is our way of getting around 

 the difficulty, and we like to recommend 

 the things we find the most effective: 

 Between showers we go over the fields 

 and pull out the grass and weeds. Of 

 course, it is a poor plan to tramp over the 

 ground when it is wet, but it is better to 

 do this than to let the weeds whip you 

 out entirely. In 1905 there were two 

 full weeks of excessively wet weather, 

 and we were compelled to pull weeds or 

 let them take the fields, and as we did 

 not like the idea of surrendering, we pulled 

 the weeds, and just as soon as the ground 

 was in condition to do so we put the cul- 

 tivators to work and everything went on 

 the same as though the "wet spell" never 

 had been. 



REMEMBER that this is the month 

 of the saw fly in many localities. 

 This insect enemy of the strawberry gen- 

 erally is found on the under side of the 

 leaf, and when you notice the foliage be- 

 ing eaten and small holes present in them, 

 it is certain evidence that these pests are 

 at work. 



Speaking of the saw fly reminds us of 

 the proposed remedy for the pest sug- 

 gested by one of our neighbors. He said; 

 "I won't be troubled with the saw fly 

 next year, because I'm going to freeze 

 'em out. 



"How's that.?" 



"Why I am going to leave off the 

 mulch this fall and let the blamed saw 

 flies freeze to death!" 



We advised the enthusiastic discoverer 

 of this original method that in all likeli- 

 hood the plants would be the first to get 

 frozen out, and that he would be wel- 

 comed in the spring by the usual number 

 of saw flies, if he depended upon Jack 

 Frost to kill them off. 



One good meal of Paris green usually 

 will rid the plants of this foe, and we re- 

 peat the formula for making this mixture 

 for the benefit of those who may not be 

 familiar with it; 



Take one pound of unslaked lime, put 

 over this seven ounces of Paris green and 

 pour over this two gallons of hot water. 

 add to this water enough to make fifty 

 gallons. 



THEN there's that question of market- 

 ing. We cannot too strongly em- 

 phasize the importance of good packing of 

 strawberries as the first step to success in 

 the market. Just notice that Italian over 

 at the corner fruit stand — see how he 



polishes up the red-cheeked apples until 

 they reflect the faces of hi s customers. 

 Even if the handkerchief he uses isn't of 

 immaculate cleanness, the rubbing greatly 

 improves the appearance of his fruit, and 

 it will sell time and again before his neg- 

 ligent neighbor will have a call for his 

 dull-looking and unappetizing wares. 



Some growers say that it is too much 

 trouble. Nothing should be considered 

 "trouble" so long as the public is glad to 

 pay for it. But you are doing something 

 more than getting pay for that particular 

 crate of berries. You are building up a 

 reputation for your fruit that insures its 

 immediate sale season after season. And 

 it isn't trouble at all if you go about it 

 in the right way. For instance, have 

 your pickers separate the second grades 

 from the fancys as they pick them in the 

 field. This is done quickly and without 

 confusion. And when the berries reach 

 the packing house all that is necessary is 

 to place the top layers in a way to make 

 them the most attractive. If the berries 

 are cone-shaped or round, place the top 

 layer with stem-ends down, but if the ber- 

 ries are long, then lay them in rows on 

 the side, showing the glossy side of the 

 berry and a part of the green calyx. In 

 other words, make them look so good 

 that they will command the price you 

 ask for them. 



A pair of polished shoes may last no 

 longer than a pair left dull and unfinished, 

 but will bring a better price, because it 

 appeals to the eye and that innate desire 

 to have nice looking things. Just put 

 yourself in the purchaser's place and you 

 will see that this is so. And if you are ca- 

 tering to the consuming trade, keep your- 

 self, your horse and wagon clean and 

 tidy and up-to-date. Little things count. 



Concerning Wood Ashes 



MANY inquiries reach us concerning 

 wood ashes, and because they are 

 of easv access to many, and are 

 really a valuable fertilizer when properly 

 handled, some folk are apt to think they 

 are equally good under all conditions. 

 But this is'not so. Ashes should not be 

 used on heavy black soil, because, as a 

 rule, these soils under natural conditions 

 are inclined to gi\ e off their nitrogen too 

 readily. Wood ashes are about 30 per 

 cent, lime, and this element is sure to 

 make nitrogen available in excess of 

 phosphorus and potassium, and this will 

 encourage an o\'er-supply of vegetative 

 growth at the expense of fruit. 



Wood ashes may be used on sandy 

 soib or sandy loam at the rate of forty to 

 fifty bushels to the acre. Tfiey should 

 be scattered evenly over the soil after 

 it is broken up and then thoroughly 

 incorporated with the soil before setting 

 the plants. Clay soil will stand from 

 twenty-five to thirty bushels an acre 



Page 106 



THE MOWER rolVT?„'^'."'H'^!'te'p 



Joes' .he grass wj" become .h^k -d 'he weeds 

 will disappear. THE CLIPPt-K Wll-l-uuii 



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applied in the same way. Clay or 

 buckshot soil respond readily to 400 

 pounds of bone meal and 200 pounds of 

 potash to the acre, well worked in before 

 plants are set, provided a liberal coat of 

 stable manure previously has been turned 

 under. 



THE Department of Agriculture is 

 making experiments for the purpose 

 of determining the extreme vitality of 

 seeds. More than a hundred species of 

 plants have been packed in a soil consist- 

 ing of dry clay enclosed in pots, and bur- 

 ied at varying depths underground — eight 

 sets at a depth of six inches, twelve at a 

 depth of twenty, and a third set of twelve 

 at a depth of three and a half feet. At 



