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STRAWBERRY PICKERS AND PACKERS IN A MINNESOTA FIELD 



July Work in the Strawberry Field 



JULY Work is much like that of 

 June, as the cultivators and the 

 hoes must still be kept busy lest 

 weeds and grass get the start of 

 your plants. This, of course, is not the 

 main reason for cultivating the plants, for 

 it is the vigorous growth of 



Conserving l i i i i 



Moisture ^"^ plants themselves we de- 

 sire, and this we can have 

 only when an abundance of moisture is 

 present in the soil and plant food thus is 

 made readily available. The only way 

 to conserve moisture in the soil is by the 

 constant stirring of the surface, which 

 breaks the crust, forms a dust mulch and 

 prevents the water from escaping by cap- 

 illary attraction. And while the moisture 

 is retained in the soil it dissolves the plant 

 food, which the bacterial germs indus- 

 triously are working into available forms, 

 so that the minute cells of the roots may 

 absorb this predigested food. 



T^HIS suggests how injurious to the 



* strawberry plants are obnoxious 



growths, as they not only rob them of 



moisture, but steal away their food, their 



fresh air and their sunshine. 



Let Plants ,,r . , 



Be Free ^ ^ '-^^ imagine that a straw- 

 berry plant, after being freed 

 from surrounding grass and weeds, feels 

 like a bird just let out of an old and be- 

 fouled cage into the fresh, delicious air, 

 where it may enjoy life after its own 

 nature. We urge that intensive cultural 

 methods be followed throughout the 

 summer months, and we shall try to give 

 our readers the necessary advice and sug- 

 gestions to the end that they may grow 

 the ideal strawberry. On account of the 

 light winter precipitation the lower sub 



soil is devoid of moisture to an unusual 

 degree, and we wish every reader of The 

 Strawberry to keep this fact in mind and 

 to allow none of the moisture in the soil 

 to escape — save every bit of it for the 

 plants. Prof. Bailey says, "Irrigate your 

 garden with a rake," and this is wise 

 advice for the strawberry grower. It is 

 the very best sort of irrigation. 



LAST month we told you all about 

 preparing the old bed for second crop, 

 and gave you some pictures of the burn- 

 ing over of the bed. Since that issue 



went out we have received 

 New''piants ™^^y '^"^rs asking why we 



advised covering the old 

 crowns after plants had been burned over 

 and narrowed down. One member of 

 the Correspondence School called our 

 attention to the fact that we had urged 

 growers in the April issue to be careful 

 in setting the young plants and have the 

 plant's crown on a level with the surface. 

 "Now in the June issue," says this mem- 

 ber, "you advise covering the crown of 

 the old plant with soil. Please explain 

 this seemingly contradictory advice." Let 

 us say that the difference lies in the fact 

 that in one case we referred to a new 

 plant, while in the other we were dealing 

 with an old plant. Now just imagine the 

 plant which has finished ripening a big 

 crop of berries. Is has gone through the 

 great strain of pollen secretion, seed pro- 

 duction and the ripening process, and its 

 vitality is almost exhausted. It has used 

 up all the strength of the old roots as well 

 as of the old foliage, and doubtless feels 

 like the grower does after he has picked 

 and marketed a big crop of berries. It is 



Page 145 



in need of a tonic to restore it to its nor- 

 mal vigor, and the only way this may be 

 accomplished is to cover the crown with 

 fine soil about a half-inch deep, which 

 will hold it dormant for a time and then 

 encourages an entirely new root system 

 to develop just above the old roots and 

 below the new crown or body. This 

 virtually creates a new plant. The young 

 plant, on the other hand, is already full 

 of life and vigor, has experienced no 

 strain, and is ready to start growing as 

 soon as set in the soil. The crown, 

 therefore, is placed on a level with the 

 surface. 



B^' the time this issue of The Straw- 

 berry reaches its readers their spring- 

 set strawberries will be showing a desire to 

 send out runners, and while many of our 



friends will know just what 

 Runners '■° '-^" Others who have had 



little experience will not know 

 just how to treat these newcomers. 

 When the runner wire has grown about 

 one foot in length a node is formed. This 

 is an embryo plant, which in a few days 

 will open out leaves, showing a desire to 

 appear like its mother. Just as soon as 

 the leaves start, it is no longer content to 

 be tied to mother's apron strings, but pre- 

 fers to go it alone, and the sooner you 

 aid it to become self-supporting the earlier 

 will it show its appreciation by develop- 

 ing a large foliage and fruit-bud system. 

 Now here is the way to help this ambitious 

 little fellow. When hoeing first break 

 the crust, then lay the runner wire on the 

 loose, moist earth, and with the hoe place 

 a little soil on the runner just back of the 

 little plant. This will hold it in place 



