THE STRAWBERRY AUGUST 1906 



plowed sod land because to do so would 

 mean the re-breaking of the ground in 

 the spring, which would turn the sod on 

 top and this would interfere with culti- 

 vation. However, this would be all right, 

 provided the broken ground was gone over 

 with a large disc harrow and the sod gone 

 over several times, thoroughly cutting up 

 the pieces of sod that had not decayed dur- 

 ing the winter months. Two years ago 

 we prepared a piece of sod land in this 

 way and the results were in all respects 

 satisfactory. 



4. Leaves make a very good mulch, 

 the only objection being that they easily 

 are blown off by winds. 



5. The locality of your strawberry 

 bed must be near a place badly infested 

 with mice which hibernate there. We 

 do not doubt that mice, driven by hunger, 

 would injure plants under any kind of 

 mulching. The shredded or cut corn- 

 stalk is ideal for mulching. 



6. If you intend to cultivate your 

 fruiting bed do not remove the mulching, 

 but in the spring, after you have spread it 

 apart from over the row for the plants to 

 come up through, that which lies between 

 the rows may be raked up close to the 

 plants, leaving a bare space which may 

 be cultivated. Be careful to start this 

 work only after all danger from frost is 

 past. There is no question but that it 

 pays to cultivate the fruiting bed if the 

 work be properly done. At the proper 

 time full instructions as to this work will 

 be given in The Strawberry, and made so 

 clear that it should be impossible for our 

 members to make a mistake in carrying 

 them out. 



C. P., Bayfield, Wis. We have a patch of 

 strawberries grown over with grass. There is 

 a good stand of clover on the land. How 

 would it do to cut the grass for hay, pick off 

 all the berries, then plow the second crop of 

 clover under this fall, and prepare it for 

 strawberries next spring? 2. There is some 

 crab-grass in places. What is the best way 

 to get rid of this grass in the strawberry bed? 

 Would you dig up the roots of the pest at 

 the expense of an occasional strawberry plant? 

 3. We have a fine bed of strawberries that 

 is growing the second crop. The patch is in 

 good condition. Would you advise keeping 

 it for another crop? 4. How would liquid 

 manure do as a fertilizer for strawberries, and 

 how best may it be applied? 5. The snow 

 falls here after the first frost in the fall and 

 stays till April is well advanced. Will the 

 snow make sufficient mulching without any 

 straw? Will rye straw do for mulching? Our 

 strawberries look fine this year and are loaded 

 with fruit. We are following your cultural 

 methods where practicable. 



It will be all right to mow the grass 

 for hay where the old berry plants are 

 growing, and to turn under the sod this fall 

 preparatory to setting plants next spring. 

 You possibly might get a crop of turnips 



or late cabbage from this groimd this 

 season. 



2. Crab-grass is a mean thing to get 

 rid of once it gets a start, as wherever 

 there is a joint it will take root and 

 quickly take possession of the ground. 

 The best way to do is to practice such 

 cultural methods as will prevent a start 

 being made; but in your case, where the 

 grass already has taken hold, we would 

 recommend a thorough hoeing and hand- 

 cleaning of the bed. Where the grass 

 grows directly in a hill of plants, if you 

 will take the plant in one hand and hold 

 it firmly in the soil while pulling up the 

 grass with the other, the grass may be 

 taken out without injury to the plant. 

 The roots of this grass should be turned 

 up to the sun so that they may not again 

 take hold of the soil. 



3. We would not advise anyone to 

 permit a bed to fruit longer than two years, 

 because the plants have become so ex- 

 hausted as to be unable to produce a good 

 crop of smooth berries. 



4. Liquid manure when properly ap- 

 plied makes a fine stimulant for plants. 

 The proper way to apply it is to take one 

 pint of the liquid and pour it around the 

 plant, but not on the foliage. This 

 should be done after a rain when the soil 

 is moist; if applied when the soil is dry 

 the plant will take up the raw liquid 

 manure; overfeeding on the element ni- 

 trogen. Do not apply liquid manure in 

 the fall when the plant is building up its 

 fruit-bud system. 



5. While snow makes an ideal mulch, 

 other mulching should be applied for the 

 purpose of keeping berries clean during 

 the fruiting season, and rye straw will 

 serve this purpose finely. It would be 

 best to apply the mulching before the 



first snow falls, but if conditions make 

 this impossible, it will be all right to 

 scatter it on top of the snow. 



E. L. P., Iron Mountain, Mich. My straw- 

 befries are all grown by the hedge-row sys- 

 tem, and are producing an abundant crop this, 

 their first bearing season. Now, as to treat- 

 ment after bearing, in preparation for next 

 season: Your directions as to mowing, burn- 

 ing over, harrowing, etc., seem to apply 

 rather, if I catch the spirit of them, to beds 

 that have been grown by the matted-row 

 system. Would you advise the same treat- 

 ment when grown, as mine have been, in 

 strict hedge-rows? Or would it be better 

 merely to let the hedge-rows widen out into 

 narrow-matted rows for next season? In the 

 latter case, would it be best to strike out the 

 oldest or original mother plants with a hoe? 

 If cut and burned over, will not the forming 

 of new plants for the matted row be delayed? 

 I have read, also, that where the hill-system 

 was used, it was profitable to fruit for several 

 seasons before turning under; and as the 

 hedge-row, restricted, is in effect a continuous 

 hill, had reasoned that this method might 

 apply. 



In preparing the narrow-hedge row for 

 second crop, the same treatment is given 

 as in the case of the matted row. In 

 narrowing down the hedge row simply 

 throw the soil from each side of the row 

 into the center, not going close enough 

 with the plow to cut out any of the 

 plants. After the furrow has been thrown 

 from each side of the row this will leave 

 the row on a ridge about six inches wide. 

 Then you should go along the rows with 

 a hoe and cut out all of the old plants, 

 leaving the healthiest and youngest plants 

 about sixteen or twenty inches apart in 



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Page 170 



