THE STRAWBERRY AUGUST 1906 



the row, after which the ridge between 

 the row may be leveled down with a five- 

 tooth cultivator or harrow. Fine soil 

 should be drawn up close around the 

 plant and a small amount of soil placed 

 over the crowns of each plant. This 

 work can best be done with the hoe or 

 garden rake. The bed should be burned 

 over within two or three days after the 

 plants have been mowed off. If left 

 longer than this new growth will start and 

 there will be danger of the fire injuring 

 the plants. In a few days after the plants 

 that are left in the row have been covered 

 with soil, they will send up a new and 

 vigorous growth, and these plants will 

 make runners from which a double-hedge 

 row can be formed to furnish the suc- 

 ceeding crop. As to burning over re- 

 tarding runner making, that depends some- 

 what upon weather conditions after plants 

 have thus been treated. In making ex- 

 periments with plants that were burned 

 and others that were not, we find the 

 plant that never has had its foliage mowed 

 or burned, starts runner-making much 

 the earlier.^ In fact, runners are starting 

 while fruit is ripening. However, the 

 runners on these plants are not nearly so 

 strong as those which are mowed off and 

 burned over. We would not advise al- 

 lowing any bed of plants to fruit more 

 than two seasons. 



F. M. M., Gurdon, Ark. In April, 1905, I 

 set out 1,500 plants, consisting of Texas, 

 Glen Mary and Dornan. They were grown 

 in single-hedge row, two feet apart by hand 

 cultivation. Now, this 17th day of April, 

 my plants have an immense foliage and liter- 

 ally are covered with green fruit and blossoms. 

 At present it looks as if the Glen Mary and 

 Dornan will ripen before the Texas. Why is 

 this so? 



It is sometimes true that atmospheric 

 and soil conditions will develop the fruit 

 buds of some varieties earlier than those 

 of others, owing to the abnormal condi- 

 tions of the particular season, and this 

 phenomenon has been unusually observ- 

 able this year. 



^ '^ 



J. L., Coshocton, Ohio. I have a garden, the 

 soil of which is mostly composed of street 

 sweepings, and I have been manuring it with 

 stable manure every year for three years. 

 My strawberry plants make an immense 

 growth, but are not as prolific as I think they 

 should be. The ground is very loose and 

 filled with humus. What shall I do with it 

 to make the plants more prolific.' 



The trouble with your plants appears 

 to be that you have been overfeeding 

 them. Street sweepings of the kind you 

 speak of are especially high in nitrogen, 

 and too much nitrogen causes an over- 

 development of foliage at the expense of 

 fruit. You appear to have so encouraged 



your foliage growth as to lessen greatly 

 the fruit-bearing capacity of your plants. 

 We should advise you to refrain entirely 

 from putting on any more fertilizer and 

 to cultivate only when necessary to keep 

 down the weeds and hold moisture in 

 the soil 



C. L. C, Skaneateles, N. Y. May I take 

 from my strawberry bed, set out in April last, 

 runners for a new bed to be planted the first 

 of September next? 



As we understand your question, you 

 are intending to allow these plants to 

 fruit this season, and after a strawberry 

 plant has produced a big crop of berries 

 it is pretty well exhausted, both from 

 pollen secretion and seed production, and 

 to take runners from plants that have 

 fruited is contrary to the nature of things. 

 If you intend to set plants in September, 

 you should take the plants from those set 

 this spring. 



G. W. F. , Wohurn, Mass. I have some 

 Massachusetts Klondike strawberries. They 

 now have some green berries on and I note 

 that the leaves are curling up some. Is it 

 leaf roller that causes this? 



The variety you name has a very ten- 

 der leaf tissue, which makes it subject to 

 mildew. This is a fungous growth 

 which can be controlled by Bordeaux 

 mixture, but we would not advise you to 

 do any spraying while plants are in fruit, 

 as the vines undoubtedly will carry the 

 crop through to ripeness without loss. 

 The leaf roller does not roll the leaf, but 

 draws it together in a flat fold. 



I.. A. H., Blenheim, Ont. Is there any dan- 

 ger from curl-leaf or does it affect plants to 

 any extent? 2. Will lime be all right for 

 spraying that has been slaked with water and 

 kept covered, or does it lose its strength? 3. 

 What is your opinion of the wax-lined paper 

 berry-box, and would you advise it to be 

 used in preference to the wooden ones? And 

 at what prices may they be had? 4. Can 

 you give me any advice concerning the Ke- 

 wanee water-supply system in the country, 

 and what would be the cost of installing this 

 svstem? 



The fact that the leaf curls up indicates 

 that the plant is affected by a fungous 

 growth called mildew. Anything inter- 

 fering with the foliage is bound to affect 

 the development of the plant, because the 

 leaf of the plant is both the lungs and the 

 digestive organs of the plant. The pre- 

 vention is Bordeaux mixture. 



2. As your lime was slaked in water 

 and kept well covered it has not lost its 

 strength, and will still ser\e the purpose 

 as part of your spray material; but be 

 sure and stir thoroughly before using. 



3. The wax-lined paper box is un- 

 doubtedly a success. It is a matter of 



Page 171 



individual preference as to whether the 

 wooden or the paper box is the better. 

 For prices please write those manufac- 

 turers whose advertisements appeared in 

 The Strawberry. You may depend up- 

 on any one of them in every respect. 



4. As to the Kewanee water-supply 

 system, we are assured it is a complete 

 success. Readers of The Strawberry now 

 having the system in their country homes 

 advise us that it is all its manufacturers 

 claim for it. The Kewanee Water Sup- 

 ply Co., Kewanee, 111., will be pleased to 

 furnish you all information as to prices, 

 cost of installation, etc. 



J. R. B., Belvidere, 111. I am not clear as to 

 your recipe for using both Bordeaux mixture 

 and Paris green in cases where both insect 

 pests and fungous diseases are to be attacked 

 at the same time. Am I to understand that 

 we are to add to the Bordeaux mixture an- 

 other mixture of forty gallons containing the 

 Paris green, or to mix the Paris green and 

 one pound of lime in two gallons of water 

 only, mixing this into the fifty gallons of 

 Bordeaux mixture? 2. I have one-fourth acre 

 of strawberries which has just been fitted, 

 according to your methods, for second crop. 

 I have applied between the rows 100 pounds 

 of fertilizer which analyzes as follows, the 

 figures representing percentages: nitrogen 

 available, 2.50; equal to ammonia, 3.00; phos- 

 phorus, total (from bone) 10.91; phosphoric 

 acid, total 25.00; equal to bone phosphate of 

 lime, 55.00. My land is a heavy clay and 

 had been seeded to clover the year before 

 these plants were set. Does the analysis in- 

 dicate a well-balanced fertilizer for ray soil? 

 I am a member of your Correspondence School 

 and think it the best training for a strawberry 

 grower to be had anywhere. 



Mix the Paris green and lime in two 

 gallons of water, adding this to :the Bor- 

 deaux mixture, making fifty gallons in all. 

 (jlad to have you call attention to this, as 

 we desire that every point shall be made 

 perfectly clear to each reader. 



2. The fertilizer you have used makes 

 a very well-balanced plant food, and we 

 have no no doubt will give you excellent 

 results. The value of this, as well as of 

 any other fertilizers, will depend upon the 

 mechanical condition of the soil. Com- 

 mercial fertilizers always give better re- 

 sults when used in connection with stable 

 manure. 



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