THE STRAWBERRY SEPTEMBER 1906 



orchard where the trees are large enough 

 to shade the ground. The roots of a 

 tree always extend as far from the trunk 

 below the surface of the ground as do the 

 branches above. We mention this in 

 order that you may judge of the condi- 

 tions in your own orchard. 



2. The cutting of runners depends 

 upon the system of culture you intend to 

 follow. If the bill system is followed, 

 of course all runners should be cut off as 

 fast as they appear; if the single or double 

 hedge system, then leave runners enough 

 to make the desired rows. 



D. F. J., Wichita, Kan. My soil is a rich 

 loam, rather light. I am going to spread 

 manure liberally this fall after plowing. Will 

 not have it in time to plant a cover crop. 

 Will this be sufficient? 



2. What varieties will do b«st.> I want 

 berries of quality rather than of quantity, as 

 I am in a city of about forty thousand, and 

 competition is keen, both from home grown 

 berries and those grown in Missouri and Ar- 

 kansas. I had thought of planting Haverland 

 fertilized by Senator Dunlap and Parker 

 Earle. The Senator has grown splendidly 

 this last summer. Would the other two do 

 all right in our soil and climate? It never 

 gets very dry here. 



3. How far apart should the rows be to be 

 cultivated with a twelve-tooth cultivator.' 

 How far apart should they be set in the row 

 when grown in the single or double hedge or 

 hill system? The size of the patch is an acre, 

 and I am counting on it to take me through 

 college. The first crop will be harvested just 

 after 1 graduate from the city High school. 



Your rich loam soil should give fine 

 results by spreading the manure thinly 

 over it this fall. The manure itself will 

 act as a shade and prevent the soil from 

 puddling during the winter months. Of 

 course, it would be still better if you 

 could sow rye which would take up the 

 manure leachings and hold it in reserve 

 for the plants next season, but as you say 

 you cannot do this, you must do the next 

 best thing and let the barnyard manure 

 act as a covering. 



2. As quality is your chief aim, we 

 would suggest varieties that produce 

 large and highly colored berries, such as 

 Texas, William Belt, Dornan, Pride of 

 Michigan, Sample and Mark Hanna. 

 Many other varieties produce fancy ber- 

 ries, but these are among our leaders. If 

 you will take pains to pack your berries, 

 being careful to have them the same all 

 through the box, and arrange the top 

 layers of each box attractively, you need 

 fear no competition. You will get splen- 

 did results from all the varieties you name 

 excepting Parker Earle. While this is 

 an excellent variety, we would not recom- 

 mend it for your state. 



3. The distance apart the rows are to 

 be made wHl depend upon the system 

 under which you will grow the plants. 



If in single-hedge, three feet will give 

 plenty of room. For the double-hedge 

 row we would recommend three and a 

 half feet. For the single or double hedge 

 rows we should set the plants from twenty- 

 four to thirty inches apart in the row, de- 

 pending upon the variety. For hills we 

 would set fifteen inches apart in the row. 

 We believe that by careful management 

 you can make your single acre of straw- 

 berries pay your way through college, 

 besides giving you first-class experience 

 in plant culture as well as in a business 

 way. And you may count on The 

 Strawberry to help you through. 



1^ ^ 



J. W. L. , Erie, Kans. In your answer to E. 

 L. P. in August Strawberry as to the best 

 method of renewing for a second crop a nar- 

 row-hedge row, you say: "Then you should 

 go along the rows with a hoe and cut out all 

 the old plants, leaving the healthiest and 

 youngest plants about sixteen or twenty in- 

 ches apart in the row," etc. Do I under- 

 stand you to mean that where berries are 

 grown strictly by the single-hedge row, and 

 first set this spring, that the mother or orig- 

 inal plants should be cut out next spring? If 

 this is true, how do you renew a patch grown 

 to the hill system? If the plant set this spring 

 to the hill system will produce a good crop 

 the second year, why will one set and held 

 strictly to the single-hedge row not do so? I 

 have a nice patch that I am growing strictly 

 to the single-hedge row, and my intention 

 was to cut and burn off the tops next spring 

 and let the plants come just as they stand 

 now — about six inches apart in the row — and 

 let no new runners take root next season. In 

 other words, fruit the second year the same 

 plants that I am now growing for the first 

 crop. Do you advise against this, and if so 

 why would not these plants fruit as well as 

 those grown by the hill system? 



2. I am growing some strawberries in my 

 greenhouse with a view of fruiting them this 

 winter. It is now stripped of its top, which 

 is of ordinary hot- bed sash 3x6 feet, which I 

 remove in the spring and replace in the fall. 

 My plants are making a nice growth and 

 looking fine, the beds being on the ground. 

 Now should I place my sash on the house 

 before any frosts fall? Will frost alone, with- 

 out a freeze, damage the plants that I want 

 to fruit this winter? Should these plants be 

 grown vigorously until they fruit, or should 

 they have a check of some kind, and if so 

 what would you advise? 



3. I also wish to spray these plants with 

 Bordeaux mixture from now on to prevent 

 the possibility of fungous disease after I close 

 up the house. How often should I spray 

 them, and how long should I continue the 

 spray with reference to the fruiting season? 



4. Please give formula of Bordeaux mixture 

 alone. 



In the answer to which you refer we 

 were considering an old bed that had 

 fruited one year, and cutting out the old 



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plants and leaving the strongest young 

 plants, practically renewed the bed. 

 However the mother hills would produce 

 a good second crop. Where berries are 

 grown in hills it is absolutely necessary 

 to let the hills fruit the second year, as 

 there are no young plants to raise the 

 crop. Of course, you may leave the full 

 single row to fruit for the second crop 

 just as it is, but experience has taught us 

 that where a bed may be prepared early 

 for the second crop it is better to thin out 

 the old and weaker plants and allow new 

 runners to form. For a second crop it 

 really is best to permit a double hedge to 

 form. 



2. It will be unnecessary for you to 

 replace the sash before light frosts, as it is 

 the nature of the plant to become some- 

 what dormant befoie opening its fruit 

 buds. It would be well to cover, how- 

 ever, before freezing weather arrives. As 

 to forcing your plants we would suggest 

 the same treatment in the hot house as in 

 the field. That is, do not continue for- 

 cing them by excessive watering or by the 

 use of nitrogenous manures at the time 

 they are building up the fruit buds. 

 They will start to do so anywhere from 

 the 1st to the 15th of September. 



3. Two or three sprayings of Bordeaux 

 mixture should be ample to prevent any 

 fungous growth. The spiaying in the 

 greenhouse should be done at intervals of 

 two weeks. 



4. Here is the recipe for Bordeaux as 

 asked for: Dissolve four pounds of blue 

 vitriol in twenty gallons of water. Put in 

 coarse sack and let the sack float on top 

 of water. Now take four pounds of lump 

 lime, put in separate vessel and slake in 

 four gallons of hot water. Add to this 

 enough water to make twenty gallons. 

 When lime solution is cool, combine 

 with the blue vitriol. For ten gallons, 

 take one-fourth the amount, and so on 

 for any quantity you wish to prepare. 



>^ ^ 



IT is never too late to be happy; 

 It is never too late to smile; 

 It is never too late to extend a hand 



And a cheerful word once in awhile. 

 For all the sorrow and worry 



On all this green-covered earth 

 Is followed soon, if we wait and hope. 

 By a generous measure of mirth. 



Jeanelte Lawrence. 



^ .^ 



MEN who are resohed to find a way 

 for themselves will always find op- 

 portunities enough. If they do not lie 

 ready to their hand, they will make 

 them. — Sanmel Smiles. 



