STRAWBERRY FIELD OF JONES & HAVEN, CLIO, MICH., PREPARED FOR SECOND CROP 



Some December Tasks for Strawberry Folk 



A Memory 

 JoSSer 



ECEMBER is a month 

 in which there is little to 

 be done in the strawberry 

 held, but as growing 

 weather this year contin- 

 ued far into November, 

 many growers have found 

 it inadvisable to mulch their plants up to 

 this date. So we again call your attention 

 to this important feature 

 of the work, confident 

 that you would enjoy 

 your Christmas more if your plants were 

 properly covered from the winter's cold.? 

 In the November issue we gave such 

 complete information regarding this work 

 that we need not repeat it here. If you 

 have not taken that advice and instruction 

 fully into your inner consciousness, we 

 suggest a careful re-reading of that part of 

 the November number. We are gratified 

 to receive so many letters as are now 

 coming to us, showing that our readers 

 are alive to the importance of this matter. 

 Some very large growers, even in the 

 North, write us that they now realize 

 their failure in the past properly to mulch 

 their plants has had much to do with pro- 

 ducing a poor crop of fruit, and that it was 

 especially difficult to sell even large and 

 fine berries when covered with sand. 

 Mulch, and again we say Mulch! And 

 even if we were to say Mulch again, those 

 who follow our advice would have no 

 reason to object; indeed, we are sure we 

 should receive their thanks. 



"VVTE have said that there was little 

 "^ work to be done in the strawberry 

 field in the month of December, but we 

 did not say there was any lack of work 

 on the strawberry farm. In fact, it is the 

 man who puts in his time to the best ad- 



TN a note to The Strawberry, Messrs. Jones & 

 Haven say thai the bed shown above consists of 

 one acre of land, set In the spring of 1905. That 

 season was very unfavorable for them, the wet weath- 

 er causing nearly one-half of the first setting to rot. 

 We began to train, transplant and endeavor to get a 

 full row before the close of the season. This we did 

 fairly well, and to protect them from frost gave them 

 a liberal coat of oat straw. In the latter part of April 

 we removed a portion of the straw, and waited de- 

 velopments. As this was our first experience at 

 strawberry raising you can imagine how anxious we 

 were about the outcome. The month of May treated 

 us to two frosts which injured our Brandywines very 

 much, blasting fully one-third of the blossoms. The 

 Crescents stood it better, and when we came to pick 

 the crop, in spite of wet weather, frosts, and a drouth 

 at piclting time, we had 175 bushels of fine fruit, 

 which netted us a good sum over expenses. 



July 16 we picked the last berries. July 23 we 

 mowed them and four days later burned the straw, 

 leaves and weeds slick and clean. Then came the 

 plowing out and cutting down the size of the rows; 

 after which we gave the bed 400 pounds of phosphate 

 as a reward for berries produced. The result has 

 been marvelous. We were kept pretty busy for 

 a while cutting runners, as every plant seemed to be 

 trying to beat his neighbor. October 18 we had the 

 picture taken and we assure you that the artist has 

 not overdrawn the appearance of the field. 



Some Winter 

 Economies 



vantage during the winter months that 

 makes the best showing when summer 

 comes with its many 

 duties. For there are a 

 hundred and one little 

 jobs and "chores" which, if neglected in 

 winter, interfere just when you can least 

 afford the time that must be given to 

 them. And don't forget that they must 

 be done some time, or loss is bound to 

 occur. Every plow, harrow, cultivator, 

 roller, and even that small but essential 

 implement, the hoe, should be put away in 

 the dry. And if any parts are missing 

 they should be ordered at once and all 

 repairs made. Do we practice what we 

 preach.'' We certainly do. The big farm 

 roller is now at the blacksmith shop hav- 

 ing an attachment placed in front of it for 



Pag: 251 



the purpose of drawing earth into the 

 tracks made by the horses' feet as they 

 draw the roller over the fields, so as to 

 leave the surface perfectly smooth and free 

 from indentures which otherwise would 

 remain and interfere with the marking of 

 the rows and the setting of the plants. 

 The big spraying machines have been 

 cleaned up, bolts examined, nuts tight- 

 ened, and everything put in readiness for 

 the first battle of the season of 1907. 

 And any extra tools required for next 

 year's work already are ordered. The 

 only conveniences out on the farm these 

 days are the manure wagons, and they 

 are not standing still, either. Even the 

 flower beds are in readiness for the bulbs 

 and seeds that are to spring forth into sum- 

 mer glory and lend their beauty and 

 fragrance to the world. Wherever a tree 

 or shrub is to be set stakes are driven and 

 everything done but the digging of the 

 holes and putting them into their future 

 homes. The biggest part of any job is 

 the planning of it. Do your planning in 

 the winter. Success is more than half 

 achieved when this is done. 



REPORTS from all over the United 

 States are to the effect that never be- 

 fore in all history has there been such a 

 car-shortage as at the present time, and 

 even live-stock men find 

 it difficult to secure 

 transportation of their 

 animals to market. Manufacturers are 

 working their factories night and day in 

 an almost hopeless attempt to fill orders. 

 Even the paper mills are so overrun that 

 we have had great difficulty in securing 

 paper with which to put out this mam- 

 moth Christmas issue of The Strawberry. 

 We refer to these matters to sugges' 'he 



Crates and 

 Boxes 



