0URC01ESP0N1ME5CH00L ff^OF STRMBERRYCUUURE 



WHERE THE MEMBERS OF THE 

 SCHOOL AND THE INSTRUCTOR 

 IN CULTURAL METHODS MEET 



PRACTICAL LESSONS TAUGHT 

 PERTAINING TO THE SCIENCE 

 OF STRAWBERRY PRODUCTION 



BEFORt taking up the work of 

 the school, the instructor wishes 

 to return thanks for the cordial 

 letters received from members in 

 response to his request for suggestions 

 that might result in making the work of 

 the school more effective, although he 

 must confess that more compliments than 

 suggestions were received. Thos. A. 

 Peake of Birmingham, Ala., in the course 

 of a highly prized letter says: 



There is one suggestion we will venture to 

 make and that is: Have a department in which 

 strawberry growers can give their practical ex- 

 perience. Let them tell not only of the success 

 they have had, but tell something of their mis- 

 takes and failures so not only themselves but 

 others may profit by them. As "knowledge of 

 what has been done is economy in all labor," 

 we beginners especially will save time and 

 money by following the advice and avoiding 

 tie nilnakes of others. 



As the editor suggests, let every reader, or as 

 many as can, "tell of their ways of doing things." 

 Then, as the editor also suggests, he can write a 

 "summary" in which he can make comments 

 and criticisms, and in this way we believe The 

 Strawberry will be made still more interesting 

 and helpful. 



Of course it will. That is exactly the 

 way to get the most good out of this 

 work, and we shall hope that Mr. Peake's 

 motion may carry unanimously. 



When one of the Northwestern mem- 

 bers found a reminder in The Strawberry 

 that it was the rule of the publishers to 

 stop sending the magazine when the time 

 of subscription of each member had ex- 

 pired, he immediately sat down and 

 wrote the following illustrated letter: 

 Dear Strawberry: 



Don't you do it! Don't stop it! I 

 subscribed for it before it was born. I've got 

 to have it. If it should ever have a funeral I 

 shall give it a monument — a big one! I've 

 read every number "all to pieces" — and saved the 

 pieces, and I would not sell the volume for an 

 acre of strawberries. 



You cannot know how The Strawberry eased 

 the small of my back and the bulge of my 

 ankles during the noon hour in summer time. 



My best weapon is a trowel, home made, 

 large, heavy, with a handle for pushing, like this: 



And a file to keep it sharp. 



Fraternally. 

 St. Charles, Minn. (^\ } PiCKERT 



Another thing we are gratified about, 

 namely, the style in which questions now 



are coming in. Nearly everybody has 

 acted upon our suggestion and writes 

 questions separate from any other matter, 

 and usually they are numbered. This is 

 a great improvement, and not only saves 

 time, but enables us better to understand 

 the question asked and so better able to 

 answer it intelligently. 



We hope that every member is making 

 the most of these winter days and doing 

 things and learning things that will make 

 for success when the growing and ripen- 

 ing and marketing seasons are come. 



W. H. R., Cascade, B. C. Kindly inform 

 me if in your opinion slaked lime would be 

 as good when sprinkled around strawberry 

 plants as Paris green to destroy cut-worms? 

 They almost ruined our plants last season; we 

 would get from fifteen to thirty worms around 

 each plant. We do not have the white grub. 



We do not think that lime would have 

 any effect whatever upon cut-worms. 

 Paris green or arsenites of any kind. 



mixed with mill-feed may be placed 

 about the plants after being set out. This 

 will be found as good as any remedy you 

 will get. Fall plowing gives the birds a 

 chance to rind the worms, which is a 

 good preventive. However, it is seldom 

 that cut-worms ever bother strawberry 

 plants. 



^ <& 



A. H. D., ReidsviUe, N. C. Some kind of 

 insect is working on my plants, eating the 

 foliage full of holes. One person suggests 

 that it is weevil. Will you toll me what it is 

 and how to get rid of it? 



T he insect you describe is the saw-fly, 

 and easily may be gotten rid of by spray- 

 ing with Paris green. Take seven ounces 

 of Paris green, sprinkle over it two pounds 

 of lump lime, pour over this two or three 

 gallons of hot water and stir while slaking 

 to prevent burning. When thoroughly 

 slaked add enough water to make forty 

 gallons, and spray the plants as soon as 

 you see the insects working on them, 

 which will he before the plants bloom. 



Page 47 



They will be found on the under side of 

 shady part of the leaf. It is a grayish 

 worm about one-fourth inch long. 



A. H. F. , Oregon City, Oregon. How is the 

 crown borer propagated — from a moth, or is 

 it this white grub I see so much about? 

 What is the remedy? It is the only enemy I 

 have to contend with. 



2. Is it true they are more partial to some 

 plants? Brandywine seems their favorite, 

 Texas next, Dornan, Glen Mary and Climax 

 seem exempt. 



3. When is best for me to mulch? All I 

 have to mulch for is cleanliness — no freezing 

 here. Should I put it on just as soon as new 

 leaves show, or wait till buds are about to 

 open? I have to cultivate and hoe right 

 through the winter to keep weeds in subjec- 

 tion. Plants will bleach if I cover them here. 



The strawberry crown borer is the 

 larva of a beetle. This larva is a whitish, 

 footless yellow-headed grub about one- 

 fifth of an inch long. It lives in the 

 crowns of strawberry plants, frequently 

 burrowing them out so much as to weaken 

 and sometimes destroy them. The beetle 

 is dark a colored, snouted insect, about 

 one-fifth of an inch long, It is unable to 

 fly because of the membranous condition 

 of its wings. This beetle lays its eggs on 

 the crown of the plants in the spring. 

 When hatched the larva" soon penetrate 

 into the crown and work upon the inter- 

 ior of the plants all summer until they get 

 full grown. A single larva will not 

 wholly destroy the plant, but sometimes 

 three or four larva" work upon the same 

 crown. The only way these insects may 

 be carried from field to field is by trans- 

 ference with the plants. For this reason 

 they do more damage to old than to 

 new-set fields. There is no relationship 

 between the borer and the ubiquitous 

 white grub. Pre\entives for the crown 

 borer are: First, spray late in the summer 

 with arsenate of lead, using four pounds 

 to fifty gallons of water. This will poison 

 many of the beetles. Immediately after 

 fruit is picked mow off the bed and burn 

 over. This will destroy the insects. 

 Then turn the bed under in July and this 

 will destroy any immature larvae that 

 might remain in the crowns. Never set 

 any plants from your own bed until you 

 are rid of this pest. We have never seen 

 a crown borer on The Strawberry farm. 



2. The crown borer is not partial to 

 any particular vaiiety of strawberry. 



3. Mulching in your locality should 

 be done in the winter months and the ma- 

 terial should be put betueen the rows 



