WHAT MAY BE DONE WITH A HAND CULTIVATOR-J. D. ULRICH IN HIS PATCH AT THREE RIVERS 



Intensive Strawberry Culture— The Value of Cultivation 



By Frank E . Beatty 



IN order to comprehend the necessity 

 of cultivation one must understand 

 the efFect it has upon the soil and 

 upon plant~life. In this article we 

 shall discuss the advantages of thorough 

 cultural methods, rather than the import- 

 ance of it, because I believe almost any 

 berry grower will take more interest in 

 giving his plants thorough cultivation after 

 he understands the reason for doing it. 

 There is a reason for doing everything, 



crumble, is to prevent the forming of any 

 crust. The cultivator teeth will make a 

 loose soil mulch which will not only aid 

 in conserving moisture, but also will keep 

 the soil at more even temperature. Scien- 

 tists claim, and I am sure it is true, that 

 bacterial germs will work more actively 

 when the soil is kept at an even tempera- 

 ture. Thus it will be seen that there are 

 seven reasons for cultivating after each 

 rain: 



THE SINGLE HEDGE SYSTEM OF PLANT SETTING 



The single hedge is made by layering the runners in a straight line. The three large hills are tnother plants, each one 

 sending out two runners,'as shown in picture. The distance for setting will depend on the variety. In the hill sys- 

 tem set the plants about fifteen to twenty inches apart in the row and have the rows about thirty inches apart. 



and the better we understand the reason 

 the more capable are we of carrying the 

 work to success; and we enjoy the work 

 more, too. Even the little boy who hoes 

 in the garden or gets in the wood has a 

 reason for doing it, and that reason is gen- 

 erally because his father threatens to larrup 

 him if he does not do it. And some grow- 

 ers cultivate their strawberries with about 

 as much interest as the little boy does his 

 work, who does it rather than be laid 

 across his father's knee. Especially those 

 boys who have fathers who do not believe 

 in doing things under cover. 



It does not matter how well the soil 

 has been prepared in advance of setting 

 the plants, it will settle down and become 

 hard. The rains will run the soil grains 

 together; and after the sun shines upon it 

 a crust will form, leaving the surface al- 

 most like cement, thus preventing the de- 

 sired amount of air from circulating through 

 the small air spaces which always are un- 

 der the crust. The reason for cultivating 

 after each rain just as soon as the soil will 



1. It prevents the forming of crust. 



2. It admits air in sufficient quantities 

 to keep bacteria active. 



3. It aids in retaining an even tem- 

 perature in the soil. 



available form for the plant's immediate 

 use. 



6. It disturbs weed seed while in the 

 germinating stage. 



7. It breaks the sweep of the wind 

 and prevents it from blowing sand against 

 the plants, which would injure the leaves 

 (leaves are the stomach, liver and lungs of 

 the plant), besides causing a waste of plant 

 food that might lie on the surface. 



After this loose soil mulch lies undis- 

 turbed for eight or ten days it becomes 

 settled, letting the moisture work up so 

 near the top that much of it is carried away 

 by the wind and the sun. This settled 

 condition of the mulch also increases the 

 capillary power to such an extent that the 

 lower moisture is soon exhausted. And 

 here are seven reasons why cultivation 

 should be repeated every seven or eight 

 days whether it rains or not: 



1. It disturbs the old dust mulch and 

 fixes a new one. 



2. It stops the escape of moisture and 

 makes capillary action normal. 



3. It destroys all weed seed that have 

 germinated since the last cultivation. 



4. It mixes with soil the plant food 



THE DOUBLE HEDGE SYSTEM OF PLANT SETTING 



In forming a double hedge row, allow each mother plant to make four runners, layering them zig-zag or X fashion, as 



shown in picture. Keep the vacant spaces between young plants well hoed to prevent the forming of crust. 



Varieties making long runners can be set farther apart in the row than short runner makers, 



allowing them to make eight plants instead of four. 



4. It prevents moisture from working 

 so near the surface as to allow it to be 

 wasted by evaporation. 



5. It stops the moisture brought up 

 by capillary action, which is charged with 

 mineral matter, at a point where the 

 soil is warm and where it can be put into 



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that has been brought to the surface by 

 moisture. 



5. It keeps bacteria, moisture and plant 

 food in a harmonious condition, supply- 

 ing plants with balanced food, and keep- 

 ing them in a continuous growth. 



6. It builds up a heavy vegetative 



