THE STRAWBERRY AUGUST 1907 



fore, of an entirely new root s\stem is 

 imperative if you would have anorher crop 

 of strawberries. 1 he new roots will de- 

 velop just above the old roots, hut to en- 

 courage this growth you must cover 

 crowns with fresh soil. In short, the 

 thing for you to do this season is just ex- 

 actly what you would do in any other 

 season, and follow methods of mowing 

 over, burning ofF and reducing the rows 

 by plowing as we have so often indicated 

 in The Strawberry. 



A. M. W., Charlotte, Mich. In the spring of 

 1905 I set out a small patch of Warfield straw- 

 berries, with good fertilizer, for my own use, 

 kept off all blossoms and runners. In 1906 

 had a nice crop of berries, immediately after 

 fruiting clipped off all foliage ami runners and 

 kept them off. This summer I kept off all 

 runners. First picking June 27, and last to- 

 day 'July 19). Strawberries are in hills — 

 some few plants are dying. Why? 



2. Can 1 expect another crop next \'ear with 

 same treatment as last year.' When will they 

 run out if treated that way, or will they con- 

 tinue to bear indefinitely.' 



3. After clipping and working the ground 

 after bearing, would it be proper to manure 

 the ground (stable manure) and work it thor- 

 oughly in the soil? 



It is rather difficult for us to state the 

 cause of your Warfield plants dying. It 

 may be that some grub or root lice are 

 working upon the roots. 

 02. To get another crop next year we 

 would suggest that you allow' these hills 

 to make a number of runners. This v\ill 

 greatly increase your next crop. After 

 picking the next crop we would turn this 

 patch under. 



3. After cutting and burning over the 

 bed and after the rows are narrowed down, 

 you may spread well-decayed manure be- 

 tween the rows and work it in with the 

 cultivator. 



Miss I. C, Loveland, Ohio. Will burning off 

 my fruiting bed stop the ants and the other 

 insect which are working at the roots? If not 

 will tobacco tea or cow manure and water? 

 The fine tobacco just seems to dri\e them to 

 another plant. 



OThe burning over of the fruiting bed 

 after the berries are all picked is very 

 beneficial. It destroys msects and fun- 

 gous spores, and it also lias a tendency to 

 drive the black ants to other quarters. 

 The black ants prefer working in \ery 

 firm soil, and if you will keep your soil, 

 where the berry plants are growing, well 

 culti\ated the ants will not remain in large 

 numbers. The ants themselves do no 

 harm to strawberry plants, but the fact 

 that they are present is evidence that the 

 roots of the plants are infested with root 

 lice. The ants carry the lice from the 

 roots of one plant to another. Strong to- 



bacco tea is quite beneficial in getting rid 

 of the lice. Also tobacco dust sprinkled 

 around the plants has a good effect. We 

 ibink thorough culti\ation and rotation of 

 crops is the best thing you can do. 



K. A. R., Belmont, N. H. Do you consider 

 it practicable to grow Dornan, Pride of Mich- 

 igan and Dunlap when set three feet apart 

 between rows in anything but single hedge? 



2. Should a plant ever be allowed to make 

 plants from a lateral or only the main runner? 



3. In forming the single hedge each plant is 

 allowed to make two more on each side, in 

 some cases a plant seems stronger than the 

 next one. Is it best to wait until the weaker 

 plant makes runners to fill, or gain time by 

 letting the stronger plant make runners to 

 meet the other? 



Heavy foliage makers such as Dornan, 

 Pride of Michigan and Senator Dunlap, 

 where grown extensively, would better be 

 set in the single-hedge row, unless wider 

 space is given them between rows. 



2. Lateral runners never should be 

 permitted to develop. 



3. Your question is one which will 

 have to be answered by the grower ac- 

 cording to the condition of the individual 

 plant. So far as ultimate results are con- 

 cerned, it is doubtless true that the plant 

 having enough vigor to send out two run- 

 ner plants before the weak plant could 

 'end out one, would give the larger yield. 

 On the other hand, an apparently weak 

 plant at the start sometimes develops 

 great strength and will make strong and 

 vigorous runners, although considerably 

 later than its neighbor. 



W. A. J., Bradford, Vt. I have over four 

 acres of newly set strawberries and they are 

 quite badly infested with a small black bug, 

 (I send you a few under separate package.) 

 They are now under the oldest leaves and eat 

 through them, and also eat the new ones as 

 they start. I send two kinds of bugs, one a 

 small black one which are the most numerous, 

 and a larger slate colored one which works 

 more on the crown and are very destructive. 

 Now can you give any information or suggest 

 a remedy for these pests? 



The small black insects sent us are beet- 

 les, and the larger ones are weevil. The 

 beetles are chev\ing insects, and may he 

 destroyed by spraying with a strong so- 

 lution of Paris green. l\ake ten pounds 

 of Paris green, put over two pounds of 

 lump lime, and over this pour two gallons 

 of hot water. Stir to prevent burning. 

 When thoroughly slacked, add enough 

 water to make forty gallons. One or two 

 sprayings will generally do the work. The 

 larva of the beetle is a small light-colored 

 grub, which works on the roots of the 

 plant, and by killing the beetle you will 

 get rid of the larva. The weevil works 

 on the fruit stems of the plant causing the 



Page 177 



fruit stems to droop and wilt. The best 

 preventive against these, as well as all 

 other insects, is burning over the fruiting 

 bed after the berries are all picked. Clean 

 and thorough cultivation, rotation of crops 

 is also iinportant, and be sure and avoid 

 taking plants from infested beds. Keep 

 all fence rows and all places adjoining 

 your berry patch clean. 



H. S. , Osnaburg, Ohio. I have one-fourth 

 acre of strawberries and wish to mulch or 

 cover them this winter and have not the straw, 

 but have mowed a meadow and there is a 

 couple of tons of sour grass on it. Now would 

 this make good mulching? 



The sour grass will make an excellent 

 mulch for your strawberries. Any cover- 

 ing in the way of straw or hay or long 

 grass will serve, although the most perfect 

 mulching is wheat straw. 



■^ ^ 



H. E. R. , Eugene, Ore. The plants I set last 

 spring grew finely. They were looking well 

 and the ground was clean. The first of Jan- 

 uary we had a flood (I am on the Willamette 

 bottom) and washed them pretty badly, and 

 then the first of February we had another bad 

 one. It washed ail the dirt that was loose 

 and some besides from between the rows, .so 

 it left the plants on a ridge from four to six 

 inches high. When it quit raining it turned 

 dry, so I am out of strawberries. Now what 

 shall I do and when shall I do it? I will tell 

 you what I thought of doing, and that is to 

 go on after the berries are gone and plow each 

 row up deep and reset the plants in the same 

 place and get the ground level. Wliat do 

 you think of this plan? 



If your plants are entirely covered with 

 soil, we think your method of plowing 

 up the patch and resetting the proper thing 

 to do. Prom what you say we judge 

 that the soil where your plants are grow- 

 ing is on a hillside or slope. If you have 

 level ground it would be better, as then 

 the heavy rains would not wash the soil 

 over the plants so badly. If your plants 

 are not covered more than an inch or two, 

 the plants will come up through it and 

 make good growth. 



P. A. A.. Grand Mound. la. I find some 

 small light green lice or spiders on the leaf 

 stems of my strawberry plants that are to 

 fruit thissp iiig. Plants look perfectly healthy 

 how; will those lice hurt my plants? If so 

 what can be done? 



2. Will it do to sprav with kerosene emul- 

 sion, or \\\\\ it hurt the plants? 



The green lice \ou speak of will not 

 do any serious damage. Just as soon as 

 your berries are all picked, mow the fo- 

 liage off and burn the bed over. Ihis will 

 destroy the lice as well as other insects. 



2. Kerosene emulsion would destroy 

 the lice, but the trouble is that the lice 



