THE STRAWBERRY OCTOBER 1907 



A TWENTY-ACRE FIELD OF THOROUGHBREDS 



A MONG the most successful growers of late strawberries is the firiti of Daniel Nienjeier & Son at Ontonagon, Mich., whose field of 



twenty acres is the wonder and_admiration of the Lake Superior country. So proud are the people of Ontonagon of this "institution" 



that they send out beautiful post-card views of it, and from one of these sent us by Mr. Niemeier the above half-tone illustration is made. 



in with the soil and will create a dust mulch 

 that will hold about 50 per cent more 

 moisture than any other kind of mulch 

 that could be used. 



C This cultivation also will aerate the soil, 

 aiding it to hold an even temperature, so 

 that the bacterial germs will work more 

 actively than they would if the soil was 

 not cultivated at all. No matter what 

 kind of mulch is used, there is bound to 

 be some weeds develop as a result. But 

 when stable manure is used in the way we 

 describe here there will be none except a 

 feu- that might come up directly in the 

 row of the plants, and these are easily 

 gotten rid of by pulling them up after a 

 rain. Stable manure has been used for 

 mulching on the farm of The Strawberry 

 for many years and always has proved en- 

 tirely satisfactory. It is true that wheat 

 straw has its preference over anything else, 

 but this material cannot always be secured. 

 As to sowing oats and barley between 

 the rows of strawberry plants to act as a 

 mulch, we would say that much depends 

 upon the season if this method would 

 prove successful. The seed should be 

 sown the latter part of July or first of 

 August, at which time we do not know 

 whether the fall is to be wet or dry. If 

 dry weather prevails, this material will 

 make such a small growth that it will not 

 serve its purpose as mulching; besides it 

 will rob the plants of the moisture they 

 need to develop their fruit-bud system. 

 If the season should be wet after the seed 

 is sown, it will play an important part, as 

 it would take up the surplus moisture 

 which, of course, aids the plants in build- 

 ing up a heavy fruit-bud system, rather 

 than to extend its energies to the over-pro- 

 duction of useless foliage and runners. 



iMr. Keasey's article is good common- 

 sense, and we have read it with pleasure. 

 What we have said is not by way of crit- 

 icism, but only to comment upon and 

 suggest concerning certain points. 



THK peach crop for 1907 was short, 

 but toward the close of the season 

 dealers found more fruit offered than they 

 had anticipated. Arkansas had a big crop, 

 Missouri a fair crop, but Michigan failed 

 almost entirely. The Georgia crop was 



reported destroyed, but on the first of 

 August the railroads found themselves 

 unable to take care of the offerings. The 

 Connecticut and Delaware crops were 

 only about 25 per cent of the average. It 

 is said it will be years before Michigan 

 will recover her old position in the peach- 

 production column, owing to the disas- 

 trous effects of the frosts of last autuinn 

 and winter. 



When Strawberry Growing is a Joy 



By Professor George S. Innis 



In Farm, Slock and Home 



A YEAR ago 1 determined to raise 

 some strawberries, to do the work 

 carefully and to report results for 

 the possible benefit it might be to others. 

 First I selected a spot in the garden about 

 35 by 60 feet and cleared it of raspberry 

 sprouts, plum trees and whatever would 

 in any way shade the ground. Then I 

 dug up the rows with a grub hoe, throw- 

 ing the ground a little toward the center 

 and raking it off so as to leave the rows 

 about an inch above the path between. 

 The first row I planted to Brandywines 

 because they are strong, vigorous growers, 

 the best able to fill that difficult place. 

 Then I planted in order Dunlap, Sample, 



Splendid and VVarfield, and after them 

 one-half rows each of Bederwood and 

 Wolverton, Haverland and Oregon, Tenn- 

 essee and Klondike, Dornan and Mid- 

 night, Texas and Parson's Beauty, Pride 

 of Michigan and Glen Mary, and a full 

 row of August Luther. The soil is a 

 sandy loam, well enriched. During the 

 summer and early fall I was careful to set 

 new plants so as to make a row a little 

 over a foot wide and the plants six or 

 eight inches from each other. I covered 

 in November with straw about an inch 

 thick and left it till late in the spring. 

 Some plants may be smothered, but I am 

 more concerned about their being frozen 

 out. I notice that when I put iaspl>erry 

 bushes down over the strawberry plants, 

 covered with straw and dirt both, the 

 plants come out in good shape while others 

 beside them are killed. So put the mulch- 

 ing on loosely, fairly thick and let it stay 

 till you open the doors and windows of 

 your house to welcome the balmy days 

 of spring. 



With the highly bred, twenty-year ped- 

 igree plants now advertised raising straw- 

 berries is an exhilaration, ^'ou set out 

 your plants, hasten in to get a rocking 

 chair, and sit and sing and watch them 

 grow. First the runners peeping forth, 

 then the new plants, the blossoms, the 



FRANCIS B. HARRINGTON OF WORCESTER, MASS., GROWS FINE STRAWBERRIES 



Fm 199 



