32 Strawberry-Growing 



to get good nursery stock. In the rush of spring work, 

 planting is likely to be delayed ; many fields that should 

 be set in April are not set until May. 



Planting seasons in different regions. 



Fully ninety per cent of the strawberry planting in 

 Canada and the United States north of the latitude of 

 Washington, D.C., is in early spring, as soon as the 

 ground can be worked. In the North, each locality has 

 a planting season of four or five weeks which experience 

 has shown to be dependable; earlier or later planting is 

 attended with risk. Proceeding southward, the possible 

 planting season is lengthened, as well as advanced on the 

 calendar. Practically all of the planting north of Okla- 

 homa, Arkansas, Tennessee and Maryland is in the spring. 



The shorter the season of growth, the more uncertain 

 are the results of fall planting. The land must be heavily 

 manured and fertilized so that the plants may make a 

 maximum growth before they are checked by cold. Rich, 

 mellow, market-garden loams are most suitable for fall 

 planting. Potted plants or strong layers are commonly 

 set in late August or September. The chief advantage 

 of fall planting in the North is that land can be used 

 from which a crop of early vegetables has been removed, 

 and it is released in time to plant another vegetable crop 

 the following year; hence this method appeals most 

 strongly to market-gardeners. Incidental advantages 

 are that there is no trouble with white grub, no blossoms 

 to cut off and at least two-thirds of the trouble in fighting 

 weeds is avoided. On the other hand, the plants are not 

 easily obtained and are expensive; the weather is more 

 likely to be unfavorable so that special care is required 

 in planting; there is more danger of winter injury; the 



