THE W. F. ALLEN CO., SALISBURY, MD. 9 
Good Plants, Correctly Labeled, Well Packed 
In seasons of severe drought constant cultivation keeps a 
“dust blanket’? over the soil and prevents evaporation. So, even 
if no weeds or grass have started, it is advisable to cultivate 
frequently. 
A hoe and 12-tooth cultivator are the best tools to use. In 
general, the patch should be cultivated every ten days, or two 
weeks anyway. Skillful use of the cultivator will make  neces- 
sary much less hand-labor. 
Young plants, set out in early spring, will blossom freely at 
the regular blossoming season, and if not cut off, will set and bear 
quite a few berries. But it is best to cut these blossoms off so 
that the plants can make a more vigorous growth and be in bet- 
ter shape to bear a full crop of fine fruit the following spring. 
Manure and “Fertilizer. Thorough cultivation is the best 
treatment for a strawberry patch. Barnyard manure is the best 
fertilizer you can apply to the field. Applied broadcast before 
the plants are set (see Preparing the Land, page 7) is the best 
way to get them started early and make a good growth. Ma- 
nure can be applied, as a top dressing on the plants, best in the 
fall. Jf handled in this way it acts as a mulch during the winter 
and is very beneficial to the fruiting beds in the spring. 
If manure is not used, a high grade commercial fertilizer can 
be used to start the young plants off. Apply this broadcast 
before the plants are set or as a top dressing afterward. Never 
put it in a furrow under the plants unless in very moist ground. 
If stable manure is not used, a top dressing of fertilizer in the 
early spring will be very beneficial to the fruiting beds. For young 
plants just set or for fruiting beds any fertilizer containing 2-5% 
available ammonia and 5-10% available phosphoric acid should be 
satisfactory. We use a 5-8-5 fertilizer for top dressing in 
Spring. 
Perfect and Imperfect Varieties. Perfect flowering varieties 
planted alone will mature a crop of perfect fruit. Imperfect 
flowering varieties should have perfect varieties planted with 
them, at least one row for every five or six. When two varieties 
are used in equal amounts, they are often alternated three or 
four. rows of each. In our price-list, perfect flowering varieties 
are followed by ‘“‘per’’—imperfect varieties by “imp.” 
Mulching. A mulch is applied for one or all of three reasons: 
First, to protect the plants from freezing and thawing of the soil 
in winter; second, to keep the soil cool and moist during the sea- 
son when fruit is being produced; third, to keep the berries from 
being spattered with dirt by rain during fruiting season. 
The mulch should be applied in the fall. In the spring when 
plants begin to start this is raked to the center of the rows and 
there serves the purpose of retarding the growth of weeds and 
grass, keeping the ground loose and moist and the fruit clean. 
Use coarse manure, marsh grass, rye straw or similar material. 
