W. F. ALLEN, Strawberry SpecialisU SALISBURY, MARYLAND 



Aft^r Friiititt(r ^^^ ^^^ gathering of the crop the soil 

 After t rutting ^^^^ tramped and packed, and a 

 large amount of moisture escapes from the soil. It is 

 important then that as soon as the crop is ofif, the spaces 

 between the rows should be cultivated in order to make 

 a mulch of loose soil on the surface to prevent the evapor- 

 ation of moisture, and this shallow and loose mulch should 

 be maintained through the remainder of the season, 

 aided, as I have suggested, by the heaviest fertilization. 

 If the soil between the rows is allowed to get crusted or 

 to grow up in weeds and grass, there will be a smaller 

 growth and a smaller crop the next season. 

 Winter ^"^ ^^^ greater part of the Middle States 



Pmtfrt'nn ^^^ ^^^ North in general, it is important 

 to give some protection to the plants in 

 winter. Some have advocated the sowing of oats between 

 the rows in late summer to die down in winter and make 

 the mulch. But it is far better to apply a mulch of wheat- 

 straw in the late fall. But this mulch should not be too 

 heavy, just barely enough to cover the crowns of the 

 plants well. In the South the leaves of the pine tree are 

 used, but there the mulch is not applied in the fall, but 

 only in spring, as a means for keeping the fruit clean and 

 to have at hand material for pulling over the plants 

 when in bloom and frost threatens. With the earliest 

 start of the leaves the mulch should be pulled back from 

 the plants and left to keep the fruit clean, and should 

 then be removed for cultivation. Rough, strawy manure 

 from a horse-stable scattered along on the rows in the fall 



makes a good winter protection, and is washed clean by 

 spring, and can then keep the fruit from the grit, and at 

 I the same time it helps the growth of the plants. 



Cutting Runners )^'hile we want the early runner 

 I " tramed m along the rows to make 



i the matted row, we do want a surplus of runners spreading 

 I on both sides to take the strength that should go into the 

 making of strong fruiting, crowns for the next season. 

 Hence, after a sufficient number of runners are set the 

 remainder should be kept cut off along the rows. Revolv- 

 ing cutters have been invented for this purpose, but 

 the best thing I have found is a sharp corn-knife used 

 by a boy to pass along the rows and cut all outside of a 

 fixed line on each side. He can do this rapidly and more 

 perfectly than any machine I have ever seen, and the 

 long corn-knife does not call" for much stooping. 



In Early Spring f^^^' ^^^ "^"^^^ ^,^ ^^ and before the 

 •^ ^ ^ fruitmg season, keep a sharp look- 

 out for the weeds that will start in the rows. These 

 must be pulled out. I have seen men gathering Straw- 

 berries where the weeds were so tall as to hide the 

 rows. Good crops cannot be made in this way, for the 

 weeds are drawing the moisture from the plants just 

 when they need it most. Where winter protection is not 

 needed and the mulch is used only to keep the fruit clean, 

 it is always best to give one shallow cultivation before 

 applying the mulch. But this is not necessary where 

 there is a winter mulch, as that will keep the soil moist. 

 When the plants are in bloom and frost threatens, it will 



