E. W. TOWNSEND & SONS. SALISBURY, MD. 



CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 



Strawberries will thrive in almost any 

 soil that is not too dry or water-soaked, 

 and no crop will respond more quickly 

 to good cultivation than the Strawberry. 

 Strawberries require a great deal of mais- 

 ture, especially at fruiting time. 



PREPARING THE SOIL.— Straw- 

 berries should follow some truck crop if 

 possible. We do not recommend plant- 

 ing strawberries after an old sod has 

 been turned under, too many grubs are 

 likely to destroy the plants. All sod 

 land should be plowed at least a year 

 in advance and sowed to some vine crop 

 and manured the fall or winter before 

 planting to strawberries, and then thor- 

 oughly worked up in the spring, where 

 it is possible; land that has been ma- 

 nured a year in advance makes the best 

 strawberries. We do not recommend 

 heavy application of manure immediately 

 before planting, and under no circum- 

 stances do we recommend the use of 

 commercial fertilizer directly, under the 

 plants when set. The fertilizer is likely 

 to cause the plants to die as soon as 

 the sun gets hot. If fertilizer is to 

 be used, broadcast on the land, thor- 

 oughly work in the land a few weeks 

 before setting plants. The finer the 

 conditioon of the soil at planting time 

 the better for the crop. If. land is 

 hard and cloddy, better roll, also if 

 very loose sandy, it is best to roll, as 

 this rolling holds the moisture that is 

 so much needed at this time. 



TIME TO PLANT.— The fall from 

 November 1st to March 30th in the 

 South plants may be set any time. In 

 the Middle States, March and first half 

 of April. In the North, as early in 

 the Spring as the ground can be worked, 

 the sooner the better. Northern cus- 

 tomers should always order their plants 

 shipped at least two weeks before they 

 expect to set them out. The plants 



should be heeled in a V-shape trench 

 after they have been unpacked and un- 

 tied, bunches opened and roots dipped 

 in water. Cover with a board to shade 

 the plants and they will keep several 

 weeks and be in line condition to plant 

 when the proper day arrives. We ship 

 most oders to the far North during the 

 last half of April. But some of our 

 wisest customers order plants shipped dur- 

 ing August and September. We have 

 as good plants at. this time as any one 

 in the business, but we cannot recommend 

 the planting at this time, and do not 

 see where the gain is in August planting 

 in the North. Ever-bearing plants set 

 in April will fruit just as quick as the 

 August and September plants, and much 

 less trouble and expense. 



SETTING PLANTS AND MARK- 

 ING OUT THE ROWS. 



After ground is in perfect condition 

 mark rows out with any kind of light 

 marker, that v/i'l not make too much 

 of a' sink in the ground. 



IF HILL SYSTEM.— Mark rows 30 

 inches apart one way and fifteen inches 

 the other and set plants in the check 

 with a spade or trowel, being sure to 

 get rooots down straight and fan shaped 

 finning ground around plants hard with 

 the hand or foot. Some customers write 

 us they water the plants when setting 

 them. "Don't Do That! Nothing could 

 be more injurious to the strawberry 

 plant. Under this system, all runner 

 plants are kept cut off and only the 

 plant you set is allowed to grow. Plants 

 grown this way grow to be very large 

 and usually meet the 15-inch way, and 

 produce more quarts of berries per acre 

 than the latter named system. It is 

 easy to grow one quart of berries per 

 plant under this system. Fruit will 

 average twice as large and sell for more 



A COMMERCIAL TRIAL BED. Every strawberry grower should 



have a trial plot, and test out in a small way all the new 



. varieties. This is the way we find the BEST for our own soil. 



