STRAWBERRIES AND HOW TO GROW THEM 



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. Strawberries require a great deal of moisture 

 at fruiting '.ime. 



PREPARING THE SOIL.— Strawberries should follow some truck 

 crop, or late sov.ing of peas, soy beans, and etc.. on new cleared 

 land. We consider land that has just been cleared and well rotted 

 out to be the ideal site. But of course this can not always be at 

 hand, and the next best, is to follow such crops as above stated. 

 Fall plowing is always desirable for strawberries, breaking the land 

 at least eight to ten inches in depth. 



As eariy in the spring as it is possible to work the soil, disc 

 or cultivate the land over until it is thoroughly worked up on the 

 lop ; not necessary to work deep in the spring. 



If land is not considered rich enough to grow a good crop, and 

 plenty of barnyard manure is at hand, broadcast the land over dur- 

 ing the winter months before spring preparation is started. If barn- 

 yard manure is not at hand the following mixtures will be safe : 

 Chicken manure and acid phosphate, broadcast three parts chicken 

 manure to one part acid phosphate. Two tons per acre can be 

 safely applied and thoroughly worked in just before setting plants ; 

 or two tons per acre of pulvertized sheep manure broadcast and 

 worked in before planting. 



One ton par acre of raw bone meal broadcast and worked in 

 is good. Wood ashes is always desired as a broadcast during 

 winter, and may be spread between the rows during growing 

 season with good results and worked in with the cultivator. 



Fertilizer may be used in the drill and mixed with the soil 

 before planting, but never use a fertilizer with any potash directly 

 under the plants. Such fertilizers as bone meal, tankage, dried 

 blood, sheep manure, or ground fish will not injure the roots if 

 worked in good but will insure a good growth of plants even on 

 very thin soil when good cultivation follows. Strawberries should 

 be cultivated at least once a week during the growing season, start- 

 ing as soon as the plants are set and continue as long as any 

 grass and weeds grow. 



Twenty cultivations are usually necessary to grow a good crop, 

 the last ten usually requires but once in a row. The hoe to be 

 used often enough to keep the ear h stirred around the plants and 

 all grass cleaned out. Ants seldom injure a field of strawberries 

 that are kept well cultivated and well hoed. 



TIME TO PLANT.— The fall from November 1st to March 30th 

 in the Sou. hern Spates ; in the Middle States March and April are 

 the best months to set plants, and in the North just as eariy as 

 they can possibly be set. This depends a great deal on weather 

 conditions in the North. Some years we ship 75',/ of our plants 

 to Northern States, including all the New England States, during 

 the first half of April. Other years they can not use them before 

 April 20th to May 1st. But every grower of strawberries will 

 find it to be the best plan to always set plants the first week 

 possible. Frosts and freezes do not injure strawberry p'ants after 

 being set in the field. We commence to set our fields directly 

 after January 1st and nearly always find our first plants to be 

 our best fields. 



SUMMER PLANTING. — We do not recommend summer plant- 

 ing, but will ship plants after September 15th at purchaser's risk, 

 on prices to be agreed upon at the time. 



SETTING PLANTS 



After the soil has been worked to a fine mulch on top, take 

 any handy marker and mark off the rows the desired width, the 

 width of the rows will depend on what sys em you desire to use. 

 If for hill culture or narrow matted rows three feet apart is about 

 right, or if the plot is to be worked each way the rows should 

 be marked off in check, thirty inches one way and three feet the 

 other. For matted beds the rows should be four feet apart in 

 order to leave a good alley between the rows for the pickers. 



We have found a good strong plant dibble, (or garden trowel) 

 the best tool to use in setting plants. Some prefer a spade, this 

 is all right where the land is close, on the clay order, and the 

 roots are long, as it is always best to set the roots down straight, 

 and just the same depth as they grew in the soil. If the roots 

 are left curled up at the end. the plant is most surely to die. Some 

 planters use a tong and paddle, the plant is picked up with the 

 tongs and placed in proper position and the paddle placed on the 

 tip of the roots and pushed in the soil, and the soil pressed 

 around the plant with the foot. 



This method is wrong frora the star:, as it is impossible to get 

 the roots down straight all the way, for whatever portion of the 

 paddle is on the roots that much of the roots will certainly remain 

 in a crumpled position, and if the plant roots are short the plant 

 will nearly always die or remain stunted. This method may "save 



the back" but will never be satisfactory. 



Some large planters use the regular horse-drawn transplanter. 

 We have yet to see our first good stand of plants put out with a 

 transplanter. While if the planting is done veiT early in the 

 spring, a fairly good stand may be expected if the droppers are 

 careful. 



HILL SYSTEM. — The hill system seems to be growing in favor, 

 especially in the North. This system requires more labor under 

 the old rule, as it was tedious work cutting off the runners the first 

 two months after plants were set. Thanks to one of our customers 

 a tool has been invented and is no%v on sale by us that does away 

 with this tedious work of cutting runners with the hoe. 



The runner cutter (as shown on page 14 is made in a circle 

 with a sharp edge with handle so that with one stroke every runner 

 is cut around the mother plant, and the task is done just as fast 

 as you can walk down the row. 



At the price this tool can be purchased it will pay for itself 

 in the first days' use, and we figure will be extensively used by 

 the majority of growers after they have seen it in use. 



ADVANTAGES OF THE HILL SYSTEM.— Strawberry plants 

 are no different in many respects from any other plant or tree that 

 produces fruit. In order to obtain the best results the plant first 

 must have plenty of air space around it to develop its crown and 

 branches. If the necessary space is not given it means a small 

 stunted plant at the best. Strawberry plants can not grow on top 

 of each other and at the same time build up a strong fruiting 

 system. Neither can a well developed plant be grown when the 

 roots are crowded. It requires the same space for the root 

 growth as it does for the top. 



This is reasonable logic. I have taken strawberry plants up 

 under the stool or hill sys em, and found that the roots had taken 

 up the whole space allotted to the hill, ten inches on either side of 

 the plant was a mass of roots. Without saying much more on the 

 subject I believe that everyone can understand that the hill system 

 is the only way to grow a perfect crop of strawberries. 



It requires about 6.000 plants to set an acre 36 inches by 

 30 inches (this distance apart the plants can be worked each way), 

 or it requires about 10,000 to set an acre rows 36 inches and 

 plants set 18 inches in the row. This is the most desirable way 

 to grow in hills ; at least a quart of berries can be expected to 

 each plant and often two quarts are averaged, and besides the 

 fruit is much larger and of better quality and color and sell for 

 much more per quart. 



THE NARROW MATTED ROWS. -Mark the row about 42 

 inches apart and allow the first runnel. « to set about the desired 

 width and well spaced in the bed. Al er sufficient plants have 

 rooted, the remainder of runner plants E^re kept cut off. This is 

 best done by a sharp disc placed on the side of the cultivator, as it 

 is necessary to cut off the runners instead of covering them up 

 with the cultivator teeth, as the lateral runners will root under 

 the soil if covered up and at the end of the growing season will 

 be a mass of small plants on each side of the bed to keep out 

 air and moisture from the main plants. 



MATTED ROW. — This is the way most of the strawberry fields 

 of the South and Southwest is grown, and in fact I believe that 

 90% of all strawberries are grown at this time by the matted row 

 system. Nevertheless, in ray opinion, thousands of dollars are 

 being lost in every community that practices this method, and many 

 a good variety is lost because of not being given a chance to grow. 



Such varieties as Premier, Big Joe, Chesapeake, Lupton, Cooper, 

 and a few others can be grown fairly well under the matted row 

 system, as they do not crowd the row with so many plants if al- 

 lowed to take their course. On the other hand there are many 

 varieties that seldom are given a chance to do their best, as they 

 make entirely too many runner plants and the bed is crowded too 

 thick — small notty fruit is the result, and the variety discarded, 

 when at the same time it may be one of our very best varieties if 

 given the proper chance to grow and develop a crown and root 

 system. 



MATING OF VARIETIES.— Strawberry plants are divided into 

 two sexes — male and female — or perfect and imperfect blossoms, 

 as the varieties are listed in cur books. The perfect flowering vari- 

 eties will produce just as well without the imperfect variety, but 

 should you fail to set sufficient male, or perfect flowering varieties 

 with your female or imperfect varieties you would indeed have a 

 very poor crop of fruit. For this reason alone a good many growers 

 are planting mostly of the perfect flowering varieties. This is a 

 sad mistake and no grower will do this after they are used to 

 proper mating of their varieties. As often the female or imperfect 

 flowering variety is one of the very best yielders when properly 

 mated. 



It is usually the rule to set four rows of the imperfect and 

 (Continued on page 14) 



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