BETTER FRUIT 



A MONTHLY ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST 

 OF MODERN AND PROGRESSIVE FRUIT GROWING AND MARKETING 



STRAWBERRIES GROWN IN ORCHARD PROFITABLE 



DURING a recent trip through the 

 orchards of the Intermountain 

 and Pacific Coast states, the pres- 

 ent writer was struck by the failure of 

 the orchardists, in many instances, to 

 utilize the spaces between the rows of 

 young orchard trees by the growing of 

 some profitable crop. It occurred to me 

 then that this must be due to the fact 

 that the orchardists in this region were 

 unfamiliar with what is going on in so 

 many orchards in other sections of the 

 country now being opened up to the pro- 

 duction of fruit in large areas. For 

 instance, on a recent trip through the 

 orchards of the Pecos Valley of New 

 Mexico we had excellent opportunity to 

 learn, from the practical results secured 

 there, of the high value of this method 

 of utilizing these vacant spaces during 

 the years when the orchards are coming 

 into bearing. Not only did we learn from 

 the orchardists that the practice was 

 profitable, but we had opportunity to 

 compare the trees in orchards where cul- 

 tivated crops were grown with those 

 where no crops were grown between the 

 trees, and were agreeably surprised to 

 note how much farther advanced and in 

 how much better condition were the 

 trees in those orchards where 

 subsidiary crops were grown 

 between the rows. We were 

 especially struck by orchards 

 in which strawberries were 

 grown, because, as the straw- 

 berry requires frequent culti- 

 vation, we could see the trees 

 had responded directly to that 

 treatment, and were far and 

 away in advance of the trees 

 in nearby orchards — trees tjiat 

 had been set at the same time, 

 in the same character of soil, 

 and excepting for the fact 

 that crops had been grown 

 between the rows in one 

 orchard, whereas none had 

 been grown in the neighbor- 

 ing orchards, the same condi- 

 tions throughout prevailed. 



I also visited a Northern 

 Michigan orchard last sum- 

 mer whose owner advised us 

 that he was more than paying 

 expenses while his trees were 

 coming into bearing through 

 the growing of strawberries. 

 We receive letters from all 

 over the cnuntry confirming 

 our observation in these direc- 

 tions, and we are very con- 

 fident that with the growing 



BY W. H BURKE, THREE RIVERS, MICHIGAN 



demand for high grade strawberries, both 

 locally and in far distant markets, the 

 growers of the Pacific Coast and Inter- 

 mountain states would find this method 

 of utilizing the vacant spaces between the 

 rows of trees a source of real profit. 



Contents 



STRAWBERRIES GROWN IN ORCHARD 

 PROFITABLE, 19 



SPRAYING FOR CURCULIO AND CODLING 

 MOTH, 23 

 Continued from Last Edition 



BREEDING AND DEVELOPMENT OF 

 CANTALOUPE, 31 



ORCHARDS INJURED BY THE TUSSOCK 

 MOTH, 35 



THE CULTURE OF SMALL FRUITS ON 

 PACIFIC SLOPE, 37 



THE COMPOUNDING OF SPRAYS AND 

 THEIR USES, 40 



EDITORIAL, 46 



INJURY CAUSED BY THE APPLE 

 POWDERY MILDEW, 60 

 Continued from Last Edition 



ANTHRACNOSE OF BLACKBERRY AND 

 RASPBERRY, 73 



As to the methods to be employed in 

 this line of work, we would suggest that 

 from three to five rows of strawberries 

 may be grown during the early stages of 

 the orchard's development, depending, of 

 course, upon the width apart at which 

 the trees are set. Where approximately 

 fifty trees are set to the acre at least two 

 crops could be grown from five rows of 

 plants during the earlier stages of the 

 orchard's growth. As the trees spread 

 their foliage the number of rows would 

 become fewer, of course. 



As to soil, the same conditions in this 

 respect that will develop fine orchard 

 trees will also grow fine crops of straw- 

 berries. In regions where irrigation is 

 practiced the same rules would apply in 

 that respect, excepting that we should 

 advise a sparing use of water, as the 

 tendency of the excessive use of water 

 is to make the fruit flabby and tasteless. 



As to plant-food conditions that are 

 best calculated for the successful pro- 

 duction of high-grade fruits, I would say 

 that the principal elements should be 

 present in the soil in about the following 

 proportion: Nitrogen 3%, potassium 9% 

 and phosphorus 7%. Any soil that con- 

 tains these elements in anything like 



Copyrighted J^w by R. M. Kellogg Loiiipany 

 SPREADING THE MULCHING 0\'ER THE PL.VNTS 

 Please note in the foreground how evenly the mulching is spread over the plants. This protects the plants from freezing 

 and thawing during the winter and early spring months, and keeps the plants strong and vigorous, so that they start 

 growing immediately after they reach the purchaser. The mulching plays a very important part in making the R. M. 

 Kellogg (Three Rivers, Michigan) plants the most vigorous and productive grown. Tlie strawberry grower will find 



mulching to be equally important to his success. 



