Page 22 



BETTER FRUIT 



March 



ininifdialel}- after the first lit'a\y freeze 

 occurs. Where there is no frost, or verj- 

 light frost, the mulching over the plants 

 need not be followed, but the spaces 

 between the rows should be covered 

 after the last cultivation. The impor- 

 tance of mulching cannot be OA-eresti- 

 mated. In the colder latitudes mulching 

 prevents freezing and thawing; freezing 

 and thawing cause alternate contraction 

 and expansion of the soil, and this results 

 in the straining and breaking of the roots 

 of the plants, which, of course, greatlj' 

 affects fruit production. Mulching retains 

 moisture in the soil, and, where the sun 

 shines hot, protects the roots from injury. 

 B.ut to the grower of strawberries for 

 market, if there were no other advantage 

 than that the mulching insures clean, 

 bright berries, this of itself would amply 



repay all trouble and expense one must 

 go to in doing this feature of the work. 



PROPERLY PRUNED PLA.XT 



WARFIELD PLANT PHOTOGRAPLIED SEPTEMBER 

 7, 1910, SHOWING SAME PLANT AFTER 

 FIVE MONTHS' GROWTH 

 Grown by R. M. Kellogg Co., Three Rivers, ilichigan 



AN R. M. KELLOGG COM- 

 PANY THOROUGHBRED 

 BEFORE PRUNING 



DUNLAP PLANT PHOTOGRAPHED SEPTEMBER 7, 

 ]Uin, SHOWING SAME PLANT AF'TER 

 FIVE MONTHS' GROWTH 

 Grown by R. M. Kellogg Co., Three Rivers, Michigan 



LAYERING RUNNER PLANTS 



Just as soon as the young plants are 

 formed, draw soil or lay a small 

 stone on the runner cord just back 

 of the node, or young plant. This 

 holds it in place and encourages the 

 roots to take immediate hold upon 

 the soil, thus relieving the strain on 

 j the mother plant, and at the same 

 time it develops a stronger runner 

 plant. It also fixes the plant just 

 where vou wish it to be in the row. 



The grower who fails to supply clean 

 fruit, free from grit and sand, fails at 

 the crucial point in his work, and need 

 never expect to command high prices 

 for his product. Another advantage of 

 mulching will be found at the fruiting 

 season, when the mulching keeps down 

 the weeds and makes cultivation unneces- 

 sary at the period when cultivation may, 

 if practiced too often, be actually dis- 

 couraging to the development of large 

 crops of fruit. Wherever cultivation is 

 necessary in the fruit-growing season — 

 indeed, only when the grower sees that 

 weeds threaten serious injury should cul- 

 tivation be done — then the thing to do is 

 to part the mulching in the middle of 

 the row, cultivate thoroughly and then 

 replace the mulching over the culti- 

 vated soil. 



If the growers of the Pacific Coast and 

 Intermountain states will adopt this 

 system, which is becoming so general 

 throughout other sections of the country, 

 and will follow the simple rules here indi_ 

 cated they may with confidence count 

 upon years of profit where otherwise 

 there would be years of waiting, repre- 

 senting large outlays for the running- 

 expenses; and in every other way will 

 their work be more satisfying. 



The growing interest in strawberry 

 production throughout your great region 

 has led the R. M. Kellogg Company to 

 establish a branch nursery a few miles 

 south of the City of Portland, Oregon, 

 and this year the company will ship to 

 its Pacific Coast customers several hun- 

 dred thousand plants. Next year the 

 nursery will be in full swing, and those in 

 the Pacific Coast region who prefer to 

 secure their plants grown nearer home 

 will enjoy at once this great advantage, 

 and also -will have the satisfaction that 

 they come from growing fruit from the 

 Kellogg strain of plants. In many sec- 

 tions of the Coast country, where plant- 

 ing may begin in February and March, 

 the company will be able to furnish the 

 plants at the desired seasons. From 

 the encouragement already received the 

 future of the Pacific Coast branch would 

 seem to be completely assured, many of 

 the more prominent strawberry growers 

 having already expressed themselves as 

 being highly pleased with this move on 

 the part of this great strawberry breed- 

 ing firm, and have extended them a 

 hearty welcome to this great North- 

 western commonwealth. 



