WEED KILLERS. Crab Herbicide No. 1 is the 

 most promising material to date for control of sum- 

 mer weeds and grass in strawberries. Apply just 

 after cultivation. It prevents germination of weed 

 seeds — does not kill established weeds. Apply 

 rate of 2-3 lbs. per acre in 40 gallons of water. 

 Cover soil surface. Each application will check 

 weed growth for 3-5 weeks. No injury to plants 

 unless very hot weather. To control winter and 

 spring growth of chickweed apply chloro I.P.C. 3 

 lbs. per acre in 50 gallons of water. For us one ap- 

 plication in either November or the first half of 

 December has been effective. We doubt if chemical 

 weed control is practical or necessary on very 

 small plots. 



Geese are helpful in controlling crab grass. They 

 do not eat weeds. Use about 4 geese per acre; 

 get goslins or young geese, 5 to 6 weeks old. 

 They eat more and trample less than old geese. 

 The field must be fenced in. Supply shade, water, 

 some extra feeding. Large flocks in one field often 

 trample plants badly. Watch out for dogs. 



IS MULCHING NECESSARY? Mulching is neces- 

 sary for winter protection in all the northern states 

 and would be helpful in many fields as far south 

 as Virginia and Kentucky. In addition to giving 

 protection from cold, mulching helps to keep down 

 weeds and grass, to conserve soil moisture and to 

 keep the fruit bright and clean. 



The mulch should be applied in the fall after 

 frost and light freezes (25 to 28 degrees F.) have 

 occurred but before hard freezing (20 degrees F. 

 or lower). It should be removed, (at least partly) 

 soon after growth starts in the spring. 



as a rule. Red stele has become serious in some 

 areas. It is avoided by using clean plants on un- 

 infected soil. Red stele can be largely ignored on 

 infected soil by using resistant varieties. Stele- 

 master and Surecrop have triple red stele resistance. 

 Sparkle, Temple, Fairland, Redglow and Vermilion 

 have high resistance to the most common form of 

 red stele. If you use these kinds red stele need not 

 make much of a dent in your berry profits. 



Captan sprays or dusts are proving helpful in 

 reducing fruit rot which can be serious any year, 

 especially bad in wet seasons. Captan can be 

 mixed with applications to control Clipper. Captan 

 dusts are now a standard practice with us. Hill 

 system or well spaced plants help to prevent berry 

 rot. The Clipper, sometimes present near wooded 

 areas, can be controlled by two applications (25 to 

 35 lbs. each) of proper dust mixture. Consult your 

 County Agent or follow manufacturers' directions. 



RENEWING OLD BEDS. Most commercial growers 

 pick one crop of strawberries and then destroy the 

 planting. Generally this is justified. However, 

 when plantings are on good soil, free from weeds 

 with little insect or disease damage, a second 

 crop may be had economically. To renew beds, 

 don't plow away the old bed. Cultivate middles, 

 remove weeds and grasses and possibly fertilize. 

 On thickly set beds remove some of the excess 

 plants. Don't be afraid of hurting the beds. We 

 have used a heavily weighted (100 lbs.) drag very 

 effectively. Train new runners to any vacant places. 

 Mostly the second crop of berries is borne on the 

 same plants that produced the first crop. 



HELPFUL HINTS 



Some New — Some Old 



Wheat straw and marsh grass are considered the 

 best materials. Rye straw, pine needles, coarse 

 strawy manure and various kinds of hay are satis- 

 factory. In some sections sawdust has been used 

 with good results. Use whatever you have or can 

 buy at a reasonable price. 



WILL IRRIGATION PAY? If you have irrigation 

 it will certainly pay to use it for strawberries, es- 

 pecially just before fruiting time. However, irriga- 

 tion is not necessary. Most of the fine berry crops 

 in this country are produced on good strawberry 

 soil that holds moisture well because stable manure 

 and green crops have been added or because of a 

 high water table. 



DO STRAWBERRIES NEED SPRAYING? When 

 good varieties are selected and clean healthy 

 plants are used, strawberries do not need spraying 





■A 



1. To control spittle bugs and tarnish plant bugs 

 which cause malformed berries (nubbins) spray 

 thoroughly one time with 50% D.D.T. 2 lbs. per 100 

 gallons of water as late as possible before plants 

 bloom in spring. 



2. How much virus free plants outyield ordinary 

 stock depends on the vigor of the non-virus free 

 plants. At the Ohio Station 68% average increase 

 was obtained on virus free Catskill, Sparkle and 

 Premier. In New Hampshire 83% increase on the 

 same three varieties. In Massachusetts 35% on 

 four leading varieties, and in Nova Scotia on four 

 varieties 310% increase, the amazing increase 

 probably due greatly to lack of plant growth of the 

 ordinary stock. 



3. A new spray MH-3 has been used to reduce 

 runner formation and prevent crowded rows. In the 

 test a well-spaced row of plants resulted. We doubt 

 if this is ready yet for commercial use. 



4. When sawdust is used as a mulch, the soil will 

 need extra nitrogen. Seven or eight pounds of am- 

 monium sulphate per 100 lbs. of sawdust has been 

 suggested. The Colorado Station states "Sawdust 

 is a good mulch, conserving moisture, supressing 

 weeds and improving heavy soil with no significant 

 effect on the pH of the soil." 



5. Chlorodane will pay. About 10 lbs. per acre of 

 actual chlorodane broadcast with fertilizer (25 lbs. 

 40% material). Many of the things necessary for 

 growing top notch planting stock (page 3) a berry 

 grower cannot afford to do — the use of chlorodane 

 is one of the things he can and should do. It's 

 fairly cheap — it's very good. 



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