10 



THE W. F. ALLEN CO., SALISBURY, MD. 



With this system the rows are from 3 to 4 feet 

 apart, and the plants from 18 to "20 inches apart in 

 the row. The plants may be set and treated so as 

 to make wide or narrow matted rows, the latter 

 usually being preferable. In cultivating, the ma- 

 chine is run only in one direction and, as the plants 

 spread, the cultivated space gradually narrows until 

 it is only 12 to 18 inches at its greatest width. 



The disadvantage of this system is that a large 

 number of plants are sometimes allowed to set too 

 close together, resulting in somewhat smaller fruit. 

 Proper thinning of the plants in too heavily set 

 matted rows will obviate this disadvantage. 



The matted row requires less labor and the yield 

 is usually greater than in any of the other systems. 

 For the average grower we prefer the narrow matted- 

 row system with the plants kept thinned out in case 

 of varieties that make plants freely. When the row 

 is kept thinned, you have the advantage of the other 

 systems in producing large, well-shaped fruit; you 

 have a greater number of plants to produce the 

 fruit; and you have ample foliage to protect plants 

 from the scalding which you do not have in other 

 systems. In plots equally rich and equally fertilized 

 the thin, narrow matted row will give more fancy 

 fruit than any other system, and that is the system 

 we prefer in most cases. 



We give tables (page 11) so you can find the 

 number of plants required to set any given area. 



Cultivation 



Young plants should be cultivated frequently 

 after they begin to grow. This is done not only to 

 keep down weeds and grass, but also to save more 

 moisture. After heavy rains the soil (except very- 

 sandy soil) will become hard and "bake," causing 

 it to dry out quickly and be very cloddy when 

 cultivated, unless the cultivation is done while soil 

 is still damp. So it is best to cultivate as soon after 

 a rain as the condition of the soil will permit. 



In seasons of severe drought constant cultivation 

 keeps a "dust blanket" over the soil and prevents 

 evaporation. So, even if no weeds or grass have 

 started, it is advisable to cultivate frequently when 

 the land is very dry. 



A hoe and 12-tooth cultivator are the best tools 

 to use. In general, the patch should be cultivated 

 every ten days, or two weeks anyway. Skilful use 

 of the cultivator will make necessary much less 

 hand-hoeing. The hoe can be used to advantage in 

 keeping the plants thinned out when necessary. 



Young plants, set out in early spring, will blossom 

 freely at the regular blossoming season and, if not 



cut off, will set and bear quite a few berries. But, 

 it is best to cut these blossoms off so that the plants 

 can make a more vigorous growth and be in better 

 shape to bear a full crop of fine fruit the following 

 spring. 



Manure and Fertilizer 



The best fertilizer for a Strawberry patch is thor- 

 ough cultivation. Barnyard manure is the very best 

 fertilizer that you can apply to the field. This is 

 applied either broadcast before the land is plowed, 

 or as a top-dressing after the plants are set. Apply- 

 ing before plowing is adapted more to heavy soils 

 and top-dressing more to light soils. Cover crops 

 (see page 8) are valuable to grow and incorporate 

 in any soil, whether heavy or light. Commercial 

 fertilizers will often prove beneficial. Nitrate of 

 soda is probably the quickest acting fertilizer; it is 

 especially valuable for use on old beds in preparing 

 for second or third crop. 



It is usually considered that potash adds color to 

 the berries and makes them more firm. There is 

 some potash already in most soils and a crop of 

 good berries can usually be grown without apply- 

 ing it, although potash would probably make the 

 crop better. Present war prices of potash, however, 

 prohibit its use as a fertilizer. Not having potash 

 to include, a good application to make in the spring 

 would be 150 pounds of dried blood or fish, and 300 

 pounds of bone meal, or rock phosphate per acre. 

 Enough filler should be added to this 550 pounds so 

 it can be mixed and applied evenly. Be very careful 

 about putting commercial fertilizer under plants 

 before setting. In dry seasons fertilizer drilled in 

 before planting burns and kills thousands of plants. 

 Top-dressing is more satisfactory. Lime is beneficial 

 to Strawberries in cases where water stands on land 

 in winter and makes it excessively acid. To correct 

 this, drain land and apply 400 to 500 pounds of lime 

 to the acre, being careful to give uniform distri- 

 bution. 



Mulching 



A mulch is applied for one or all of three reasons: 

 First, to protect the plants from freezing and thaw- 

 ing of the soil in winter; second, to keep the soil 

 cool and moist during the season when fruit is 

 being produced; third, to keep the berries from 

 being spattered with dirt during the spring rains. 



In the North it is important to apply a mulch for 

 winter protection. In the spring when plants begin 

 to start, this is raked to the center of the rows and 

 there serves the purpose of keeping the ground loose 



Many carloads of manure are used in growing our plants 



