J. T. LOVETT, LITTLE SILVER, N. J. 



3 



CULTURE OF POT-GROWN STRAWBERRY PLANTS 



All varieties of Strawberries give the great- 

 est yield and the largest berries when grown 

 in rich soil: hence no pains should be spared 

 in. preparing the bed carefully before planting. 



POT-GROWN STRAWBERRY PLANT PROPERLY 



by digging or plowing deeply and turning un- 

 der a liberal application of well-rotted manure. 

 Pulverize the surface soil thoroughly with har- 

 row or rake and if a top dressing of ground 

 bone is applied, it will be found a great benefit 

 at fruiting time. Select a location where the 

 soil is moist and deep if possible — moist and 

 yet where water does not remain near or upon 

 the surface of the ground. In such a soil well 

 enriched strawberries delight and give mar- 

 velous results. They will, however, succeed 

 upon almost any soil if well manured. Straw- 

 berries do not succeed when planted in shaded 

 locations; hence in selecting a plot for them, 

 be careful to avoid places that are shaded by 

 trees. 



Just previous to planting dip the roots with 

 the adhering earth of each plant, one by one, 

 in a bucket of water. To place a handful of 

 straw, grass, etc. for berry basket) over each 

 plant for a few days, until the plants get 

 "started" is a good thing to do. Old stained 

 baskets are as good as any for the purpose. 

 It is best to remove the covering after three or 

 four days and do not permit it to remain, in 

 any event, for more than a week. For hill cul- 

 ture in the family garden, set plants in rows 

 two feet apart, and the plants twelve inches 

 apart in the row; or if to be worked by hors'^- 

 and cultivator, have the rows three feet and 

 the plants one foot apart in the row. In either 

 case, cut off the runners as they appear. If 

 to be grown in matted rows, plant in rows 

 three and one-half or four feet aoart and the 

 plants a foot apart in the row, permitting the 

 runners to grow at will. 



The after-culture consists in keeping the soil 

 mellow and free of weeds by frequent hoeing 

 or cultivation. At the approach of winter fas 

 soon as the ground is frozen sufficiently to 



support the weight of a horse and cart) cover 

 the entire bed with salt-meadow hay or other 

 loose, light material. Light strawy manure is 

 excellent for this purpose, as the soluble por- 

 tion leaches into the soil and affords nourish- 

 ment to the plants while the fibrous portion 

 remains upon the surface as a mulch. Ever- 

 green branches are very useful for holding the 

 covering in place and are of themselves a pro- 

 tection. When the plants start growth in the 

 spring, remove the major portion of the mulch 

 from the plants and leave it on the surface 

 about them; and also to prevent the berries 

 from becoming splashed with sand or earth. 



SELECTION OF VARIETIES 



The blossoms of all cultivated strawberries 

 are either bi-sexual (perfect) or pistillate (im- 

 perfect). All the varieties offered in this cata- 

 log have perfect blossoms and none, therefore, 

 require the association of another kind in order 

 to be fruitful. We have discarded all pistillate 

 varieties. 



It is best, unless the ground to be planted 

 is of very limited extent, to plant at least three 

 varieties, early, mid-season, and late, that the 

 time of fruiting may extend over a period of 

 several weeks. 



The autumn, or everbearing varieties, usually 

 begin to yield ripe berries in a month to six 

 weeks from date of planting and continue to 

 do so until late autumn. 



Never order less than a dozen plants of a 

 variety, as a proper test cannot be made with 

 a less number than this. 



POT-GROWN STRAWBERRIES 



The best time to plant pot-grown straw- 

 berry plants is in the latter part of July and 

 through August and September: though good 

 results are often obtained from plantings made 

 much later in the year. They have the great 

 advantage over ordinary or "layer" plants of 

 producing a crop of the largest and finest ber- 

 ries the first season after planting. Further 

 than this, they may be safely planted in the 

 hottest and driest weather without serious 

 check to growth: and they may be planted 

 where early potatoes, peas or other early crops 

 have been harvested. True, the first cost is 

 somewhat greater than when layer plants are 

 employed, but the advantages of pot-grown 

 plants are so great and many, there can be 

 no comparison in value between them for sum- 

 mer planting. In fact, for summer and fall 

 setting, pot-grown plants are indispensable if a 

 crop of berries is desired the following June. 



There is as great a difference in the quality 

 of pot-grown strawberry plants as there is in 

 cigars, wine, butter, or the fruit of the dif- 

 ferent varieties of the strawberry; a vast dif- 

 ference, indeed. We are pioneers in growing 

 pot-grown strawberr\^ plants, having arrown 

 many thousands of them in 1877. and having 

 continued growing them in increased numbers 

 ever}' 3'ear since then. 



We have not only learned how to grow them 

 in the best manner but also how to pack them 

 for shipment, in the way they should be packed. 



