ture Experiment Station for further details 

 about Crag or sprays to control winter 

 weed growth. We doubt if chemical weed 

 control is practical on very small plots. 



IS MULCHING NECESSARY? 

 Mulching is necessary for winter protec- 

 tion in all the northern states and would be 

 helpful in jnany fields as far south as Vir- 

 ginia 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 de- 

 grees 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. 



Wheat straw and marsh grass are con- 

 i sidered the best materials. Rye straw, pine 

 ! needles, coarse strawy manure and various 

 \ kinds of hay are satisfactory. In some sec- 

 ! tions sawdust has been used with good 

 1 results. Use whatever you have or can buy 

 i at a reasonable price. 



WILL IRRIGATION PAY? If you 

 have irrigation it will certainly pay to use 

 it for strawberries, especiedly just before 

 fruiting time. However, irrigation is not 

 necessary. Most of the fine berry crops in 

 this country are produced on good straw- 

 berry soil that holds moisture well because 

 stable manure and green crops have been 

 added or because ofa high water table. 

 DO STRAWBERRIES NEED 

 J SPRAYING? When good varieties are 

 selected and clean healthy plants are used, 

 strawberries do not need spraying as a 

 rule. Red stele has become serious in some 

 areas. It is avoided by using clean plants 

 on uninfected soil. It can be largely ig- 

 nored on infected soil by using resistant 

 varieties like Temple, Sparkle, Fairland, 

 ► etc. 



Spraying to prevent rot in wet seasons 

 has not been efiective. Hill system or well 

 spaced rows are best preventitives of berry 

 rot. The clipper, sometimes present near 

 wooded areas, can be controlled by 40 lbs. 

 per acre of proper dust mixture. Consult 

 your County Agent. 



RENEWING OLD BEDS. Most com- 

 mercial growers pick one crop of straw- 

 berries 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 



27 



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. Balance of 

 effort should be by hand or some kind of 

 drag to remove excess plants in thick 

 places and to train new runners in any 

 vacant places. For years we have found 

 this method simplest, easiest and best. 

 Mostly the second crop of berries is borne 

 by the same plants that produced the first 

 crop. 



For Berries This Yeor 



Plants set in March and April, pick 

 berries in August and September, only 

 four to five months after setting. We hope 

 and believe this will be possible and suc- 

 cessful for more people as a result of the 

 new spaced-plant sawdust-mulch system, 

 described on page 21. Give plants with 

 sawdust mulch plenty of high nitrogen fer- 

 tilizer. We suggest one pound 5-10-5 for 

 25 sq. ft. Apply dry. Brush from plant 

 leaves. In the development of this system 

 planting plans have varied, but the one 

 demonstrated by the Ohio Station as giving 

 the largest yields, most economical opera- 

 tion and highest profits is the 4-row bed 

 type planting illustrated below. 



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