Results From Our Variety-Spacing Experiments 
The berry season of 1936 was the driest on record here. Not only was there 
no rain during the entire fruiting season, but none for more than a month pre- 
ceding it. This covered the entire period of blossoming, fruit-setting, and grow- 
ing of the young berries. Naturally under these conditions, yields were very 
disappointing. As the dry conditions continued, just before berries began to 
ripen it was decided to use some irrigation, although as later results indicated 
the greatest amount used was started too late and was far too little for a full 
crop. At harvest time when the crop was well under way some water was ap- 
plied to the beds which had not had any previously because the young plants 
were actually dying down the rows and we wanted to save them for second year 
tests. However, the results carefully tabulated by men from the University of 
Maryland, under the direction of Dr. A. L. Schrader, indicated several rather 
definite lessons which may be of benefit to practical growers. 
1. With all varieties yields were least in the 
matted rows, more in rows with 7 inch spacing, 
and greatest in the rows with 11 inch spacing. 
2. Under the very dry conditions, yields of all 
varieties increased with the amount of water 
used, as it naturally would, because the greatest 
amount used was less than the average rainfall 
for the period. 
3. On the beds where some water was applied 
to save the plants during the fruiting season, the 
spaced rows then produced a small crop of good, 
marketable berries, whereas the thickly set 
matted rows gave very few marketable berries. 
This indicates that where no irrigation is avail- 
able a welcome shower during berry season will 
be much more effective if the beds have been 
spaced or kept fairly thin. 
4. These tests show very definitely the im- 
portance of spacing -with different varieties. 
Blakemore and Dorsett, which make very thick 
matted rows of small plants, give the greatest 
response from spacing, while Fairfax, which 
makes large, strong, plants and not so thick in 
the matted rows, shows the least response from 
spacing. Premier and Catskill are in between. 
5. To show the productiveness of different 
varieties tested under favorable conditions, we 
quote the total quarts per acre for 11 inch spac- 
ing, under the irrigation which most nearly ap- 
proached normal rainfall. Blakemore, 6831; 
Dorsett, 7004; Fairfax, 7573; Premier, 7385; 
Catskill, 7935. We believe with plenty of mois- 
ture throughout the seasons, these yields would 
have been from fifty to one hundred percent 
higher. 
6. Canvas Hose Irrigation was used in this 
work and proved very satisfactory for the small 
area under experiment. I 
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