set plant to make a strong, vigorous 
plant growth. 
3. Most of the training of new runners 
is done at hoeing time. A well spaced 
matted row is the best system for getting 
the largest crop of the best berries. It 
will not pay to be too fussy about exact 
spacing distances but it should be kept 
in mind that 4 to 8 plants per square 
foot of fruiting bed is enough. An excess 
is no better than weeds. Train the first 
strong new runners out like spokes from 
a wheel and root them until a fruiting 
row IV2 to 2V2 feet wide has been formed. 
When that has been done as many as 
possible of the later runners should be 
pulled or cut off. 
WEED KILLERS. There is much work 
being done with weed killers at the var- 
ious State Experiment Stations. We rec- 
ommend that you write the Experiment 
Station in 1 your state for their recom- 
mendations for your locality. In the right 
situation weed killers can be a tremen- 
dous help but nobody should set an 
acreage of plants too large to care for 
if the weed killers do not do the job. 
We doubt if chemical weed control is 
practical or necessary on very small 
plots. Diphenamid has been one of the 
most promising materials from our ex- 
perience and observation. 
MULCHES. Mulching is necessary for 
winter protection in all the northern 
states and would be helpful in many 
fields as far south as Virginia and Ken- 
tucky. In addition to giving protection 
from cold, mulching helps to keep down 
weeds and grass, to conserve soil mois- 
ture, 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. 
Wheat straw and marsh grass are con- 
sidered the best materials. Rye straw, 
pine needles, coarse strawy manure and 
various kinds of hay are satisfactory. 
In some sections, sawdust has been used 
with good results: also buckwheat hulls. 
Use whatever you have or can buy at a 
reasonable price. 
IRRIGATION. If you have irrigation it 
will certainly pay to use it for straw- 
berries, especially just before fruiting 
time. However, irrigation is not manda- 
tory. Most of the fine berry crops in this 
country are produced on good straw- 
berry soil that holds moisture well be- 
cause stable manure and green crops 
have been added or because of a high 
water table. Irrigation during the danger 
hours will save a strawberry crop from 
severe frost and freeze damage with 
temperatures as low as 20° F. during 
bloom. 
DISEASES AND INSECTS. If a problem 
arises, we suggest you contact your local 
County Agent and your State Experiment 
Station for information and their recom- 
mendations. The U. S. Department of 
Agriculture has two bulletins which are 
quite good. Farmer's Bulletin #2140 
(Strawberry Diseases) and Farmer's Bul- 
letin #2184 (Strawberry Insects) may be 
obtained from the Superintendent of 
Documents, Washington 25, D. C, for 
150 and 100 respectively. 
If red stele becomes a problem, your 
best bet is to pick a variety that is resis- 
tant, such as Sunrise, Surecrop, Redglow, 
Midway, Fairland, and Sparkle. 
Verticillium wilt, which causes "sum- 
mer dying" of strawberry plants, is a 
problem in some areas of the north, 
but fortunately we have never seen it 
on our farms here in Maryland. It is more 
likely to occur following a crop such as 
tomato, Idaho potato, egg plant and pep- 
per. Earlidawn is the most susceptible 
variety, along with Redstar, Sparkle, Jer- 
seybelle, Armore, Pocahontas, Midway, 
Midland, and Dixieland. Among the resis- 
tant varieties are Sunrise, Premier, Cats- 
kill, Surecrop, Robinson, Tennessee 
Beauty, and Superfection. Most other 
varieties fall somewhere in between with 
an intermediate degree of resistance. 
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