single cause of a poor stand. The outside 

 leaves may remain fresh and green for 

 some time but if the bud is smothered 

 the whole plant will eventually die. 



2. Cut off the blossoms at each hoeing. 

 The vitality necessary to mature a cluster 

 or two of berries is needed by the newly 

 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 iVi 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 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. 



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. 



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