"20 



E. W. Townsend & Co.'s Great Crops of 



given indifferent care, is the order of 

 ''saviog that vrasteth." 

 " Let ns look this question squarel}- in 

 the face; To be sure, one. will pay out 

 in cash" a little more for the plants of \ 

 highest quality than he will for the com- 

 auou plants, but what of that when he 

 'knows that the better plants will yield 

 Ttwicc as big a crop of fruit which will be 

 \perfect in every respect? It isn't the 

 lowest-priced plant that is the cheapest, 

 by any means. It is the plant that is 

 strong in its fruit-producing organism, 

 and ^Aill yield the largest number of 

 quarts of fanc}' berries per acre — and 

 these are the only to which you can af- 

 ford to give up your land and labor. In 

 "a Vvord, common plants are costly at any 

 price, even though your neighbor furnish 

 them free for the digging. Keep this 

 thought in mind: the express, freight or 



postage will be as much on a bill of cheap, 

 unfruitful plants as it will be upon the 

 highest quality plants grown; it will re- 

 quire the same area of.land and the same 

 quantity of fertilizer to enrich the soil; 

 the same amount of labor must be ex- 

 pended in preparing the ground and in 

 cultivating and hoeing the plants; the 

 same amount of mulching Mill be requir 

 ed to cover them in winter. But the 

 weak and cheap plants will not require 

 one-half the number of quart boxes and 

 crates to hold the fruit — the only saving 

 effects in using commonl}" grown plants 

 is in boxes, crates and picking expense. 

 This, you will agree, is not the sort of 

 saving that will please him, for it repre- 

 sents seriousloss, perhaps complete failure 



The Kind of Plants to Set 



As we arc to consider the several fac- 

 tors that enter into successful strawberry 

 production, we shall begin with the most 

 important— the kind of plants to set. 

 The Thoroughbred plants described in 

 ffejs l^ook are scientifically selected from 

 ideal mother plants of known fruiting 

 vigor. They are grown under the most 

 ■favorable conditions; The soil is pre- 

 .pared one year in advance by growing 

 'One leguminous crop, which is turned 

 binder, in the fall, when a cover crop is 

 ^sovvu, which is covered with rich barn- 

 yard manure, the whole being plowed 

 ?»Hid.er and mixed ^^ itli the soil the follow- 

 ■Ing s[.i iug;' This treatment fills the soil 

 witii humus, making it rich and spongy, 

 iuid capable of holding large quantities 

 of naiisiure; it also fills the soil with the 

 richest of plant foods. Thus the plants 

 are l.i.-i't in a iiighiy \igi.!> ii> ('iM:i_!iti<.n, 

 growing iroMi liie day tiicy ;i:o -c-r until 

 <l ij: withf.ut interruption i-r b;ukscr r-f 



any kind, and producing a plant with a 

 strong root system, with all its roots 

 starting direct from the crown or body 

 of the plant. The crowns of these plants 

 are perfectly developed and stored full 

 of vitality, w^hich sustains the life and 

 vigor of the plant until they take firm 

 hold iipon the soil in which they are to 

 fruit. 



Before setting plants it is best to prune 

 I the roots back about one-third. Cutting 

 off the ends of the roots causes them to 

 callous and they will send out numerous 

 feeders and will make a much stronger 

 root system than could be made if the 

 roots were not prunded. And shorten- 

 ing the roots makes it easier to set the 

 plants. In doins: this pruning you sim- 

 ply take a pair of shears or a sharp knife 

 and cut about two inches off the lower 

 end of the roots. A full bunch of twenty- 

 tlve plants nuiy be pruned at one cutting. 



