J. T. LOVETT, INC.. LITTLE SILVER, N. J. 



3 



CULTURE OF POT-GROWN STRAWBERRY PLANTS 



All varieties of Strawberries give the great- 

 est yield and the largest berries when grown 

 in rich soil; hence no pains should be spared 

 in preparing the bed carefully before plant- 



POT-GROWN STRAWBERRY PLANT PROPERLY 

 GROWN 



ing, by digging or plowing deeply and turn- 

 ing under a liberal application of well-rotted 

 manure. Pulverize the surface soil thoroughly 

 with harrow or rake and if a top dressing of 

 ground bone is applied, it will be found a 

 great benefit at fruiting time. Select a loca- 

 tion where the soil is moist and deep if possi- 

 ble — moist and yet where water does not re- 

 main near or upon the surface of the plants. 

 In such a soil well enriched strawberries de- 

 light and give marvelous results. They will, 

 however, succeed upon almost any soil if well 

 manured. Strawberries do not succeed when 

 planted in shaded locations; hence in selecting 

 a plot for them, be careful to avoid places that 

 are shaded by trees. 



In planting, crush the ball of earth about 

 the roots of each plant w^ith the hand until 

 it cracks and is more or less broken, and dip 

 the roots with the adhering earth of each 

 plant, one by one. in a bucket of water as 

 they are planted. To place a handful of straw, 

 grass, etc. for berry basket) over each plant 

 for a few days, until the plants get "started" 

 is a good thing to do. Old stained baskets 

 are as good as any for the purpose. It is best 

 to remove the covering after three or four 

 days and do not permit it to remain, in any 

 event, for more than a week. For hill cul- 

 ture in the family garden, set plants in rows 

 two feet apart, and the plants twelve inches 

 apart in the row; or if to be worked by horse 

 and cultivator, have the rows three feet and the 

 plants one foot apart in the row. In either 

 case, cut off the runners as they appear. If 

 to be grown in matted rows, plant in rows 

 three and one-half or four feet apart and the 

 plants a foot apart in the row, permitting the 

 runners to grow at will. 



The after-cult;ire consists in keeping the 

 soil mellow and free of weeds by frequent 

 hoeing or cultivation At the approach of 

 winter (as soon as the ground is frozen suf- 

 ficiently to support the weight of a horse and 



cart) cover the entire bed with salt-meadow 

 hay or other loose, light material. Light 

 strawy manure is excellent for this purpose, 

 as the soluble portion leaches into the soil 

 and affords nourishment to the plants while 

 the fibrous portion remains upon the sur- 

 face as a mulch. Evergreen branches are 

 very useful for holding the covering in place 

 and are of themselves a protection. When 

 the plants start growth in the spring, remove 

 the major portion of the mulch from the 

 plants and leave it on the surface about them; 

 and also to prevent the berries from becom- 

 ing splashed with sand or earth. 



Our pot-grown strawberry plants succeed 

 in every part of the United States wherever 

 strawberries can be grown. 



SELECTION OF VARIETIES 



The blossoms of all cultivated strawber- 

 ries are either bi-sexual (perfect) or pistil- 

 late (imperfect j. All the varieties offered in 

 this catalog have perfect blossoms and none, 

 therefore, require the association of another 

 kind in order to be fruitful. We have dis- 

 carded all pistillate varieties. 



It is best, unless the ground to be planted 

 is of very limited extent, to plant at least 

 three varieties, early, mid-season, and late, 

 that the time of fruiting may extend over a 

 period of several weeks. 



The autumn, or everbearing varieties, usu- 

 ally begin to yield ripe berries in a month to 

 six weeks from date of planting and continue 

 to do so until late autumn. The soil and treat- 

 ment as stated above is all that are needed for 

 success with them. 



Never order less than a dozen plants of a 

 variety, as a proper test cannot be made with 

 a less number than this. 



POT-GROWN STRAWBERRIES 



The best time to plant pot-grown straw- 

 berry plants is in the latter part of July and 

 through August and September; though good 

 results are often obtained from plantings 

 made much later in the year. They have the 

 great advantage over ordinary or "layer" 

 plants of producing a crop of the largest and 

 finest berries the first season after planting. 

 Further than this, they may be safely planted 

 in the hottest and dryest weather without seri- 

 ous check to growth; and they may be planted 

 where early potatoes, peas or other early 

 crops have been harvested. True, the first cost 

 is somewhat greater than when layer plants 

 are employed, but the advantages of pot- 

 grown are so great and many, there can be 

 no comparison in value between them for 

 summer planting. In fact, for summer and 

 fall setting, pot-grown plants are indispens- 

 able if a crop of berries is desired the follow- 

 ing June. 



There is as great a difference in the quality 

 of pot-grown strawberry plants as there is in 

 cigars, wine, butter, or the fruit of the dif- 

 ferent varieties of the strawberry; a vast dif- 

 ference indeed. We are pioneers in growing 

 pot-grown strawberry plants, having grown 

 many thousands of them in 1877, and have 

 continued growing them in increased num- 

 bers every year since then. 



We have not only learned how to grow 

 them in the best manner but also how to 

 pack them for shipment, in the way they 

 should be packed. 



