28 



HOEING, CULTIVATING AND TRAINING. Frequent 

 hoeing and cultivating make larger, stronger fruiting 

 beds and a better crop of berries. The purpose is to 

 keep down weeds and grass and to keep the top 

 soil loose. Loose top soil helps conserve soil naoisture 

 and makes it easier for new runners to take root. 

 Shallow cultivation is best— 1 to V/2 inches deep 

 with the hoe or slightly deeper with horse cultivator. 



There are three other important jobs to be done 

 along with the hoeing work. 



(1) Uncover the buds. At the first or tecond hoeing 

 any of the plant buds which have become covered 

 with packed or caked dirt must be uncovered. Neglect 

 in this is often the greatest 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. Blossoms may be left on 

 vigorous plants of Everbearing varieties after July 20. 



(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 crops 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 

 plenty. 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 V/2 to 

 2/2 feet wide has been formed. When that has been 

 done as many as possible of the later runners should 

 be pulled off or cut off. 



IS MULCHING NECESSARY? Mulching is neces- 

 sary for winter protection in all the Northern States 

 and would be helpful in many fields as far South as 

 Virginia and Kentucky. In addition to giving protec- 

 tion from cold, mulching helps to keep down weeds 

 and grass, to conserve soil moisture 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 considered the 

 best materials. Rye straw, pine needles, coarse 

 strawy manure and various kinds of hay are satis- 

 factory. Use whatever you have or can buy at a 

 reasonable price. 



WILL IRRIGATION PAY? If you have irrigation, it 

 will certainly pay to use it for strawberries, espe- 

 cially just before fruiting time. However, irrigation 

 is not necessary. Most of the fine berry crops in 

 this country are produced on good strawberry soil 

 that holds moisture well because stable manure and 

 green crops have been added, or because of a high 

 water table. 



DO STRAWBERRIES NEED SPRAYING? When 



good varieties are selected and clean healthy plants 

 are used, strawberries do not need spraying as a 

 rule. If insect or disease troubles should appear. 

 our FRI^ circular on STRAWBERRY INSECTS AND 

 DISEASES may be helpful in identifying the cause 

 and applying the remedy. 



Glouchester Co., Va., Jan. 31, 1946. Thank you for an 

 extra copy of your beautiful book on berries. When you 

 say Midland is the largest berry you have ever grown I 

 must sit up and take notice. Last fall I visited my son 

 in Chesterfield Co., Virginia, and he had a splendid straw- 

 berry patch. He got the plants from you and asked me to 

 pick out the Midland berry. I soon located them because 

 I had long grown Premier and Fairfax, the other two in his 

 planting. He kept the patch clean of grass and weeds and 

 it was sure worth seeing. For many years I have offered 

 S5.00 for a quart of berries that were larger than I can 

 grow and never have had to pay it yet, but my son is out 

 for the S5.00 this next May. I had to laugh at the Michi- 

 gan man offering the new Robinson and saying it is the 

 largest berry in his experience. Where has he been all 

 these years? With FaHax bought of you in 1933 or 34 I 



Th© "AU-Star" and "Big 6" 

 Collections on Pages 4 and 5 



have never seen the year I could not fill a quart with 

 twelve berries. Speaking of Fairfax, I am sure that there 

 is no other berry in the U. S. that is even a close com- 

 petitor. I have not fruited Midland but for size and trans- 

 cending beauty and large yield and as grown here at 

 "Lansdowne" near the water, it is hard to see how this 

 amazing Fairfax berry can be improved upon. I hope this 

 letter is not too long and if there is anything worth know- 

 ing you can pass on to me, I shall be grateful. I just 

 happened to be in the mood to write today and pass on 

 to you my best wishes. 



Mr. Fred Harvey 



Lancaster Co., Pa., Apr. 16, 1946. The 2000 strawberry 

 plants that we iust received from you are the nicest plants 

 I ev*r saw shipped. Everyone alive and in good condi- 

 tion. They are so nice that my neighbors want some, so 

 I am asking you to send me another thousand so I can 



share with them. 



Mrs. Irvin N. Martin 



Merrimack Co., N. H., May 24, 1946. I wish to take this 

 opportunity to thank you for the wonderful strawberry 

 plants you sent me. They were the best I ever had. They 

 have been in over a month and are beauties. 



Mr. James H. Johnston 



