Cultivation and Tralnlnr- The plants should be cultivated tnd ooed soon after tney have 6z»rze<i 

 growth after being aet out. It is important at the first hoeing to uncover the buds of any plants which might 

 have been planted too deep. If thia ia not done very early, these plants will not recover in time to amount 

 to anything, even though they might live along all summer. Cultivate often enough to keep the surface of 

 the grround from becoming crusted and to keep down the grass and weeds. 



We believe in the well-spaced matted row system of training strawberries, and with this system the first 

 runners from the plants should be encouraged to take root, forming from 10 to 20 or even more young plants from 

 each plant set, paying some attention as the hoeing is done to see that the plants do not become crowded 

 too thickly on the bed. If the plants can be spaced in training them so that each plant is a few inches from 

 any other plant, but with a well filled-in row 15 to 18 inches wide, you will have a very favorable condition 

 for getting large crops of fancy berries. Of course, a wider bed is O. K. where the rows themselves are 

 set 4 feet or more apart, and a narrower bed might be more desirable where the rows were only 3^ feet apart. 

 But in any case, make sure of your fruiting bed by letting the first runners root, cutting off surplus late run- 

 ners if desirable. 



If you desire to use the hill system, the plants should be set considerably closer together and all the 

 runners kept off. We feel that the hill system, if used at all, should be only in cases where the ground is 

 very limited or perhaps with the Everbearing varieties. 



Manure and Fertilizer. — Barnyard manure spread broadcast on the land after it is plowed and thorough- 

 ly disced in is the best thing you can do to add fertility to the land to get a better growth of strawberry 

 plants and fruit. However, this is not necessary. Green manure crops and fertilizer will give very good re- 

 sults. We have had some remarkable results in plant growth from using a mixture composed of 1,500 pounds 

 dissolved bone and 500 pounds of acid phosphate. The analysis of this mixture is about 3-10-0. Use about 

 500 or 600 pounds of this per acre in the drill before the plants are set, or alongside of the plants, and thor- 

 oughly work in with hoe or cultivator soon after setting the plants. Where applied in the drill, it should be 

 worked in thoroughly, going at least twice to each row with a horse and cultivator to mix it in. If ap- 

 plied broadcast, 1,000 pounds per acre of this mixture thoroughly harrowed in before the plants are set, can be 

 used to advantage. Not more than 500 or 600 pounds of this mixture should be used per acre in the drill. We 

 have seen 1,000 pounds per acre used in the drill and not thoroughly mixed with the soil, with the result 

 that a great many of the plants were killed by the fertilizer. 



As a top dressing to be used in late summer, or in early spring before growth starts, we have seen 

 4-8-4 and 7-6-5 fertilizer give excellent results. In a very dry season on very light soil, we have seen fertilizer 

 applied in early spring cut down the yield by producing a heavy growth of foliage which sucked out the 

 scanty supply of moisture. Moist soil, full of humus or naturally springy, would have made the fertilizer 

 application a paying investment even that year. 



Nitrogen and phosphorus seem to be the most necessary elements for plant and fruit growth, but 

 potash probably helps with the coloring of the berries and their shipping qualities, although this has not 

 been definitely proved. 



Except in very acid soil, lime should not be used for strawberries. An excess of lime in the soil is like- 

 ly to have a very detrimental effect on the growth of the plants. 



Perfect and Imperfect Varieties. Perfect flowering varieties planted alone will mature a crop of 

 perfect fruit. Imperfect flowering varieties should have perfect varieties planted with them, at least one 

 row for every five or six. When two varieties are used in equal amounts, they are often alternated three or 

 four rows of each. In our price-list, perfect flowering varieties are followed by "per" and imperfect var- 

 ieties by "imp." 



Mulching. A mulch is applied for one or all of three reasons : First, to protect the plants from freezing 

 and thawing of the soil in winter ; second, to keep the soil cool and moist during the season when fruit is 

 being produced ; third, to keep berries from being spattered with dirt by rain during fruiting season. 



The mulch should be applied in the fall. In the spring when plants begin to start, this is raked to the 

 center of the rows and there serves the purpose of retarding the growth of weeds and grass, keeping the 

 ground loose and moist and the fruit clean. Use marsh grass, rye straw, wheat straw or similar material. 

 Coarse manure can be used but any heavy lumps must be beaten up or they will smother the plants in the 

 spring. 



Distance to Plant. We recommend setting the plants in rows 3^2 to 4 feet apart, or even as much as 

 4% feet, if the soil is very f«*tile. The plants should be set 15 to 20 inches apart in the row, depending on 

 the varieties set, the width of the rows themselves and the fertility of the land. Free growing varieties 

 like Dunlap, Missionary and Aroma which make large number of plants should be set farther apart than 

 varieties like Chesapeake, Mastodon, Lupton and others that make larger plants, but not so many of them. 

 When set in rows 3 feet 8 inches apart and spaced Is to 20 inches apart in the row, it requires about 8.000 

 plants per acre. 



Care of Plants. Set plants promptly on arrival if possible. It will help if root- of the plants can be 

 dipped in water and allowed to "plump up" for sometime before setting, perhaps over night. At any rate 

 have them thoroughly moistened when planting. If anything prevents immediate planting and the weather is 

 cooj, the top of the crate should be taken off and the plants loosened in the crate, still keeping the roots cov- 

 ered with the packing material. Placed in a cool place, plants will keep like this for two or three days. If 

 weather is too warm to keep plants, or too cold to set them out they should be heeled in in some shaded 

 or protected place. Dig a V-shaped trench, open the bundles, spread them out in thin layers with buds just 

 even with the surface of the ground and firm the soil back against the roots of the plants. If necessary 

 several layers of plants can be heeled in the same place with one or two inches of soil between each layer. 

 Wet the soil and plants thoroughly when heeling is done. 



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