STRAWBERRY CULTURE- (Continued 



\y plants are much inoro productive than the late 

 I'unnors. When hoeing- it is well to see tluit the 

 plants do not become too thiclcly set in tlie bed. 

 This should be given special attention with free 

 bedding- varieties such as r>lalvemore and Dorsett. 



Witli 0V2 foot rows a bed J") to 20 inches wide, 

 with the plants well spaced, will be ideal for heavy 

 production of large fruit. Where the rows are 

 further apart the bed may be wider in proportion. 

 For the hill syst^'m the plants are set much closer 

 and all the runners kept cut off. As this method 

 requires much hard hand labor we feel it should be 

 used only when space is very limited or with the 

 Everbearers. 



Removing- Blossoms: Flower stems usually ap- 

 pear on strawberry plants soon after they are set 

 in the field and as the production of fruit is a se- 

 vere drain on their vitality, the flower stems should 

 be removed as they appear. With the Everbearers 

 the blossoms should be removed until the plants 

 are well established, this will usually require about 

 sixty days. 



Fertilizer and Manure: Well rotted stable man- 

 ure is ideal for strawberries. This may be applied 

 immediately after the ground is plowed in the 

 spring and disced in. When applied to the preceed- 

 itig crop the results are usually as good as when 

 applied directly to the soil for berries. If you do 

 not have this material, green manure and commerc- 

 ial fertilizer may be used with very good results. 

 Though green manures are desirable they are not 

 essential for profitable berry i)roduction except 

 when the soil is deficient in humus (organic mat- 

 ter). For several years we have used a mixture 

 of 3 parts dissolved bone and 1 part 10% acid 

 phosphate, at the rate of 500 lbs. per acre in the 

 drill, applied about a week before the plants are 

 set. This has given very satisfactory results. The 

 fertilizer should be thoroughly worked in and mix- 

 ed with the soil or it may be applied as a top 

 dressing after the plants are set. With unfavor- 

 able conditions or with a late spring- it is better to 

 apply as a top dressing than to wait a week for 

 the fertilizer to become mixed with the soil. Never 

 set the plants immediately after the fertilizer is 

 applied, wait at least a full week. Where it is ap 

 plied broadcast, 1000 lbs. per acre may be safely 

 used but it should be worked into the soil well, at 

 least a week prior to setting plants. We do not 

 recommend using more than 1000 lbs. broadcast or 

 •fiOO lbs. in the drill. Raw bone meal may also be 

 used and gives very good results. However, this 

 is rather expensive and is slow to become avail- 

 able. Nitrate of Soda, Sulphate of Ammonia and 

 Potash Salts should be avoided as any of these ma- 

 terials will burn the roots sliould they come in 

 direct contact Avith them. If 8uch material must 

 he used it should l)e applied as a top dressing and 

 placed considera-l)le distance from the plants. If 

 poultry manure is available a combination of two 



parts manure and one i)art 1()% phosphoric acid 

 will make a very satisfactoi-y fertilizer. This should 

 be applied as for the otlier commercial fertilizers. 

 A top dressing in late summer or early spring, 

 though not necessary, will often increas*- the yield 

 and the size of the fruit considerably. Usually 

 the fall application is jjreferabie as it does not 

 caus(> such a rank growth of vines and weeds as 

 when applied in the spring. This should be ap- 

 plied when the leaves are dry, at the rate of COO 

 to SOO lbs. per acre, of a mixture containing from 

 4 per cent to 7 per cent nitrogen. (> per cent to 10 

 per cent phosphoric acid and little or no potash. 

 All fertilizer should 1) > brusluMl off the leaves. It 

 has never been establislied that Totash is of any 

 benefit to the berries either in firmness or flavor 

 and in some tests has been detrimental when the 

 application was heavy. 



Mating: Varieties: The |)erfect varieties will pro- 

 duce a full crop of fruit when planted alone. The 

 imperfect varieties must be planted with some per- 

 fect variety of the same season to pollenize the 

 blossoms. There should be two rows of the p<'r- 

 fect and four rows of the imperf ct or one third 

 perfect and two thirds imperfect. i)lanted in the 

 same row. Big Late is the only imperf ct variety 

 we list. 



Mulching:: There are several reasons why mulch- 

 ing is desirable. Its use prevents the freezing and 

 thawing of the ground in winter, keeps the soil 

 cool and conserves moisture during the fruiting 

 season and also helps to keep the berries clean 

 during a rain. Strawy stable manure, straw, wild 

 hay or marsh grass are materials commonly used. 

 Many growers raise their mulch between the straw- 

 berry rows. Spring oats are usually planted for 

 this purpose. These are planted about 50 days 

 before killing frosts are expected at the rate of 1 

 to 1% bushels per acre. The first hard freeze kills 

 the oats which fall down and protect the plants. 

 If this practice is followed do not plant too thick 

 or too close to the rows. In the spring the mulch 

 should be raked off between the rows or worked 

 down around the plants where it will also serve 

 to retard the growth of weeds. 



Spraying and Dusting: As strawberries are sel- 

 dom subject to any serious damage from diseases 

 or insects spraying or dusting are not commonly 

 practiced. Setting healthy plants of varieties im- 

 mune or resistant to disease is much more desir- 

 able. 



Summer and Early Fall Planting: There are two 

 reasons why Summer and early Fall planting is 

 seldom successful ; first, it is almost impossible to 

 get good plants and second; even if you get good 

 plants they seldom, if ever, give as good results as 

 plants set in the early spring. Don't put off your 

 planting until Fall. If you do you are almost sure 

 to be disappointed. 



EXCELLENT PLANTS, FINE CONDITION 



Westmoreland Co., Penna., April 14, 1934 — I re- 

 ceived my order of 15,000 Premier strawberry 

 plants on April 12, in excellent condition and was 

 very much pleased with them, as yhey were a very 

 nice lot of plants. I also wish to thank you for 

 the extra plants which you sent me. — Mr. Harry 

 J. Roadman. 



NEVER RECEIVED BETTER PLANTS 



Columbia Co., New York, March 1, 1934. — As we 

 are considering buying some of your strawberry 

 plants this spring would you kindly advise what 

 the Parcel Post charges would be per 5.000 plants 

 to our local Post Office. We set some of your 

 plants last spring and wore well pleased with 

 them. Will say that we have never received better 

 plants from any Nursery than the ones we received 

 from you. They arrived in perfect condition and 

 looked as though they had just been dug. Don't 

 know at present how many we shall set but may 

 give you an order for 5. 10 or 15 thousand. — Mr. 

 Arthur Van Deusen. 



FROM NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR 



Amherst Co., Virginia, December 3, 1934 — I re- 

 ceived your catalog last spring and I was very 

 sorry indeed that I had just ordered my plants. 

 I would be glad to have your prices on Premier 

 plants so I Avill have time to see how many I can 

 plant this spring. I saw Mr. Watts' field the other 

 day and they were just fine, so I have changed 

 my mind and plants also. — Mr. Leonard W. Wood. 



VERY GOOD SHAPE 



P.rodheadville Co., Pa., May 3, 1934.— Your kind 

 letter and shipment of plants was received yester- 

 day, May 2nd, and they were in very good shape. 

 I received your letter in the morning and called 

 the express oHice at once, the plants had arrived 

 the afternoon l)efore. Another year I will try 

 three of your other varieties., so far I have been 

 growing nothing but Chesapeake and Premier 

 and as I dont like the I'remier any more I think 

 I will close them out and try the Dorsett and Fair- 

 fax.— Mr. Elijah V. Bond. 



