STRAWBERRY CULTURE 



Strawberries are one of the easiest of fruits to grow. Good land, good cultivation, good 

 plants and good judgment will assure success. 



First — Plant early in the spring, just as soon as weather 

 conditions permit preparing the soil. Plants set while 

 fully dormant start far better and have much more 

 vitality than those set late, after growth has started. To 

 enable our cusomers to set fully dormant plants even 

 when weather or climatic conditions makes early plant- 

 ing impossible, we are using a new method of handling 

 plants which is outlined elsewhere in these culture 

 directions. 



Second — Plant every year. Taken year after year, 

 strawberries are the most productive and among the 

 most profitable of the small fruits. Berries every year 

 are your assurance of highest returns. 



Third — Set good plants. Quality and vitality of plants 

 will largely influence growth and production. Rayner's 

 vigorous, healthy plants assure high yields and big 

 returns. 



Adaptability — With the adaptability of certain varieties 

 for certain soil and climatic conditions strawberries can 

 be grown in practically every section of the country. 



Soil — Select good soil, well supplied with humus and 

 well drained. Land that has previously had thorough 

 cultivation is best. Sod land should be avoided if possible 

 as it may be infested with white grub. 



Preparing the Land — When plans can be made ahead, 

 it is well to plow down a cover crop preceding planting 

 strawberries. This will increase fertility, improve physi- 

 cal condition and also aid in retaining moisture. Plow- 

 ing down weeds in the fall while green is also a good 

 practice, adding humus and preventing the maturing of 

 seed. The land should be plowed as early in the spring 

 as possible and harrowed and dragged until a firm, even 

 plant bed is formed ; rows then marked out three and 

 one-half to four feet apart. A horse-drawn marker is 

 best with a large planting. With a small planting a line 

 or hoe is satisfactory. 



Time to Plant — Early spring is the best time to set 

 strawberry plants. Light frosts that do not heave the 

 soil will not injure the plants. We cannot stress too 

 greatly the importance of early planting. The plants 

 are then fully dormant and the weather is most favorable 

 to their becoming established. 



Early planting is the most important single factor in 

 successful strawberry culture. April in the North ; March 



and April in the Central States; and November 1 to 

 April 1 in the South. 



Care of Plants — Before setting, the roots should be 

 soaked in water for several hours so that they may 

 absorb all water possible. This will aid in carrying the 

 plant until feeder roots can be sent out. Keep plants 

 protected from wind and sun and moist at all times. If 

 plants cannot be set soon after arrival they should be 

 removed from the crate and repacked loosely. Stored in 

 a cool, damp place they will keep in good condition 

 three or four days. If plants must be kept longer, should 

 be kept in commercial cold storage around 32 degrees 

 or the bundles should be opened and the plants heeled 

 in a V-shaped trench. A few cautions : Spread the plants 

 thinly so the soil contacts all roots, pack the soil firmly 

 back in the trench up even with the crowns. Keep 

 shaded, and water thoroughly, especially if the weather 

 is warm. 



Planting — The important points are to have the roots 

 straight down with the soil packed firmly for their entire 

 length and the crown even with the surface. Proper 

 depth is very important (see illustration). Roots may be 

 clipped if too long to get in straight. 



Fertilizer and Manure — Well rotted stable manure, 

 compost or similar materials are very good for straw- 

 berries. May be applied just before soil is prepared or if 

 used on the preceding crop, results are practically as 

 good. Complete commercial fertilizers give good results 

 and are used by many successful growers. To aid the 

 plants in getting a vigorous start fertilizer may be ap- 

 plied broadcast and thoroughly worked in the soil a week 

 ahead of setting plants, or may be applied as a top 

 dressing a few days after plants are set. Apply evenly 

 and brush off any that may be on the leaves. Six pounds 

 per 100 feet of row or 700 pounds per acre is ample for 

 this application. Chicken manure mixed two parts manure 

 to one part 16% superphosphate make a satisfactory ma- 

 terial. Top dressing in the late summer will usually 

 increase size and yield, especially on thin soils. Five to 

 seven pounds per 100 feet of row or 600 to 800 pounds 

 per acre of a 5-10-4 mixture usually give good results. 

 Chicken manure and commercial fertilizers are caustic. 

 Applying evenly when the foliage is dry will prevent 

 possible injury. 



Cold Storage Highly Successiul 



Strawberry plants dug in winter and stored at controlled temperatures often show better results than freshly 

 dug plants. The United States Department of Agriculture has conducted extensive experiments on our farms 

 on proper storage temperatures and practices. These experiments proved that plants dug while still fully 

 dormant (before April 10) and stored at the correct temperature would be more vigorous than freshly dug 

 plants, especially when set later than April 15. 



For our own plantings we are now using cold storage plants that are dug during the winter. These plants 

 can be kept dormant as long as desired. When weather has held up planting until late spring plants held 

 dormant by cold storage have given us as good results as fresh dug plants set in March. 



We know from our experience that plants to be set in late April or May will do much better if cold storage 

 plants that were dug in their winter dormancy are used, instead of freshly dug plants that have begun to make 

 spring growth. If you have a commercial storage plant near you that provides storage at 32 degrees, we recom- 

 mend you order your plants early and store them so you can have them whenever desired. If you prefer plants 

 that have been cold storaged, please so indicate on your order. We recommend cold storage plants without 

 reservations. 



23 



