8 Allen's Book of Berries — 1930 



Cultural Directions 



Selecting and Preparing the Land. No one should hesitate to set straw- 

 berry plants on account of climate or soil. They are grown successfully in 

 semi-tropical Florida and as far north as Canada and Alaska. 



They are grown successfully on light sandy types of soil and on heavy 

 clay soil, altho, like most other crops, they respond very quickly to fertile, 

 well drained soils that are full of humus and retentive of moisture. 



If your neighbors or others in your locality can grow strawberries, you 

 can, too. But even if no one in your section does grow them, that is no 

 reason why you should not attempt it. It may even be an added reason why 

 3'Ou should, because it might leave a better market for your crop or surplus 

 over what you need for home use. 



In selecting a soil, keep in mind that any good garden soil will produce 

 strawberries successfully. If planting a larger acreage, it is well to select a 

 field that has been planted to some hoed crop such as potatoes, beans, cab- 

 bage, where the growth of grass and weeds has been kept down and not 

 allowed to go to seed. 



It is also well to remember that one of the most essential requirements 

 for strawberries at fruiting time is plenty of moisture. Any soil that has 

 had good crops of cowpeas, clover, rye, or any other cover crop turned under 

 will be full of humus and therefore more retentive of moisture, as well as 

 looser and more easily worked in the case of heavier soils. 



Sod land should be avoided if possible as the white grubs winter over in 

 such land and cut off the young plants soon after they are set the following 

 spring. If you have no other land available, plow the land in the fall, har- 

 rowing it during the winter and early spring as often as you can, and many 

 of the grubs will be killed out. 



The land selected should be plowed in early spring. If the field has been 

 selected the preceding fall and rye planted, a heavy sod of rye plowed under 

 in early spring will help, altho, of course, it is not necessary. After the 

 ground is plowed in the spring it should be harrowed thoroughly. If stable 

 manure is to be used (see manure and fertilizer below) we like it best spread 

 broadcast on the land just after it is plowed. Then the land, either with or 

 without the manure, should be disced thoroughly, and, if necessary, dragged 

 to level it up so that a nice, soft, even planting bed is available. 



Our ideal one year's preparation for a given piece of land for strawber- 

 ries would be to broadcast the land as heavily as possible for the preceding 

 crop. In this section, that crop would be sweet potatoes, because they are 

 usually kept free of weeds and grass, and when dug there is a very helpful 

 quantity of leaves and vines left in the ground. If dug early, there is also 

 opportunity to plant rye and have a good sod to turn under in spring. The 

 special point we want to make here is that the residual effect of stable manure 

 (especially if quite coarse) applied to previous crop has given us just as good 

 (perhaps better) results as when applied same year plants are set. 



Another point. If you want to plant strawberries and have no field fol- 

 lowing a hoed crop available, plow down grass and weeds before they go to 

 seed and while they are still green. Green weeds and grass plowed under 

 are valuable in adding humus and retaining moisture, but dried out growth 

 is of little benefit. If this kind of land is used, though, watch the hoeing 

 closely the following summer. 



