STRAWBERRY CULTURE-— (Continued from page 1). 
Planting—In the northern — states 
strawberries should be planted as early 
in the spring as the ground can be 
worked; in the south plants may be 
set any time from Nov. Ist to April 
Ist. When setting plants care should 
be taken not to let the plants be ex- 
posed to the wind and sun. The roots 
should be kept damp and set in moist 
soil and the soil should be firmly pressed 
around the plant so it will not dry out, 
and not to set the plants too deep or 
too shallow, the depth as grown in the 
nursery row being just right. The rows 
should be about 3% feet apart for the 
matted row system and plants set 15 
to 24 inches apart according to variety; 
varieties making few plants like Chesa- 
peake should be set 15 inches and _ pro- 
lifie plant makers ike Dunlap, Klondyke 
and Missionary can be set 20 to 24 
inches; most other varieties should be 
set 18 to 20 inches in the row. After 
the beds are 10 or 12 inches wide or as 
wide as wanted the runners should be 
kept cut off. 
Fertilizing—To get plants started 
early a light application of fertilizer, if 
barnyard manure is not available, which 
is best spread and harrowed in, should 
be made before planting; but I desire to 
warn my customers against the too-heavy 
appheation of commercial fertilizer to 
young strawberry plants. Many plants 
have been injured and often killed 
outright; but 400 or 500 pounds 
will not hurt them provided it does not 
contain any potash and is well scat- 
tered and mixed with the soil before 
planting or put in two weeks earlier. I 
always make another application in the 
late summer to make stronger, better 
rooted plants, using about 350 pounds 
to the acre, but be sure foliage is thor- 
oughly dry before applying. An appli- 
cation of 5-8-5 fertilizer in the early 
spring will make a heavier, better crop 
of fruit. 
Cultivation—Cultivation should be- 
gin as soon as possible after plants are 
set and should continue once a week 
or 10 days if land is in suitable condi- 
tion, through the summer and _ early 
fall to keep clean and help retain mois- 
ture. Hoe as often as necessary to 
keep down weeds but shallow, so as 
not to disturb the roots. Blossoms 
should be removed the first season ex- 
cept on everbearers and these should 
be kept off until about the middle of 
July. 
Renewing the Patch—Most of my 
customers I believe will find it profit- 
able to leave their patches for the sec- 
ond crop. The first step in renewing 
the patch after the first crop is off is 
as follows: If the field 1s weedy, mow 
or cut it and rake it off. Cultivation 
should begin at once and if the matted 
row is too wide we take a furrow away 
from each side of the row leaving the 
bed about 10 inches wide, making a back 
furrow or ridge in the middle which 
should be cultivated down, a double 
shovel cultivator being the best tool 
for this purpose. It is well to apply a 
liberal dressing of well-rotted manure 
on the freshly harrowed earth and drag 
in. Continue to cultivate same as first 
season and the second crop will be as 
good as the first. I do believe it advis- 
able to fruit a patch more than two 
years. 
