ilARRlSON'S NURSERIES. BERLUM, bHU. 



STRAWBERRIES 



We Grow Strawberry Plants by the Millions on Our Own Soil 



We grow Strawberry plants as a Specialty. Likewise, we Issue our Spring Catalogue each season. 

 giWng full description of new and old varieties of Strawberries, as they do with, us, and as far as we can 

 Nnsit Strawberry Specialists during the season to learn the best to keep in cultivation. In this way we are 

 able to put more emphasis on the ones that do well and weed out many worthless varieties. There will be 

 found in our list the cream of the standard sorts. We have been associated with Strawberries from boy- 

 hood and yet we find ripe Strawberries in Spring a luxury to every family, and to the commercial planter 

 we can only saj- it is the one that sticks to his profession or business that succeeds best. 



DIRECTIONS FOR BEGINNERS 



Plant the Strawberry in the Spring, while the soil is moist and cool, when there is less evaporation 

 and more favorable weather generally, and when the plant is tnlly grown, matured and dormant. 



SEIiECT GOOD SOIIi— New ground is best. A clover soU is 

 excellent if in good heart, or a field that has been ctiltivated in hoed 

 crops. A strong sandy or clay loam in all cases would be our first 

 choice; but large crops of fine fruit are grown on aU kinds of soil, from 

 light sand to heavy clay, and even on muck. It depends on its treat- 

 ment and the varieties. A sunny exposure \dU. hasten the ripening, 

 as a northern exposure vnil delay it. Don't plow when the ground is 

 wet and soggj— wait until the soil wall crumble in the hand. RoU and 

 dragimmediately and alternately until thoroughly fined and firmed, 

 as too little time is spent in preparing the strawberry bed. 



Mark into rows four feet apart if you want to grow broad raatted 

 rows, or three feet apart for narrow rows, setting the plants 18 inches 

 apart in the row 



If the roots are too long, trim them with a knife— see Fig. 500 — as 

 the extra long roots are not of any special value, but a strong crown 

 and stout roots are the life of the plant. Use a trowel for the setting 

 of the plants and see that the dirt is firmly packed around them, and 

 there will be but little loss. It costs just the same to cultivate a poor 

 stand as it does a good one. 



If these instructions are properly carried out there will be less 

 complaint to nurserymen. 



The blossoms of all varieties are bi-sexual or perfect. Those 

 marked imperfect are destitute of stamens, and are termed pistiUate 

 or imperfect. Imperfect varieties should have a row of perfect 

 flowered sorts planted every third or fourth row at least to 

 poUenize their blossoms. "When the imperfect blossomers are 



p r o p e rl y fertilized 



they are most pro- 

 lific, and there 

 is no reason for 

 any prejudice 

 against them. Suc- 

 cess depends in a 

 great measure on 



getting fine, healthy plants, strictly pure and true to 



name. This we know our plants to be. 



Keep all blossoms picked off m the new setting. 



Cultivate and hoe often to destroy the weeds as soon as 



they appear, and to put and keep the ground in good 



condition for the young plants. We use the hoe among 



them as long as we can, cviltivating between the rows 



until late in the Fall. 



MUJUCHIXG — As soon as the ground begins to 

 freeze in the Fall, cover the \nnes with pine needles, 

 straw, com stalks or coarse manure, and allow to remain 

 there until early Spring, then rake the mulch off the 

 vines, lea\nng it bet'veen the rovrs, which a\t11 conserve 

 moisture during a dry spell. 



MTTLCHING TO KEEP THE FKUIT CliEAN— 



Before the fruit begins to ripen, mulch the ground 

 around the plants ^vith short hay or straw, or grass 

 mo\rings from the la\vn, or anything of that sort. This 

 yvill not only keep the fruit clean, but will prevent the 

 ground from drying or baking, and thus lengthen the 

 fruit season. 



GRADING FKUIT—It is a good plan to assort 

 and grade aU fruit as it comes from the pickers, and take 

 no risk, especially with new hands in the height of 

 harvest. Have each crate exactly as represented 

 throughout. Whatever a man's reputation in the market 

 it is soon at a discount or a premitun, and seldom fails of 

 beinsT rated at its true value. 



Bunch of Strawberry Plants Ready for 

 Shiument. Tied 25 in a Bundle 



