HARRISON'S NURSERIES. BERLIN, MD. 



HOW AND WHY GROW STRAWBERRIES. 



First of the small fruits in the Spring comes the beautiful, wholesome and appetizing strawberry. 



No one owning a home, or for that matter having one rented for a term of years, can put a little money 

 to better use than to buy three or four hundred plants of the standard varieties of strawberry- Give them 

 the proper care and a good sized family will hardly use all the fruit they will produce the next season after 

 planting. Nothing will bring quicker and greater satisfaction to the planter, more keen delight to his children, 

 or lessen the burdens of his good wife in providing for the table, than a well kept strawberry bed. 



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 iuUy grown, matured and dormant. 



SELECT GOOD SOIL.— New ground is best. A clover soil is excellent, 

 if in good heart, or a field that has been cultivated 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 all kinds of soil, from light sand to heavy clay, and 

 even on muck. It depends on its treatment and the varieties. A sunny ex- 

 posure will hasten the ripening, as a northern exposure will delay it. 

 Don't plow when the ground is wet and soggy — wait until the soil will 

 crumble in the hand. Roll and drag immediately 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 matted 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 liitle loss. 

 It costs just the same to cultivate a poor stand as it does a good one. The 

 accompanying cut shows a plant properly set. See Fig. 499, 



If these instructions are properly carried 

 out there will be less complaint to nursery- 

 men. 



The blossoms of all varieties are bi-sexual 

 or perfect. Those marked imperfect are 

 destitute of stamens, and are termed pis- 

 tillate or imperfect, as are shown in figure. 

 Imperfect varieties should have a row of per- 

 fect flowered sorts planted every third or 

 fourth row at least to poUenize their blossoms. 

 When the imperfect bloomers are properly 

 fertilized they are the most prolific, and there 



IS no reason for any prejudice against them. Success depends in a great measure 



on gettmg fine, healthy plants, strictly pure and true to name. This we know 



our plants to be. 



Keep all blos.soms picked off in 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, cultivating between the rows until late in the Fall. 



MULCHING.— As soon as the ground begins to freeze in the Fall, cover the 



vines with pine needles, straw, corn stalks or coarse manure, and allow to 



remain there until early Spring, then rake the mulch off the vines, leaving it between the rows, which will 



conserve moisture during a dry spell. 



MULCHING TO KEEP THE FRUIT CLEAN.— Before the fruit begins to ripen, mulch the ground 



around the plants with short hay or straw, or grass mowings from the lawn, or anything of that sort. This 



will not only keep the fruit clean, but will prevent the ground from drying or baking, and thus lengthen 



the fruit season. 



GRADING FRUIT. — It is a good plan to assort and grade all 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 premium, and seldom fails of being 



rated at its true value. 



Fig. 500. 



Fig, 499. 



