27 
IS MULCHING NECESSARY? Mulching 
is necsesary for winter protection in all the 
Northern States and would be helpful in 
many fields as far South as Virginia and 
Kentucky. In addition to giving protection 
from cold, mulching helps to keep down 
weeds and grass, to conserve soil moisture 
and to keep the fruit bright and clean. 
The mulch should be applied in the fall 
after frost and light freezes (25 to 28 degrees 
F) have occurred but before hard freezing 
(20 degrees F or lower). It should be re- 
moved (at least partly) soon after growth 
starts in the spring. 
Wheat straw and marsh grass are con- 
sidered the best materials. Rye straw, pine 
needles, coarse strawy manure and various 
kinds of hay are satisfactory. Use whatever 
you have or can buy at a reasonable price. 
WILL IRRIGATION PAY? If you have 
irrigation, it will certainly pay to use it for 
strawberries, especially just before fruiting 
time. However, irrigation is not necessary. 
Most of the fine berry crops in this country 
are produced on good strawberry soil that 
holds moisture well because stable manure 
and green crops have been added, or be- 
cause of a high water table. 
DO STRAWBERRIES NEED SPRAYING? 
When good varieties are selected and clean 
healthy plants are used, strawberries do not 
need spraying as a rule. If insect or disease 
troubles should appear, our FREE cir- 
cular on STRAWBERRY INSECTS AND 
DISEASE may be helpful in identifying 
the cause and applying the remedy. 
Don'f fail to set strawberry plants this 
spring, as early as possible. IN NO OTHER 
WAY can you get a full crop of berries in 
late spring or early summer of 1950. We 
have no plants of any variety to sell for 
shipment in June, July, August, September, 
and October. 
Profits ahead from fields like this! 
Champaign Co., Ohio, Feb. 23, 1948. "Enclosed 
please find order for 3,000 strawberry plants. Please 
ship dormant plants. This makes my third year buy- 
ing plants from your company— -no better plants can 
be purchased. Last year we picked 300 quarts from 
250 Premier plants, with 500 Midland to bear this 
year." Roy L. Gordley. 
Somerset Co.. Penna., Jan. 16. 1948. "I received 500 
Premier and 500 Catskill in 1946. In 1947 I picked 
968 quarts from the 1,000 plants, and lost some on ac- 
count of a hard freeze and wet weather. I think they 
did fine. People ask where they can get good plants 
and I tell them from the W. F. ALLEN Co. A customer 
for several years." Lloyd C. Sipple. 
Providence Co., R. I., June 27, 1948. "I am happy 
to inform you of fairly good success in a very wet 
season with the 500 Fairfax plants purchased from you 
last spring. The other berries we have seen in this 
section do not touch them in flavor or appearance. 
They command a good price and are easily sold." 
Adolph Verte. 
Stephenson Co.. 111., Feb. 20, 1948\ "I picked 5465 
quarts of berries off 6,400 plants I bought in 1946. 
Lost several hundred quarts because of heavy rains. 
Midland is the best berry I ever saw." Russell H. 
Sechrist. 
Knox Co., Tenn., March 26, 1948. "We received 
our order of strawberry plants and were delighted 
with the strong, sturdy plants. They are the finest 
we have ever seen." John Bruhin. 
Two-row tractor drawn transplanter used 
for setting large acreage. 
We picked 61 full quarts from the 50 Fairfax plants 
we purchased from you. The first of the crop were berries 
of exceptional size, larger than most people have ever seen. 
We sold quite a few for sixty cents a quart with people 
anxious to get them. From the original investment of $1.90 
we got at least S30.00 worth of berries. 
W. R. Hamilton, Butler Co., Aug. 18, 1948. 
See pages 28 and 29 for collections of famous 
varieties to assure you of fhe best and to save you 
time and money. 
