cause it either contains chick weed seed 

 from feed or bedding or stimulates exces- 

 sively the growth of chick weed, which be- 

 comes very serious in many strawberry 

 growing areas. 

 WHEN SHOULD PLANTS BE SET? EARLY! 



The most important single thing in grow- 

 ing strawberries successfully is to set the 

 plants EARLY. With no other crop that 

 you grow is early spring setting so ALL 

 IMPORTANT. 



In the Southern States this means Febru- 

 ary, March and early April. In the Middle 

 States, March and April. In the Northern 

 States, April and May in late seasons and 

 in states far North. In all states it means just 

 as early as the weather permits you to get 

 the ground ready and the plants set. 



A good stand and growth are easy if 

 plants are set early so they can become 

 established while the soil is still cool and 

 moist. With late setting good results are 

 very unlikely unless soil and moisture con- 

 ditions are entirely favorable. 



SHOULD CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS BE 

 USED? On very fertile garden soils none is 

 needed. On most good soils fertilizers will 

 not prove beneficial if plenty of stable 

 manure of any kind has been applied. On 

 some soils chemical fertilizers will be very 

 helpful. 600 pounds per acre of any ferti- 

 lizer containing 3 to 6% of organic nitro- 

 gen and 5 to 10% of phosphorus may be 

 used. This may be stirred into the soil down 

 the row before the plants are set or applied 

 as a side dressing in one of more applica- 

 tions after growth starts. Inorganic nitrogen 

 like nitrate of soda or sulphate or ammo- 

 nia should be used in these applications 

 only with great care, as they will injure 

 either roots or leaves if they come in direct 

 contact. Organic nitrogen materials like 

 tankage, fish, dissolved bone, cotton seed 

 meal, dried blood, etc., are safe to use. Any 

 form of phosphorous is 0. K. 



Whatever the soil preparation and earlier 

 treatment it is well to examine the plant 

 beds in late August or early September. If 

 the growth is satisfactory and the leaves 

 have a rich dark green appearance, no fur- 

 ther fertilizer treatment is necessary. If 

 growth is not satisfactory at that time apply 

 as a top dressing directly on the plant beds 

 about 600 pounds per acre of 6-8-2 or any 

 fertilizer mixture your dealer has contain- 

 ing 4 to 6% of nitrogen, 6 to 10% of phos- 

 phorus and 2 to 5% of potash. Apply only 



PLANTS FOR VARIOUS PLANTING 



Rows 



3 

 3 

 3 

 3 

 4 

 4 

 3 ft. 8 



apart 



in. 



DISTANCE 





In the row 



Total per acre 



18 inches 



9,680 plants 



24 " 



7,260 " 



18 " 



8,297 " 



24 " 



6,223 " 



18 



7,260 " 



24 " 



5,445 " 



18 " 



7,128 



when foliage is thoroughly dry and brush 

 loose material off the leaves at once. This is 

 important to prevent injury. 



An application of 600 pounds per acre 

 means about 1 pound for each 20 feet of 

 row. 



WHAT ABOUT LIME? If other crops, 

 weeds or grass have made a good growth 

 on the land you have selected for straw- 

 berries it does not need lime. However, if 

 you want to have your soil tested for acidity 

 a pH range of 5.7 to 6 is best, 5 to 7 is 

 satisfactory. 



WHAT CARE DO PLANTS NEED? They 

 should be set promptly on arrival if pos- 

 sible. Dip the roots in water and keep them 

 protected when taken to the garden or field 

 for setting. A hot day is bad for setting 

 strawberry plants. A hot windy day is ter- 

 rible. A cool cloudy day is fine. Sometimes 

 plants must be kept a while because the 

 ground is not ready or for some other 

 reason. Small lots of plants can be kept in 

 the family refrigerator if there is room. 

 Burying the crate or package for a while in 

 a snowbank is 0. K. 



The very best way to hold plants is in 

 cold storage at 32 Degrees F. If such stor- 

 age is not available, open the bundles and 

 spread the plants in thin layers along a 

 V-shaped trench about four or five inches 

 deep. Cover the roots with two or three 

 inches of soil leaving the buds exposed. Wet 

 the soil and plants thoroughly. A light cov- 

 ering may be necessary. 



Incidentally, there is one way to play 

 safe. If you have cold storage available 

 order your plants shipped in March while 

 they are still thoroughly dormant. Even 

 moderate delays in transit won't hurt them 

 at that time and they will keep perfectly in 

 cold storage at 32 Degrees F. until planting 

 conditions are just right. If plants are dug 

 after they have made lots of foliage and 

 possibly blossoms, they should not be held 

 more than a few days even in storage. 



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