GREAT CROPS OF STRAWBERRIES AND HOW TO GROW THEM 
Copyright 1913 by R. M. KeUogg Co.. Three Rivers, Mich. 
KEEPING DOWN THE WEEDS AND ENCOURAGING VIGOROUS GROWTH IN STRAWBERRY PLANTS 
JJERE we have cause and effect photographed in the same picture, for the result of the worlt of the hand-cultivator shown is 
t«r »J?h/J,".ff'l^itfj"ti^ * aPP«?,r-«"« f the rows of p ants. F. G. Hicks, of Morenci. Mich., is the man behin.i the cultiva- 
tor, and he writes that the scene illustrates his field of plants that were set in April and photoijraphed in September f ollowinE 
here to the fruit, making it dangerous to health 
and life to apply the spray after this time. 
No one should take the serious risk thus involved. 
Mulching the Strawberry Plants 
TN northern latitudes strawberry plants care- 
fully should be mulched after the first hard 
freeze in the autumn. The plants should be 
covered with straw or marsh hay or very coarse 
stable manure, which may be three or four inches 
deep between the rows of plants, while the 
plants themselves should be covered with not 
more than a half-inch in thickness of the mulch- 
ing material. Plants that are thus mulched are 
protected from alternate freezing and thawing 
and consequent contracting and expanding of the 
soil. This expanding and contracting of the soil 
results in breaking off countless numbers of feed- 
ing roots, and these feeding roots are of highest 
importance to the plants and to the development 
of large crops of fruit. Not only does the mulch- 
ing protect the plants and keep them strong, but 
it also lielps to retain the moisture in the soil 
during the hot summer days when the plants need 
all the moisture they can get. It also furnishes 
a clean place for the berries to ripen upon and 
prevents the fruit from becoming covered with 
sand and grit. 
Removing Mulching in the Spring 
TATlTH the opening of spring the mulching 
■ should be parted from directly over the 
rows of plants. This is done by taking the tines 
of a fork and working them backward and for- 
ward across each row. Some growers make the 
mistake of raking the mulching off too clean 
from over the plants, leaving bare ground direct- 
ly in the row. When this is done an important 
feature of mulching is lost, as it leaves the 
ground bare just where the berries are to lie and 
ripen. Thus when it rains hard it will beat the 
sand over the fruit and the berries become dirty 
and gritty. But by taking the fork, as we sug- 
gest, and merely removing the coarser part of 
the mulching, leaving the chaff and finer parti- 
cles to work down upon the plants, there will be 
plenty of mulching material left in the row for 
the berries to ripen upon, while you also will have 
removed enough of the mulching to prevent the 
plants from bleaching or becoming weakened. 
To prevent the blowing away of the mulching 
materials throw some soil over the straw across 
the ends of the rows of plants and take a com- 
mon breaking plow and go all around the field 
throwing soil on the edges of the straw. 
Preparing for a Second Crop 
A PTER the first crop of fruit has been gather- 
ed it is our practice to mow off the foliage, 
loosening the mulching and, wherever it is very 
thick, scatter it out thinly, and when dry set fire 
to the patch and burn the entire field over. As 
we have done this so many times and with com- 
plete success, we have not the slightest hesita- 
tion in following this practice each season. But 
if you have any hesitation about burning the 
plants over, fearing that the roots might become 
injured, then we advise you to omit the burning 
over of the plot or field. We make this very 
clear, as we would not assume any responsibility 
in this matter, notwithstanding the fact that our 
own experience has been successful in every case. 
In order to insure a swift burning over of the 
patch we set fire on the windward side so that 
the wind may carry the flames quickly along the 
ground. Of course, in an orchard, or where 
other crops are growing, bui-ning over never 
should be attempted. Within a very short time 
after burning over, the plants spring up into new 
life and vigor, and immediately proceed to get in 
readiness for a big crop of berries the next season. 
Narrowing Down the Rows 
"IATHETHER you burn over the patch or 
« " simply mow off the tops and clean up the 
the field by hauling off the mulching, as soon as 
this work is done, take a breaking plow and nar- 
row down the rows by throwing a furrow from 
each side of the row into the center, leaving the 
rows of plants setting on a narrow strip of soil 
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