See Letter on Page 31 . 
KELLOGG'S THOROUGHBREDS IN ELMER SMITH'S GARDEN, URBANA, OHIO 
As we have said, the plant food itself is dis- 
solved into the soil moisture, and cultivation, 
Iherefore, also preserves the fertility in the soil. 
CULTIVATION should begin as soon after 
the plants are set in the ground as possi- 
ble, and should be repeated at least every eight 
or ten days thereafter, and always as quickly 
after a rain as the condition of the soil will per- 
mit, though never before the soil will crumble 
when disturbed. It may 
The Time ^^jj ^^^^^ ^^-^y conditions 
_ „.°'^. always determine the time 
CuKivalion , ' , . . ^ 
of cultivation. Una sign 
that never should be neglected for an hour is the 
tendency of the soil to form a crust — always see 
to it that the surface is broken and fined. A 
crust is just the reverse of the dust mulch in its 
effect upon the moisture and plant food in the 
soil, and both go steaming out of the earth 
when a crust is formed upon the surface. 
T^HE manner and time of cultivating plants 
has marked influence upon the nature and 
performance of the plant itself. Excessive fo- 
liage, for instance, is encouraged by over-feed- 
ing, and if a plant has the tendency to heavy 
vegetative growth, cultivation should be discon- 
tinued earlier in the fall in that particular case 
than where the fruit-producing organism of the 
plant is its dominating characteristic. The 
nature of the plant is to work at something, 
and it will turn its energies to fruit-making if 
it is discouraged in its tendency to build up 
a heavy foliage at the ex- „ , . 
, £ ■ J ^. Cultivation 
pense of fruit, and no other B»l»nced 
check is more effective than Pl»nts 
to limit cultivation. Just 
when it should be discontinued, then, depends 
upon two things: the nature of the variety under 
consideration and the season. Light bearers may 
be encouraged into greater fruit production by 
discontinuing cultivation early. But in no case 
should the grower fail, at the last cultivation,, 
to run a narrow furrow down the center between 
each row of plants. Make it four or five inches 
deep, so that all surplus water from heavy rains, 
or melting snows may have an immediate out- 
let , thus preventing its settling about the crowns of 
plants and becoming solid ice, which would cause: 
the plants to smother by shutting off the air, 
'T'HE man with the hoe performs an important 
part in successful strawberry production; 
indeed, we may say an essential part, for with- 
out the frequent employment of the hoe there 
can be no such thing as success in the strawberry 
field. Intelligent hoeing keeps the plant sur- 
rounded by soft, friable 
"»nd* '^"^'^ "'"'^ P'""' 
Weeding which is made more readily 
available by the changes 
thus made in its mechanical condition. It keeps 
down the weeds, which otherwise would con- 
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