Vol. LXII. No. 2788. 
NEW YORK, JULY 4, 1903. 
Si PER YEAR. 
THE PRESIDENT STRAWBERRY AT HOME. 
Big Bernes in a Drought. 
AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM.—Western New Jersey 
did not escape the long drought. While there was an 
occasional show of rain during the 52 days follow¬ 
ing April 16 the amount that actually came down was 
too trifling to revive vegetation. Strawberries suf¬ 
fered keenly, as the soil began to dry out before 
growth fairly started, and the entire development of 
the fruits took place under peculiarly trying condi¬ 
tions. Near Lambertville, in the south end of Hun¬ 
terdon County, Thomas R. Hunt has 
grown fancy berries for more than 30 
years, and never before found the 
chances quite so much against a good 
yield of his favorite specialty. Experi¬ 
ence of previous droughts led Mr. Hunt 
several years ago to install an effective 
irrigation plant, consisting of a 2% 
horse-power gasoline engine, a- power¬ 
ful pump and many hundred feet of 
heavy piping carried underground to 
the highest points of his large fields. 
The water is taken from a good-sized 
ice dam, fed by a never-failing stream 
bordering the farm, and distributed at 
the head of the long sloping strawberry 
rows by V-shaped board troughs hav¬ 
ing adjustable tin gates in the sides 
corresponding to each I’ow. Connec¬ 
tion is made between the two-inch 
hydrants and the distributing troughs 
by homemade hose, sewed up from 
strips of ordinary cotton duck or mus¬ 
lin, then waterproofed by immersion 
in a mixture of pine tar and linseed 
oil. This hose will not stand much 
pressure, but answers well for carry¬ 
ing water on a slope or level, and is 
far cheaper and more durable than 
commercial rubber makes. The last 
two seasons had ample rainfall, and 
the irrigation system, not being used, 
had got somewhat out of repair. As 
one rainless week succeeded another it 
became evident that irrigation might 
be needed to carry through the crop, 
but the weather forecasts always seem¬ 
ed to indicate an early break-up of the 
the drought, while previous thorough 
preparation and ample mulching seem¬ 
ed for a time quite sufficient to retain 
at least a growing moisture. 
GOOD CULTURE NOT ENOUGH.— 
But there is a limit to the conserva¬ 
tion of soil moisture even with the 
best of cultivation. All outgo and no 
Income will deplete a saturated soil as 
well as a bank account. By the end 
of the sixth week of drying weather 
the plants began visibly to fail, and 
the young berries to take on that 
, hardened look so characteristic of a 
drought. The substance of a big berry was packed 
away in these shriveled nubbins, but it needed plenty 
of water to fill them out. The pipes were overhauled 
at last, the engine and pump connected, and water di¬ 
rected down the thirsty rows. At the start it was 
only intended to irrigate a few of the best blocks, but 
the benefit was so marked and immediate that all 
were soaked, the last field receiving the water only a 
few days before the rains, which have since continued 
to saturation. It was a profitable move but would 
have been timely 10 days earlier. There was a fair 
set of berries despite the late frosts, and they filled 
out at once and colored brightly. The best grades 
brought 20 cents a quart wholesale in city markets, 
making a good return in place of inevitable loss un¬ 
der wholly natural conditions. The value of irriga¬ 
tion for the shallow-rooted strawberry plant that 
fruits at a season of drought expectancy has often 
been demonstrated in localities where rains are usual¬ 
ly sufficient for other crops. 
LAST SETTINGS GROW BIG.—Mr. Hunt has had 
the President strawberry under field cultivation sev¬ 
eral years, and always valued its propensity for bring¬ 
ing its latest berries to large perfection. This useful 
trait was especially noticeable this season, as some 
of the early blooms, in common with other varieties, 
were injured by the early May freeze. New clusters 
were produced on all President plants thus affected, 
and ripened up berries of the largest size and finest 
quality. The writer is acquainted with most of the 
successful market strawberries grown in the East, 
but has yet to find one producing so many large and 
handsome fruits throughout the season, if well fed 
and cultivated. Like Gandy, President seems partial 
to rich heavy soil, though it thrives very well in light 
sandy loam on the Rural Grounds. Many thou¬ 
sands of President plants were sold and distributed 
among growers last seasop, but Mr. Hunt says he has 
received few reports of its fruiting qualities from his 
correspondents. He finds nearly all have picked the 
blooms to stimulate runner production, and therefore 
another year must pass before a fair judgment of its 
conduct away from home can be gained. 
MAKES A GOOD PARENT.—Like most progressive 
growers Mr. Hunt raises many seedlings, and has 
fruited scores of pronounced merit, but President, 
combining the best qualities of Crescent and Nic 
Ohmer with valuable characteristics of its own, is the 
only one yet offered for dissemination. We inspected 
a long row of President seedlings at Lambertville 
June 10, and found them of quite re¬ 
markable vigor and productiveness. 
' All bore large richly-colored berries 
but differed in form, flavor and con- 
i sistency. Fig. 177 shows a cluster, 
taken from one of these newcomers. 
It is a firm, meaty, dark-red berry of 
fine quality. The plants are strong, 
with large healthy foliage, w. v. f. 
THE STRAWBERRY FIELD, 
Treatment After Fruiting. 
Immediately after the last berry is 
picked commences the work of renew¬ 
ing the old fields that are to be left to 
bear another year. The best imple¬ 
ment that I have found for this work 
is a disk harrow with four of the out¬ 
side and four of the inside disks re¬ 
moved, thus leaving but two disks on 
each half of the harrow. With this 
implement the work can be well and 
quickly done. The straw and vines 
will be worked into the soil, where it 
soon rots and adds humus to the soil, 
a very important and much-needed ele¬ 
ment in our heavy clay soils. The har¬ 
row is weighted until it will cut 
through the straw and vines, working 
them into the soil. A small ridge of 
plants six or eight inches wide is left. 
The width of this ridge can be govern¬ 
ed by the number of inside disks that 
are removed. It is necessary to go 
over every other row first, so as to 
keep the harrow in the center of the 
row, as otherwise the ground on one 
side being harder than the other the 
disks will always work sideways, and 
it will be difficult to make straight 
rows. After half the rows are finished 
the remaining ones are treated like¬ 
wise. If the ground has become dried 
or the straw is thick it may be neces¬ 
sary to go over each row several times. 
Fig. 179 shows an old field being 
renewed for the fourth time. A 
good crop would have been pro¬ 
duced on this field the past season 
had it not been for the freezes and cold 
weather in May. Men with hoes 
follow the harrow and cut out all weeds that may 
have started, and also thin out some of the plants. 
It is much easier hoeing if it is done immediately 
after each row is harrowed instead of waiting until 
the entire field is disked, as sometimes the outside 
disks will throw dirt and straw on the other rows, 
making hoeing difficult. After being hoed fertilizer is 
applied and the field left for a few days, when it is 
again disked and afterwards cultivated the same as a 
new field. The straw may bother for a while, but it 
is much better to work it into the soil than it is to 
have it burnt. The field is cultivated a few times 
with a Planet Jr. and then once each week with a 
A PROMISING SEEDLING OF PRESIDENT. FiG. 177. 
