h oJA 
Vol. LXII 
NEW YORK, JULY 11, 1903 
II PER YEAR 
/\ NEW ENGLAND STRAWBERRY GROWER 
TELI-S HOW HE GROWS THE FRUIT. 
The Income From An Acre. 
I select an acre of the best land on the farm, always 
avoiding wet soil, which is liable to heave in the Win¬ 
ter and Spring. I prefer a piece of land which has 
been used for corn or potatoes one season. Green¬ 
sward can be kept free from weeds at less expense 
than old ground, but the danger from White grubs is 
so great that I do not care to risk it. Judging from 
our last season’s experience, heavy clover sod of one 
year’s standing is about as bad as far as grubs are 
concerned. I wish to say right here that this is where 
the much-despised skunk proves himself a valuable 
friend to the fruit grower, as he destroys great num¬ 
bers of the above-mentioned pests during the season. 
If 1 have stable manure I apply a fair coating early 
in the Spring, plow as soon as the ground is In fit con¬ 
dition and, on our soil, which is a heavy slate loam 
with hardpan bottom, follow with a subsoil plow, 
which, I think, pays a large profit on the extra time 
required. I harrow the ground very thoroughly, try¬ 
ing to make the surface perfectly smooth and ns fine 
as possible; then mark with a light marker 3% feet 
apart, and set the plants 11/2 foot apart in the row, 
requiring about 8,300 plants per acre. 
We have tried all ways of setting, and have decided 
the trowel is best for our soil, proceeding as follows, 
if planting home-grown plants. Before digging we go 
over the row quite harshly with a wooden hand rake, 
which removes most of the dead leaves and old run¬ 
ners, which saves a lot of labor in trimming plants. 
Plants are dug with a six-tined potato hook, put into 
wet sacks as soon as possible, and carried directly to 
the field, as the less they are exposed 
to the air the better. We hire boys to 
drop the plants in their proper places 
from half-bushel baskets. A man fol¬ 
lows with a common mason’s trowel. 
Creeping along on his hands and knees 
he thrusts the trowel into the soil 
with his right hand and at the same 
time picks up the plant with his left 
hand. Holding the plant by the crown 
he puts it into the ground as he bends 
the trowel a trifle backward, leaving a 
small opening. With a little practice 
the roots will go to the bottom, but it 
must be done very quickly, for if the 
soil is dry it will at once fall in and 
fill up the hole. The soil is pressed 
down with the hands and he is ready 
for the next plant. As soon as through 
planting, if the weather is very dry, 
we start the cultivator, and it should be 
run once a week during the growing 
season. 
We used to apply a ton or more of 
ammoniacal fertilizer when fitting the 
land in the Spring, but if the land is in 
fair condition, or if stable manure has 
been applied before plowing, I find we 
can get better results by applying the 
fertilizer along the row at two or three 
different times during the growing 
season, one-half ton per acre if stable 
manure has been used, or one ton if 
not. We have never seen sufficient 
benefit to warrant applying fertilizer 
the Spring before harvesting the first 
crop. We begin hoeing as soon as weeds appear, and 
keep it up throughout the season. We have always 
grown our strawberries in wide matted rows and, if 
the field is very weedy, as is usually the case where 
the land is rich, hoeing is slow expensive business the 
latter part of the season. My land is mostly hillside, 
lying at an angle of about 25 degrees. If it were level 
I would plant the rows closer and cultivate in narrow 
hedgerow, which would be less work to keep clean. 
After growth has stopped, or about November 1, they 
A CROOKED WM. BELT. Fig. 183. See Rukalisjis, Page 502 
are covered with about two tons of oat straw per acre. 
As soon as the ground is dry and settled in the Spring 
the straw is raked off the rows and left in the path to 
help hold the moisture during the fruiting season. The 
plants should be gone over in the Spring and weeds 
taken out. Although our soil is well adapted to straw¬ 
berries, wild ones growing to great perfection, and we 
fertilize heavily and give them the best of care, we 
have never been able to harvest anywhere near the 
large crops of strawberries (some as high as 20,000 
quarts per acre), which we read about. I think if one 
averages from 3,000 to 5,000 quarts per acre a series of 
years he is doing exceedingly well, and the price for 
past years has run from four to 18 cents, 10 cents be¬ 
ing about the average price in our market. As to va¬ 
rieties we have tried nearly everything, having about 
50 kinds to fruit this coming season. Brandywine, 
Lovett, Haverland, Bubach, Greenfield and Warfield 
have been our most reliable kinds. 
I consider strawberries the most uncertain crop one 
can raise. I have tried to give a fair average of my 
experience over a period of 12 years. Some years the 
profit has been as high as $200 or $300 per acre from 
the best parts of the field, other parts or other varie¬ 
ties being almost a failure. Some years hailstorms 
or late Spring frosts will ruin the crop. I would say 
in conclusion that 12 years ago I purchased a very 
badly run-down New England farm and commenced 
in a small way to raise strawberries for our local mar¬ 
ket, and have made some money, all of which has been 
used in building, clearing up new land and other¬ 
wise improving the farm. Had I selected a few of the 
standard varieties, such as Haverland, Lovett, Bubach 
and Warfield, and clung to them instead of experi¬ 
menting with new kinds, I would have been richer In 
dollars and cents, but not in experience. No doubt the 
same energy necessary to the profitable growing of 
strawberries, if expended on any other branch of 
farming, would give as good results. However, each 
one should choose the work best adapted to his per¬ 
sonal likings and his locality, and make it his spe¬ 
cialty, as there are details connected with an/ work 
that must be learned by experience. I have a great 
liking for fruit growing, and intend to make it my 
life work. I believe that there are possibilities in the 
business of fine fruit production that 
have nowhere near been realized. 
Massachusetts, geo. g. wadkeb. 
SELF-HARVESTED RYE. 
Live Stock Save Men and Machines. 
In former articles J. M. Jamison, of 
Ross Co., Ohio, has described his plan 
for saving hired help. Instead of rais¬ 
ing wheat to be harvested and thrash¬ 
ed he grows rye and pastures it with 
hogs, cattle and sheep. By keeping 
enough stock to eat all crops as they 
grow, except corn and enough Alfalfa 
and other hay for Winter feeding, he 
saves much labor. A continuation of 
his story follows: 
This is how matters stood on June 
8: Land was too wet to touch with any 
kind of a tool, and there were 22 acres 
of corn on rented land yet to plant. On 
Oak Grove Farm there are 11 acres of 
Alfalfa, very heavy and badly lodged, 
ready to cut; nine acres of corn ready 
to work, and 12 acres planted June 4. 
On about 20 aci-es of Blue grass pas¬ 
ture there are grazing 63 hogs, 59 ewes, 
58 lambs, five horses and three cows, 
and there is plenty of grass for more. 
Ten acres of rye sown for a crop be¬ 
gin to show the ripening color, and 
there are 12 acres of volunteer, that 
will make half a crop. 
It was my expectation to have the 54 
ieeding hogs, the ewes and Iambs on 
this field most of last month, but 
the volunteer rye promised so much in the way 
of a crop that I determined to allow it to make itself, 
if possible. Our plan to accomplish this was to bring 
the ewes and lambs to the barn every night and feed 
the former Alfalfa, hay and middlings, but on account 
TWELVE BERRIES TO THE QUART. REDUCED FROM NATURE. Fig. 184. 
See Ruralis.ms, Page 502. 
