1905. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
271 
STRAWBERRIES YEAR AFTER YEAR. 
Whether strawberries can be grown year after year 
on the same ground will depend upon the soil, its con¬ 
dition, available fertility, the amount and kind of work 
the grower is willing to expend on the Perry field and 
whether the work is done when it should be. Straw¬ 
berries of all crops will not stand neglect at any time 
and yield the largest returns, and therefore if the grower 
cannot, or will not, spend the necessary time and 
money properly to renew and care for the old berry 
field, he would better not undertake to grow berries 
continually on the same ground, but rather plow them 
up after the second crop. Strawberries can, however, 
be profitably grown on the same land for a number of 
years. I have a field, Fig. 117, from which the fifth 
crop was picked last June. 
This field has a deep clay soil. A crop of corn pre¬ 
ceded the berries. About the middle of August Crim¬ 
son clover was sown among the standing corn and har¬ 
rowed in. The corn was removed in the Fall. The 
clover continued to grow, and made a good growth in 
the Spring. It was allowed to ripen seed, and was then 
plowed so that the furrow did not quite cover all the 
clover. Then the field was harrowed both ways. In 
a short time the clover came up thick all over the 
ground. It made a poor growth that Summer, but in 
the Fall and Spring it made an immense growth. The 
crop was turned under about the middle 
of April, and the strawberries set out. 
The berries were given good cultivation, 
plenty of high-grade fertilizers were 
applied each year, and the field renewed 
immediately after each fruiting season. 
It was intended to retain the field for 
another crop, but the extreme drought 
of last Summer, which continued even 
into Winter, has made it necessary to 
plow up this field. For several reasons 
1 desire to reset this land to berries as 
soon as possible. This is my plan: 
Next Spring this field will be plowed, 
part set to tomatoes and the remainder 
planted to green beans, to be used in the 
farm canning factory. Crimson clover 
will be sown among the tomatoes the 
last of July, and this plowed under the 
next Spring, after going to seed, and 
then plow under the second crop of 
clover the next Spring and set to straw¬ 
berries. On the other part the beans 
will be harvested in time to sow clover 
in August, and then it will be treated the 
same as the rest of the field. Thus 
<r 
there will be five crops of berries, one 
crop of tomatoes or beans and two crops 
of Crimson clover grown in seven years. 
Hereafter I intend to grow but four 
crops of berries and then plow the field 
up after the fruiting season, which ends 
here the last week in June, and cultivate 
until the first part of August, when 
Crimson clover will be sown. The cul¬ 
tivation will help to retain the moisture 
for the clover, and will also kill many 
weed seeds in the soil. The clover will 
be plowed under as early in the Spring 
as possible after it has made a good 
growth. Beans will now be planted, 
will not prove satisfactory to the average man. It 
sounds very attractive simply to set a tree in sod, mulch 
it, and gather profitable crops of fruit within a few 
years, and ever after. As a matter of fact, few such 
orchards ever will be a factor of much influence on the 
apple market, either from poverty of soil, lack of mois¬ 
ture, insufficient mulch or general neglect. In the vast 
majority of cases the young orchard ought to be culti¬ 
vated up to the time it comes into full bearing. There 
may be intervals of an odd year when it can be put 
into clover, for the betterment of the land, or to check 
too rapid growth. The best evidence that this is sound 
advice is to look abroad anywhere, and note the or¬ 
chards handled after both methods. Those that are 
thriving and profitable under the sod-mulch system when 
young are so rare as to be conspicuous when found. 
The profitable ones under the other plan arc legion. 
When the orchard comes into full bearing, thrifty, 
deep and well rooted, through good cultivation and 
feeding, unquestionably in many instances it can be 
seeded down, the grass clipped and left to lie on the 
ground, and that from the center put under the trees 
a little farther than the branches extend. But to obtain 
best results additional mulch should be added. This is 
a much more economical method than cultivation, and 
does give results. A better way is to seed down with a 
variety of pasture grasses, and fill the orchard with 
' 
. 
V 
using a new plant to learn all I can about it. Rape 
comes in excellent play used as a catch crop. But it 
can hardly be used in place of the staple crops grown 
on the farm. While it often pays well to sow it in 
corn at last cultivation for late Fall forage, it would 
hardly pay to sow it in the Spring, instead of planting 
the corn. When grass fails in wheat it can follow 
wheat, but it would not be good farming to discard the 
wheat to sow rape. As to how much land it would be 
necessary to sow to furnish forage for five brood sows 
and their following, depends on the kind of land it is 
sown on. Rape is a gross feeder, and cannot be sown 
on land too rich for it to thrive. On the other hand, it 
will not pay to sow it on thin clay soil. The largest 
yields can be had by drilling in rows, manuring in the 
rows, and cultivating, but I would prefer to sow broad¬ 
cast on rich well prepared soil. 
If sown in rows for cultivation use about l l / 2 to two 
pounds of seed per acre, in rows 30 inches apart. If 
sown broadcast three to five pounds of seed per acre 
must be used. Use only the Dwarf Essex variety. It 
will take about six weeks of favorable weather for it 
to make sufficient growth for hog pasture. They will 
eat all but the stems of the leaves and stalks. Then, 
if they are taken off, it will grow a new set of leaves in 
a short time;.it will probably do this two or more times. 
But the most satisfactory results are had from 
sowing at intervals of, say, two weeks. 
Sow a third of the field to be used for 
this purpose, as early in April as danger 
of frost is past. In two weeks, sow an¬ 
other third, and in three weeks, the 
remaining third. Then pasture in 
same order, and plow and resow during 
the season, as the plants tail to recuper¬ 
ate after pasturing. The best way to 
sow in drills, will be to use a garden 
seed drill in the furrows. Broadcast, use 
one of the broadcast hand seed sowers 
and cover with a light harrow. It will 
not pay to cut and feed, as when this 
is done, a second or third growth can¬ 
not be expected. The best way to feed 
it is to turn the hogs on it, but it will be 
necessary for the sows, while suckling, 
to have some grain with it. 
JOHN M. JAMISON. 
and they will be harvested in time to sow clover again 
in August or September. This clover crop will be 
plowed under in the Spring, and strawberries set out. 
This would be a five-year rotation, and will allow the 
growing of seven crops in the five years; four berry 
crops, one of beans and two of clover. I believe this 
is better than the seven-year rotation. The rotation is 
shortened, there will be more certainty of securing a 
good stand of clover, and by growing the beans be¬ 
tween the crops of clover there will be a larger yield 
of beans, and the first crop of clover will have time to 
decompose and become thoroughly mixed with the soil, 
thus making the nitrogen it contains more available. 
A high-grade fertilizer containing a high per cent of 
phosphoric acid and potash, with but little nitrogen, is 
used each year. What nitrogen is usect will be in the 
form of nitrate of soda. elmer g. tufts. 
MULCHED OR PASTURED ORCHARDS. 
Much has been written of late about the growing of 
apples with sort mulch or even pasturing with sheep and 
yet maintaining good crops and orchards. This is, I believe, 
being most successfully done in the region of the Great 
Lakes, where the soil is of the retentive glacial character, 
and where the air is humid from the influence of the lakes, 
the heat less intense than elsewhere and ttie Summer rain 
probably greater and more regular. It is possible that 
methods applicable there will not do elsewhere. 
Pennsylvania. j. r. s. 
d here are a few notable orchards, in such sections as 
described, that have been and are profitable under the 
sod mulch system from the time of setting. Yet I feel 
confident that even there, as well as elsewhere, that plan 
A Fl^VE-YEAR-OLD STRAWBERRY FIELD. Fig. 117. 
sheep and hogs. I speak of this with much confidence 
after 26 years’ experience. The animals should have 
some extra feed beside the grass; this will help enrich 
the orchard. They will keep down the grass so it does 
not evaporate the water, fertilize the orchard and eat 
the worm-infested fruit, thus lessening the per cent of 
wormy apples. I have had crops when others did not 
in cultivated orchards of high-colored clean fruit. The 
only objection is that the sheep will cat off the lower 
branches. It is not practical with low-headed trees. 
Such must be the orchards of the future. Much of the 
labor and all the fertility problem is solved by this 
method. The fruit will mature a little earlier, be better 
colored, more free from scab and worms, and keep better 
than in the cultivated orchard. There will not be quite 
so heavy a setting as a rule, nor will the fruit be quite 
so large. In the cultivated orchard the increased foliage 
means less sunlight, consequently more scab and a 
lighter-colored fruit. e. van alstyne. 
RAPE FOR A HOG PASTURE. 
When is the best time to sow rape for hogs? I have five 
brood sows, and want to know about how large a piece 
would probably keep them. Would they thrive if fed noth¬ 
ing else? Would it be profitable to sow in rows, cultivate, 
cut and feed? Wliaf variety would lie best to sow? Could 
it be sown with Empire grain drill? How far apart should 
rows be sown? IIow long should it be let to grow before 
beginning to cut for feed? Does it succeed best on high, 
low, sandy or clay land? w. s. 
Auburn, N. Y. 
While I have had some experience with rape, it has 
been in a limited way. It has been my custom before 
APPLE NOTES FROM OHIO. 
Replying to the inquiry on page 253, 
about top-working Ben Davis to Rome 
Beauty and other varieties, I have had 
no experience in that business. I surely 
would want some other kind besides Ben 
Davis, and Rome Beauty is one of the 
best market varieties in that locality for 
a late Winter kind when kept in cold 
storage, and there is no better storage 
apple for profit. York Imperial may be 
good if well taken care of. Grimes Golden 
for a fancy eating apple is one of the 
best, if properly handled, and is good 
storage stock. Jonathan is also good for 
dessert, but must be picked rather early 
and put into storage, to be kept till 
the demand calls for it. The Ensee 
is a promising new variety, but the 
scions cannot be had now for grafting, 
as about all of them have been disposed of for this 
season, and in fact no great quantity can be had for 
several years. The ordinary grower may be satisfied 
with Ben Davis, but as the inquirer wishes to get 
something else I take it that he wants varieties of 
good quality as well as good commercial fruit. The 
Rome Beauty and York Imperial are not as good eat¬ 
ing apples as the last named three, and I cannot say 
they will pay better in the long run, but Rome Beauty 
will keep better when well ripened before picking than 
the others. I can think of no other kinds grown here 
that suit well, unless it is Ralls, which is very fine when 
well grown, but the fruit must be thinned severely or it 
will be very small. When the ripening season is very 
rainy they crack badly sometimes, but otherwise they 
will keep with the latest, and are appreciated when ripe 
as few other kinds are. When it becomes known to a 
consumer N he will pay as much for them as any kind 
I ever grew. I sold nearly all of mine last Fall as 
soon as picked for $3 per barrel, and got $4 for a few 
kept later, when the best Kings were bringing only 
$3.50. 
We have had less than half the usual amount of 
rainfall in the last six months. In December there 
were 2.59 inches, in January 2^27, and in February 
2.23 inches, and in the three before that I had no 
ram gauge, but I estimate it at &e inch for the three 
months. The annual rainfall is %out 39 inches here. 
It is raining now, and promises to ne a good one before 
it is over, as a half inch fell last night. About three- 
fourths or more of the peach buds are dead in south¬ 
ern Ohio; were killed February 14, when it was seven 
degrees below zero, the coldest here this Winter. It 
was colder along the creeks on February 16, but not so 
cold on the hills. All other tree fruits are in good 
shape yet. u. ^ cox 
Lawrence Co., Ohio. 
