10 
THE W. F. ALLEN CO., SALISBURY, MD. 
With this system the rows are from 3 to 4 feet 
apart, and the plants from 18 to 20 inches apart in 
the row. The plants may be set and treated so as 
to make wide or narrow matted rows, the latter 
usually being preferable. In cultivating, the ma¬ 
chine is run only in one direction and, as the plants 
spread, the cultivated space gradually narrows until 
it is only 12 to 18 inches at its greatest width. 
The disadvantage of this system is that a large 
number of plants are sometimes allowed to set too 
close together, resulting in somewhat smaller fruit. 
Proper thinning of the plants in too heavily set 
matted rows will obviate this disadvantage. 
The matted row requires less labor and the yield 
is usually greater than in any of the other systems. 
For the average grower we prefer the narrow matted- 
row system with the plants kept thinned out in case 
of varieties that make plants freely. When the row 
is kept thinned, you have the advantage of the other 
systems in producing large, well-shaped fruit; you 
have a greater number of plants to produce the 
fruit; and you have ample foliage to protect plants 
from the scalding which you do not have in other 
systems. In plots equally rich and equally fertilized 
the thin, narrow matted row will give more fancy 
fruit than any other system, and that is the system 
we prefer in most cases. 
We give tables (page 11) so you can find the 
number of plants required to set any given area. 
Cultivation 
Young plants should be cultivated frequently 
after they begin to grow. This is done not only to 
keep down weeds and grass, but also to save more 
moisture. After heavy rains the soil (except very 
sandy soil) will become hard and '‘bake," causing 
it to dry out quickly and be very cloddy when 
cultivated, unless the cultivation is done while soil 
is still damp. So it is best to cultivate as soon after 
a rain as the condition of the soil will permit. 
In seasons of severe drought constant cultivation 
keeps a “dust blanket" over the soil and prevents 
evaporation. So, even if no weeds or grass have 
started, it is advisable to cultivate frequently when 
the land is very dry. 
A hoe and 12-tooth cultivator are the best tools 
to use. In general, the patch should be cultivated 
every ten days, or two weeks anyway. Skilful use 
of the cultivator will make necessary, much less 
hand-hoeing. The hoe can be used to advantage in 
keeping the plants thinned out when necessary. 
Young plants, set out in early spring, will blossom 
freely at the regular blossoming season and, if not 
cut off, will set and bear quite a few berries. But, 
it is best to cut these blossoms off so that the plants 
can make a more vigorous growth and be in better 
shape to bear a full crop of fine fruit the following 
spring. 
Manure and Fertilizer 
The best fertilizer for a Strawberry patch is thor¬ 
ough cultivation. Barnyard manure is the very best 
fertilizer that you can apply to the field. This is 
applied either broadcast before the land is plowed, 
or as a top-dressing after the plants are set. Apply¬ 
ing before plowing is adapted more to heavy soils 
and top-dressing more to light soils. Cover crops 
(see page 8) are valuable to grow and incorporate 
in any soil, whether heavy or light. Commercial 
fertilizers will often prove beneficial. Nitrate of 
soda is probably the quickest acting fertilizer; it is 
especially valuable for use on old beds in preparing 
for second or third crop. 
It is usually considered that potash adds color to 
the berries and makes them more firm. There is 
some potash already in most soils and a crop of 
good berries can usually be grown without apply¬ 
ing it, although potash would probably make the 
crop better. Present war prices of potash, however, 
prohibit its use as a fertilizer. Not having potash 
to include, a good application to make in the spring 
would be 150 pounds of dried blood or fish, and 300 
pounds of bone meal, or rock phosphate per acre. 
Enough filler should be added to this 550 pounds so 
it can be mixed and applied evenly. Be very careful 
about putting commercial fertilizer under plants 
before setting. In dry seasons fertilizer drilled in 
before planting burns and kills thousands of plants. 
Top-dressing is more satisfactory. Lime is beneficial 
to Strawberries in cases where water stands on land 
in winter and makes it excessively acid. To correct 
this, drain land and apply 400 to 500 pounds of lime 
to the acre, being careful to give uniform distri¬ 
bution. 
Mulching 
A mulch is applied for one or all of three reasons: 
First, to protect the plants from freezing and thaw¬ 
ing of the soil in winter; second, to keep the soil 
cool and moist during the season when fruit is 
being produced; third, to keep the berries from 
being spattered with dirt during the spring rains. 
In the North it is important to apply a mulch for 
winter protection. In the spring when plants begin 
to start, this is raked to the center of the rows and 
there serves the purpose of keeping the ground loose 
Many carloads of manure are used in growing our plants 
