J. H. Shivers Plant Farms, Allen, Maryland 
3 
Successful Ways of Growing 
Strawberries 
PLANTING GUIDE 
In this limited space I will give suggestions for the most necessary 
details for successful strawberry growing. You may get more in¬ 
formation by writing us or from the U. S. Department of Agriculture, 
at Washington, D. C., who will upon request, send you bulletins on 
strawberry culture, free and postpaid. A strawberry grower should 
take this means of' keeping in touch with the newer developments 
and methods being employed in present day strawberry culture. 
SOIL. Practically any soil that will grow good field crops will 
grow good berries—good rich, sandy loam preferred. All kinds of 
fruit plants demand that the soil be able to hold moisture well, and at 
the same time drain easily, 
FITTING THE SOIL. Soil for setting strawberry plants should 
be plowed deeply and harrowed until it is loose and level. I like 
Fall plowing as it allows the soil to settle and turned under vegetable 
matter to decay. Spring plowing is all right, but Fall plowing is better 
when possible. The land should be thoroughly harrowed in Spring, 
followed with a culti-packer or roller to preserve moisture after 
planting. 
MANURE AND FERTILIZER 
Stable manures are the best fertilizers I have found. They not 
only furnish the necessary plant food, but also make the heavier soils 
of finer texture, and the light sandy soils of greater water holding 
capacity. This may be applied in the fall and plowed in or spread on 
land after plowing and worked in the soil well. The best results I 
have ever obtained] is by opening the rows and putting some fine 
manure in the row during the winter. 
However if coarse manure is not convenient you can get' very 
good results from commercial fertilizer. A mixture composed of 
1,500 pounds dissolved bone and 500 pounds super phosphate. The 
analysis of this mixture is about 3-10-0. Use about 500 or 600 pounds 
of this per acre in the drill before plants are set, or alongside of the 
plants, and thoroughly work in with hoe or cultivator soon after set- 
