J. H. Shivers Plant Farms, Allen, Maryland 
5 
SPRAYING 
Spraying is not usually necessary in growing strawberries suc¬ 
cessfully. Care in purchasing healthy plants, and in selecting varie¬ 
ties immune or resistant to disease and insects is much more im¬ 
portant. 
MULCHING : Before severe weather starts the plants should be 
covered with 1 to 3 inches of some good mulching material such as 
hay, straw or pine needles. As spring growth starts this mulch where 
too thick should be pulled open and arranged under the plant. Plants 
F or the most part are usually able to push through thinner mulches, 
unless it packs. This mulch serves to support the fruit and avoids rot 
and grit, making your berries cleaner and firmer to harvest. 
MARKETING: The ultimate value of a crop of berries is deter¬ 
mined by the selling price. Well grown fruit should receive the great¬ 
est care in harvesting, packing and shipping, so that it reaches the 
consumer in as good condition as possible. There is usually an over¬ 
supply of poor fruit, but very rarely a market is glutted with good 
fruit, well displayed. Intelligent grading pays. A dishonest pack 
hurts the shipper most. Some form of ventilated crate should be used 
for best results in transit. 
WHAT TO DO WHEN THE PLANTS ARRIVE 
Set plants on arrival if possible. It will help if roots of the 
plants can be dipped in water and allowed to “plump up’ ? for sometime 
before setting, perhaps over night. At any rate have them thoroughly 
moistened when planting. If anything prevents immediate planting 
and the weather is cool, the top of the crate should be taken off and 
the plants loosened in the crate, still keeping the roots covered with 
the packing material. Placed where it is cool, plants will keep like 
this two or three days. If weather is too warm to keep plants, or too 
cold to set them out they should be heeled in some shaded or pro¬ 
tected place. Dig a V-shaped trench, open the bundles, spread them 
out in thin layers with buds just even with the surface of the ground 
and firm the soil back against the roots of the plants. If necessery 
several layers of plants can be heeled in the same place with one or 
two inches of soil between each layer. Wet the soil and plants thor¬ 
oughly when heeling is done. 
TYPICAL TESTIMONIALS 
I got my first crop of berries from the first plants I ordered from 
you 2 years ago. They were beautiful berries and profitable, hence 
the repeat order. Mineral C., W. Va., Geo. T. Knode. 
We would appreciate your price list. We have bought Maryland 
strawberry plants for years. A man who has' been buying from your 
farms for several years recommended your plants. 
Preble Co., Ohio Ernst Nurseries. 
START TO SAY E BY ORDERING YOUR PLANTS FROM ME 
