
STRAWBERRY SPECIALIST 9 

We fertilize with hen manure mostly and horse 
manure when we can get it. This is plowed under 
in the Fall. The land is plowed again in the Spring. 
Then harrowed until it is nice and mellow and ready 
for planting. We always get our plants set out be- 
tween the first and the twentieth of April. About 
two weeks after planting we use a 5-8-7 fertilizer to 
start the plants, a handful to every three or four 
plants, then hoe it in. 
CATSKILL (Per.) Midseason 
The Catskill is a midseason berry; ripens about 
a week after the Howard 17. A cross of the Mar- 
shall and Howard 17. The plants are large, very 
vigorous and yield very heavy crops. The berries 
are very large, firm, bright red in color, glossy and 
attractive, and good quality. The bright, shiny red 
berries make an attractive package in the basket or 
in the crate. The berries are so larze they should be 
sold in trays, rather than in crates. On rich land the 
Catskill makes too many plants and should not be 
allowed to set too many as we find the largest and 
finest berries are always where plants are fairly wide 
apart. The Catskill keeps good size to the last pick- 
ing and to be at its best should have fairly heavy 
and rich land. Anyone growing for market cannot 
go wrong in planting Howard 17 for early and Cat- 
skill for midseason to late. The berries are produced 
on strong stems that keep the berries up off the 
ground. They dry off after heavy rain and you get 
very few rotten berries. Not quite as heavy a crop- 
per as the Howard 17. They ripen about a week after 
the Howard. They are at their best when the How- 
ard is starting to run down a little in size. There- 
