INSTRUCTIONS for PLANTING 
In this limited space we will give directions for the most necessary details 
for successful Strawberry growing. You may get more information 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, Raspberry, Black- 
berry, and all fruit plant or tree culture, free and postpaid. All fruit growers 
should take this means of keeping in touch with the newer developments and 
methods now being employed in fruit culture. 
SOIL. Practically any soil that will grow good 
field crops will grow good berries—sandy loam 
preferred. All kinds of fruit plants demand that 
the soil hold moisture well, and at the same 
time drain easily. Avoid low, frosty places, where 
possible, Hillsides can be used to good advant- 
age. 
FITTING THE SOIL. Soil for setting fruit 
plants should be plowed deeply and harrowed 
until it is loose and level. We like fall plowing 
as it allows the soil to settle and turned under 
vegetable matter to decay. Spring plowing is all 
right, but the fall plowing is better when possi- 
ble. The land should be thoroughly harrowed in 
spring, followed with a cultipacker or roller to 
preserve moisture after planting, 
WHEN TO PLANT. The best time is some 
time during late March or April. We begin ship- . 
ping about March 20th or 25th, and plants are 
in fine dormant condition for about a month 
after that and may be safely shipped and plant- 
ed anywhere. 
Many inquiries come to us in regard to the 
setting of strawberry plants in August. The 
northern grown plants are not matured enough 
to permit digging or shipping at this time. We 
have found that October setting is far more suc- 
cessful than in August and we are pleased to 
give you our method of fall planting. 
Have your soil prepared about the first of 
September, keeping it well cultivated until the 
15th, then sow it to oats at the rate of two bush- 
els per acre. The strawberry plants should be 
secured between October 15th and 30th, accord- 
ing to weather conditions. Set them in the oats 
as the roots do not start in time to hold in the 
ground and the oats will make a tine mulching 
for the winter. In the spring cultivate them and 
hoe them, then spread some good commercial 
fertilizer such as 2-14-2 or 4-16-4 on each side 
of the row and cultivate again. We are sure you 
will have a fine strawberry bed the following 
year. 
SELECTION OF VARIETIES. We list only the 
very best varieties grown in all lines of fruit and 
you can safely plant any one of them with the 
assurance that you are getting first class varie- 
ties and stock. If you wish you may leave the 
selection to us and we will make up a list of 
varieties that we know will please you. 
HOW TO PLANT. For commercial planting we 
recommend that rows be about 3 feet 8 inches 
apart and plants set about 14 to 18 inches in the 
row, requiring about 8500 plants per acre. Holes 
for setting plants may be made with a dibble, 
trowel or an ordinary spade. Do not plow fur- 
row and put plants in them, as that leaves the 
ground too loose for good results. For garden 
culture the rows may be made closer and for hill 
culture the plants may be planted about 24 inch- 
es apart each way. 
FERTILIZING. Stable manures are the best 
fertilizers we 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. 
Should be applied and plowed under in the fall 
for best results, A crop of clover, soy beans, oats, 
or rye, plowed under, is also good fertilizing 
practice. Good grade commercial fertilizers— 
nitrate of soda is particularly good on straw- 
berries—will give full value quickly the same 
season as applied. They should be sown on the 
ground after being plowed, and well harrowed 
in, or may be worked into the soil along the row 
after the plants are set, but do not put it on top 
of plants or leave uncovered for best results, 
CULTIVATION AND CARE DURING FIRST 
SEASON. Cultivation should be continuous 
throughout the growing season and early fall, 
keeping the soil finely broken up to prevent loss 
of moisture, and at the same time bring it up to 
the surface within reach of the plant roots. The 
plants should be hoed over as needed. A little 
soil thrown on the runner plants will aid them 
in rooting, Fruit stems should be picked from 
the newly set plants and Kept off until about 
July ist. The everbearers will produce a full crop 
on stems set on after that date, throughout the 
entire summer and fall, the same year they are 
set. June bearers will bear the following spring. 
CARE OF PATCH AFTER PICKING. At the 
end of the fruiting season comes the question of 
renewal of the bed for the next season’s crop. A 
very successful practice is to mow, rake off and 
burn the old vines. Following this, turn a shal- 
low furrow away from each side of the row, us- 
ing a small plow, leaving the row about 6 to 8 
inches wide. Then go over the row with a hoe, 
cutting out plants, so that small blocks of the 
newer plants are left 8 to 10 inches apart. Final- 
ly, cultivate the soil down that has been turned 
into the middle of the row. The mowing and 
burning will destroy any leaf diseases and in- 
sects that may be in the leaves, and the opera- 
tions will provide room and fresh soil for the 
new runners necessary to give a good yield the 
following season. A light layer of stable manure, 
if free from weed and grass seed, put on after 
the ground freezes, as a winter mulch, will bene- 
fit plant and fruit production. 
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