Keith's Way to Grow 
Profitable Crops of Strawberries 
The growing of strawberries is not even difficult when you follow Keith’s ways. Read carefully the 
following general information, and set Keith's strong, healthy plants and you will pick more and better 
berries than you have ever picked before. Save this catalog and you will then have this information. 
(Note: For a more intensive method of culture, see page 3.) 
Soils Any soil that grows a good paying crop 
of corn, oats, potatoes, etc., will grow 
strawberries successfully, but the most ideal is a 
rich, moist, cool, sandy loam. Gravelly or clay 
loams will also grow them successfully, but more 
organic matter has to be added. to make them 
more open and workable. Organic matter can be 
applied in the form of straw, fodder, leaves, etc., 
the more decayed, the better. 
Regardless of the kind of soil they are set in, the 
plant should never be allowed to want for water 
and food. Keep them always in a thrifty, vigorous 
condition. Since moisture is one of the necessary 
requisites for successful berry culture, select, when 
possible, a soil that will hold moisture and not 
dry out during summer and become hard and 
difficult to work. 
' Hi Thorough preparation is 
Soil Prepa ration very essential. It should 
be done as far in advance of planting as possible. 
Freshly prepared soil will not hold moisture like 
soil prepared early and allowed time to settle. 
With the exception of heavy soils, it is well to 
prepare soil late the fall before, by plowing or 
spading it 8 to 10 inches deep and allowing it 
to remain in a rough, unharrowed condition over 
winter. Early the following spring, it should be 
deeply disked, harrowed and made smooth and 
ready for planting. By following this system the 
sandy loams or lighter soils will be in the best 
condition for successful results. 
Where it is found necessary to prepare soil in the 
spring, do so as far as possible in advance of 
planting. Apply a liberal amount of manure and 
plow or spade 8 to 10 inches deep. Follow plow- 
ing with a clod crusher or roller, then disk, harrow 
and roll until the soil bed is firm. Disk or harrow 
often enough thereafter to keep the soil well 
worked up and free from weeds, and just before 
planting, smooth the surface for convenience in 
marking out rows and planting. 
An early, thoroughly prepared soil pays big. 
Don't neglect this essential. 
Enriching the Soil [f you are to grow 
two quarts of ber- 
ries where one was grown before, give the plants 
twice as much water and food as you did before. 
Many growers overlook this fact. 
Barnyard (stable) manures are considered best 
for enriching soils for strawberries. Sheep, cow, 
[4] 
horse, or pig manures are all good, but any of 
them should contain considerable amounts of 
rotted straw or should be used in about one-half 
the amounts given here for horse and cow ma- 
nures. 
To average soil, broadcast 15 to 20 wagonloads 
per acre, (4 to 5 bushels per square rod), of cow 
or horse manure as far ahead of plowing as pos- 
sible and disk well into the top layers of soil be- 
fore plowing under. This will get the plant foods 
of the manure more evenly and thoroughly mixed 
with the soil than if the manure were turned 
directly under and laid flat in the bottom of the 
furrow in unbroken lumps. 
After plowing, while the soil is still in a rough, 
unharrowed condition, apply 7 to 10 wagon loads 
per acre, (2 to 3 bushels per square rod), of fine, 
well-rotted manure, which will be thoroughly 
mixed with the top layer of soil by disking, har- 
rowing, etc. Harrow, disk, and roll until you have 
the soil in tip-top garden shape. 
Commercial Fertilizer ©» the aver- 
age soil use 
900 to 1000 pounds of 4-16-4 fertilizer per 
acre. On poorer soils use same amount of a 
4-8-8. On garden soils use 10 to 12 pounds per 
square rod. Apply about one-third of the total 
amount before harrowing, one-third along the row 
shortly after plants are set, and the remaining 
one-third about 90 days later. In applying fer- 
tilizer along the rows, scatter it so it will be 
worked well into the soil by hoeing and cultiva- 
tion. Thoroughly mix it with the soil. At no time 
should fertilizer come in direct contact with the 
roots or leaves of the plants. Do not place fertil- 
izer in the holes where plants are set, nor directly 
under them unless you mix it very thoroughly 
with the soil. 
Ch icken Manure In which 16 per cent 
acid phosphate is 
mixed, brings good results. Mix 1500 pounds of 
the manure with 500 of the acid phosphate and 
use about two tons per acre (25 pounds per square 
rod), applying one-third at a time as in commer- 
cial fertilizer. 
Setting the Plants ‘et plants as early 
as possible in the 
spring after the danger of hard freezing is over— 
as early as you would make early garden. 
Space the rows 36 inches apart in garden and 42 
inches in field culture, spacing plants 12 inches 
