4 J. H. Shivers Plant Farms, Allen, Maryland 
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CULTIVATION: The cultivation is always important and should be 
started as soon as the planting is finished. If one will take the trouble to 
destroy all grass and weeds the year previous on land to be planted in straw- 
berries, it will be found to pay handsomely, as the seeds thus destroyed will 
not be in your berry beds to plague the grower and run up the cost of hoeing. 
Keep them clean until frost, hoe shallow so as not to disturb the roots, and 
success is assured. ; 
VARIETIES: The selection of varieties should be governed by the local 
conditions and the demand of the markets to be furnished. Information is 
available from your State Agricultural Experiment Station, local growers or 
County Agent. Some varieties are very popular in the South, while other 
varieties are more popular in the Central and West. The North select and 
find more satisfaction in growing an entirely different variety from the other 
sections. New varieties are constantly being developed and tested. 
PERFECT AND IMPERFECT VARIETIES: Perfect flowering varieties 
planted alone will mature a crop of perfect fruit. Imperfect flowering varie 
ties should have perfect varieties planted with them, at least one row for every 
five or six. When two varieties are used in equal amounts, they are often 
alternated three or four rows of each. Any imperfect. variety will be marked 
imp.” é 
sé 
MULCHING: Before severe weather starts the plants should be covered 
with 1 to 3 inches of 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 plants. Plants for 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 and the mulch keep the moisture up in dry, windy weather. 
“MARKETING: The ultimate value of a crop of berries is determined by 
the selling price. Well grown fruit should receive the greatest care in harvest- 
ing, packing and shipping, so that it reaches the consumer in as good condition 
as possible. There is usually an oversupply of poor fruit, but very rarely 
is the market 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 some- 
time before setting, perhaps over night. At any rate have them 
thoroughly moistened when planting. If anything prevents im- 
mediate planting and the weather is cool, the top of the crate 
should be taken off and the plants loosened in the crate, still keep- 
ing 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 in some shaded or protected plpace. 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 necessary, several layers of 
plants can be heeled-in the same place with one or two inches of 
soil between each layer of plants. Wet the soil and roots of plants 
thoroughly when heeling-in is done. 3 
