Z j. H. Shivers Plant Farms, Allen, Maryland 


STRAWBERRY CULTURE 
The strawberry is grown in nearly every section of the United 
States, in parts of Canada and even in Alaska. It is adapted to 
4 wider range of soil and climate conditions than most small fruits. 
The crop is produced on large acreages for commercial purposes, 
while the “Strawberry Bed” forms a part of every well kept home 
garden. : : 
PLANTING GUIDE 
In this limited space I will give suggestions 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, free and postpaid. — 
A strawberry grower should take this means of keeping’ in touch with the 
newer developments and methods being employed in present day strawberry 
culture. 
SOILS. Practically any soil that will grow good field crops will grow 
good berries—good rich, sandy loam preferred. All kinds of fruit plants 
demand that the soil be able to hold moisture well, and at the same time drain 
easily. Excellent results are secured on both sandy and clay types of soil 
under the proper cultural management. Any soil selected for strawberry 
growing should be well provided with organic matter as this tends to prevent 
heaving out of plants in winter and enables the crop to withstand the droughts 
of summer. Even the extreme types of soils including sandy, gravelly or 
stiff clays can be made to produce profitable crops of berries where the land 
is Gen improved by the addition of organic matter and the proper fertilizers 
applied. 
Organic matter in the for mof legume crops, manure or sod should be 
turned under far enough in advance of planting to allow it to become de- 
composed in the soil. 
SOIL PREPARATION: Soil for setting strawberry plants should be 
plowed deeply and harrowed until it is loose and level. I like fall plowing 
as it allows the soil to settle and turned under vegetable matter to decay. 
Spring plowing is all right, but fall plowing is better when possible. The 
land‘ should be thoroughly harrowed in spring, followed with a culti-packer 
or roller to preserve moisture after planting. It is best to plant some cover 
crop such as oats or rye which is to be plowed under except in the case of 
sod land which should be left rough over winter to kill the white grub. 
Several weeks before planting, the cover crop should be turned under or 
rough land disced thoroughly. A week or ten days before the plants are set, 
the final preparation of the plant bed should be made at which time the 
fertilizer should be applied. 
Stable manures are the best fertilizers I 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. This 
may be applied in the fall and plowed in or spread on: land after pplowing 
and worked in the soil, well. The best results I have ever obtained is by open- 
ing the rows and putting some fine manure in the row during the winter. | 
However, if coarse manure is not convenient you can get very good re- 
sults from commercial fertilizer. A mixture composed of 1,500 pounds dis 
solved bone and 500 pounds super phosphate. The analysis of this mixture 
