J. W. JONES & SON, FRANKLIN, VIRGINIA 5 




or 500 pounds will not hurt them, provided it is well scattered and then culti- 
vated in before setting the plants. We recommend raw or dissolved bone 
meal as the best for strawberries. 
SETTING PLANTS 
There are many methods of setting the plants. No particular method 
has advantage over another except in the saving of labor. The important 
thing is to get your plants in the ground the same depth as they grew in the 
criginal bed, and to pack the dirt firmly around the roots. ‘this done there 
is little choice as to the method of doing it. The cultivation is always im- 
portant 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 to strawberries, 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. One other bit of ad-. 
vice: until July 1st, remove all blossoms from the young plants. It will pay 
well in increased health and vigor. 
FALL PLOWING FOR GRUBWORMS 
One of the most destructive pests known to berry growers is the June: 
Bug larvae, or common grub worm. Use land that has grown cultivated 
crops for two years previous to setting the plants, and then plow as late im 
the fall as possible. This hardly ever fails to control them. 
DISEASES 
Strawberries do not suffer from as many ailments as do most of the other 
fruits. Perhaps the worst of all foes are the “leaf spot” and “leaf scorch”’. 
The first is rarely very serious, but the “scorch” may be serious as to kill 
the entire foliage and sometimes the plants. The accepted remedy is to spray 
with Bordeaux Mixture as soon as the leaves attain any size in the Spring 
and to repeat as often as necessary so as to keep the leaves healthy until 
the crop is picked. 
THINNING 
For best results beds should never be too thickly set with plants. It has 
always been observed that the plants along the edges bear the most berries. 
and of the best size, but it has now been determined that for the largest crop. 
each plant should have at least thirty six square inches of space, that is. 
they should be six inches apart in all directions. Obviously it will be difficult: 
to make such spacing exact, but in general such approximate room will be 
found to pay. It should be bourne in mind that this must be done early so 
the plants will attain the larger growth the wider spacing will give them. 
Such attention will cost, but in the end it will pay. 
STRAWBERRIES AND ACID SOIL 
It has always been assumed that strawberries require an acid soil for 
best results. It is now definitely determined that this is no longer true, 
especia'ly if the organic matter in the soil is low. A series of experiments 
conducted by the Virginia Truck Experiment Station show that yield is 
increased five times in a soil that has proper lime content (pH 6.2) over 
a soil very definitely acid (pH 4.4 to pH 4.6). Plants that very transplanted 
to the very acid soil did not grow well and many of them died after getting 
a slow start. Those that lived did not make a normal number of runners 
and their growth was greatly retarded. Further, those that lived and grew 
did not produce anywhere near a normal crop of berries the following season. 
Of course in the natural limestone sections, the probabilities are that no 
lime will ever be needed, but those who do not live in these favored locali- 
ties will be wise in having their soil tested for acidity if the planting of 
strawberries is comtemplated. It must be bourne in mind that there is the 
danger of over liming which also reduces the yield, for that reason we strong- 
ly suggest that our customers get in touch with their State Experiment Sta- 
tions and have the soil to be planted in berries analized. It will be possible 
to apply exactly the proper amount of lime for best results. If this scientific 
analysis is not possible for you, our State Horticulturist in charge of these 
