J. W. JONES:& SON, FRANKLIN, VIRGINIA 5 
or 500 pounds will not hurt them, provided it is well scattered and then cult- 
ivated in before setting the plants. We recommend raw or dissolved bone 
meal as the best for strawberries, if obtainable, or a mixed fertilizer of 
about the proportion of 9-6-3. 
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 original 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 
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 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 blossems from the young plants. It wiil pay 
well in increased health and vigor. 
FALL PLOWING BHST 
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 in 
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 “sorch’” may be serious as to kill 
the entire foliage and sometimes the plants. The accepter 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 keen the leaves healthy until 
the crop is picked. 2 
THINNING 
For best results beds should never be too thickly set with plants. It has. 
always been observed that the plants along the edges hear 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 LIME 
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, 
especially if the organic matter in the soil is low. A series of experiments 
cenducted by the Virginia Truck Experiment Station show that the yield is 
increased five times in a soil that has the proper lime content (pH 6.2) over 
a soil very definitely acid (pH 4. 4 pH 4. 6). Plants that were 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, 
Ot course in the natural limestone sections, the probalities 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 plantingof 
strawberries is contemplated. it must be bourne in mind that there is the 
danger of overliming which also reduces the yield, for that reason we 
strongly suggest that our customers get in touch with their State Experi. 
ment Stations and have the soil to be planted in berries analized. It will be 
possible to apply extactly the proper amount of lime for best results. If this 
scientific analysis is not possible for you. 
