The KEY TO STRAWBERRY PROFITS 
The kind of soil you have is not so important as what is 
put into the soil, the manner in which it is prepared, and 
the cultural methods followed. Soil is nothing more than 
the home where plants live and it is the feeding and care 
which they receive that encourages their growth and pro- 
ductiveness. Strawberries thrive in high and low altitudes 
and in all soils and climates, therefore, instead of seeking 
better soil, improve your own soil by the following instruc- 
tions given in this book. 
Soil Preparation 
Whenever possible it is advisable to plow or spade your 
field or garden in the fall and the following spring re-plow. 
If it is impossible to plow in the fall, plow just as early in 
the spring as weather conditions will permit. 
Then before setting the plants, level the ground with a 
harrow, or if a small garden, with the garden rake. In large 
areas it is a good thing to roll the ground before setting the 
plants in order to make the soil firm. 
Fertilizing 
In years gone by the fertilizer always recommended for 
Strawberries was stable manure. Now, however, since stable 
manure has become so hard to obtain, many good sub- 
stitutes have been developed which are just as good or even 
better if applied according to the manufacturer’s instruc- 
tions. The best of these are animal fertilizers, such as pul- 
verized cow manure, sheep manure, and specially prepared 
chicken manure. 
Most of the specially prepared fertilizers can be secured 
through some local dealer. 
The pulverized sheep manures and cow manures may be 
applied immediately after the plants are set, close around 
the plants. This saves waste as the fertilizer is appled only 
where it will be of most use and it will be worked into the 
soil as you hoe and cultivate. 
The same is true of the specially prepared chicken 
manure. The best of these are mixed well with Peat Moss 
which has been used under the roosting places of the fowls. 
In no case should 
Ww A R N I N G : you use pure chick- 
en manure for fertilizing your Strawberry plants unless you 
yourself prepare it carefully in advance by the following 
method: Chicken manure should be mixed with three or 
four parts of dry earth before being applied to the plants. 
The best way to do this is to lay down a layer of dry earth, 
then a layer of chicken manure and follow this with an- 
other layer of dry earth three or four times as deep as the 
layer of chicken manure, then another layer of chicken 
manure and so on. Then fork this over thoroughly in order 
to mix it well. . 
The chicken manure should be old and well rotted before 
being used. Fresh chicken manure is dangerous even when 
mixed as above. 
Of course, if you can obtain stable manure, then you 
are lucky and we would advise you to use it. It should be 
applied on top of the ground during the winter and it will 
go into the soil in the spring when you re-plow previous 
to planting. This same method can be used for cow manure 
obtained from dairy farms. 
Time to Set Plants 
The proper time to set Strawberry plants is during 
the early spring months from the latter part of March until 
the middle of May, at which time the plants are in excellent 
condition for shipping and planting. 
Later in the season they will not stand shipping as well, 
nor respond as readily after setting. Therefore, it is to the 
grower’s interest to set his plants just as early in the spring 
as soil conditions will permit. If this cannot be done, plants 
should be shipped early and heeled in until they are to be 
set, in accordance with the instructions that follow. 
[3] 
Only in the extreme southern states can plants be set in 
the fall with any degree of success. 
Heeling In or Keeping Plants 
Until They Are Set 
Often. bad weather -or-other -conditions will. prevent you 
from setting your plants immediately upon arrival. In that 
case, heel them in. First select a spot well protected from 
wind and sun, then dig a V-shaped trench about 8 inches 
deep as shown below. Loosen the bunches of plants and 
spread the plants out along the trench as shown. Next 
cover the roots well with about 1 inch of earth, pack firm- 
ly with your feet, lay down another row of plants, cover the 
roots with earth again and so on until all are heeled in. 
Now give one final firming of the soil with your feet, apply- 
ing all your weight. It is scarcely possible to get the soil too 
firm. 
Next soak the trench well with water, then cover all but 
the crowns with loose soil, old burlap, straw, or leaves. Keep 
soil moist until plants are set. 
l 
Heeling in is actually a benefit to the plants when 
properly done as instructed above. Be careful to draw the 
soil well up to the crowns, but do not cover them. 
It is even:advisable to order plants early, then heel them 
in until you are ready to set. Plants properly heeled in will 
keep for several weeks. 
Planting Systems 
‘There are many systems for planting and growing Straw- 
berries, but the most profitable are the hill, single hedge, 
and double hedge row. Each one of these is illustrated and 
described in the text that follows. 
Plant ina Hill 
The picture above shows a Strawberry plant grown by 
the hill system. Note the absence of runners. By the hill sys- 
tem, all runners are pinched off or chopped off with a hoe 
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