OCR Text |
Show PLAN TO RAISE STRAW8EARIES MT YEAH FEW OTHER OCCUPATIONS ArF0SD LARGER OPPORTUNITIES OR GIVESUtHOUICKRElTiRNS . By YV. M. Iiurlcc. ' ( Government statistics tells us that next to tho apple, the strawberry Ik j the most univn-ally grown fruit in this country, and that the amount of annual revenue recolved trom the strawberry crop Is second only to that received from the applo crop. Viewed, therefore, from the standpoint stand-point of pleasure and profit, tho strawberry may be ranked among our greatest nnd most promising of products. pro-ducts. First, let us consider tho -soil. Tho I strawberry, although not requiring an extremely rich soil, still Is a heavy feeder, and responds very quickly to generous treatment In that regard. j Any soil that will grow good corn, potatoes, or a genoral line of vegetables, vege-tables, also will grow a good crop of strawberries. Jowcver, a light dressing dress-ing of barnyard-fertilizer, scattered over the plot during the winter or early spring, will -aid greatly in producing pro-ducing the desired results. Plowing or spading should bo done to tho depth of six or eight Inches, i depending upon the nature of tho soil; and then It should be thoroughly harrowed har-rowed until It Is as fine as an ash-heap, ash-heap, when It will be ready for tho reception of the plants. If the soil be composed largol of sand, or what J? known as a sandy loam, It will be well to roll tho plot, or drag a plank over It, before setting thes plants. This will firm tho soil, and put It in Just the proper condition for the plants. If tho soil inclines to clay, or is a clay-loam, then this wllj be unnecessary, as the soil is by nature na-ture compact. Th" next consideration is the quality qual-ity of plants. During tho last fifteen yenrs. no other feature of agriculture has bpen moro strongly emphasized by the scientific and practical tillers of time. For the small strawberry-plot, we would prefer to cultivate these plants by what is known as tho hill system. This means that no runner plants should be allowed to grow, but that eati plant as purchased and set. shall be permitted to develop to the full Its own fruiting powers. These plants may be rot 15x15 Inches apart. Where the plot Is somewhat larger, and Is to bo cultivated with the hoo rather than with a horse-cultivtor, the single-hedge system may be adopted if desired, and "ow may bo made 30 inches apart, and tho plnnts set 20 Inches apart In the rows. Under Un-der this system the grower will permit per-mit the maturing of two runner plants from the mother, or original plant sCU and these plants will bo layered in lino with tho mother-plant In the row. This '.lll give the grower three plants for fruiting in the season tol-lowing tol-lowing instead of one plant, and as there will be ample room for sunshino and air. there probably will" be an actual increase in the quantity of fruit as compared with the hill system, although al-though It must do said that the hill system Is the one which will yield tho greatest number of largo berries. In setting plants, thero Is nothing so convenient in tho way of a tool ns tho dibble This is a largo steel blado with a handle, and while the plants aro being sot is held in tho grower's right hand. The dlbblo should bo forced to tho depth of six Inches, when pressed outward, so as to mako an opening large enough to take in tho roots of the plants, Thn roots should be placed In this j opening before the dibble Is wlh-I wlh-I drawn. After tho roots aro placed In tho opening and the dibble withdrawn, I fore settlr?. The rule to obser ) is to trim the roots by at least one-third. This may be done by taking u large pair of shears and cutting off the lower low-er end of tho mass of roots. Then when you place thefe roots In the soil, spread them out like a fan. The plants should be cultivated every ten days during the season, and a good rule to observe is that after ov ry rain, Just as soon as the soil will crumble In the hand, the plants should be cultivated By so doing, the sur-t- of the soil Is covered with fine particles of earth uhlch, In common parlance. Is a dust-mulch. This dust-r. ulch destroys capillary action, and Instead of the' molsturo in the soil evaporating into the air, it can esc pe from the soil only through I the plants themselves. i Set out your plants In April or May lof 3 012 and pinch off every blossom that appears during the entire grow- ilng season of 1912, but in the spring of 1913 every blossom should bo al-' al-' lowed to develop Into a largc and luscious lus-cious berry. After the plants havo been cultivated culti-vated the first season, and when the' first heavy freeze has come, tho planta , .should bo mulched with straw of any! kind. Mulching between the rows should be at a depth of from two to four Inches, depending upon the clim-j ate, and tho mulching over the plants, should bo very lfght. indeed, except ' in the more rigorous climates. The strawberry Is seldom killed by freezing. It Is the alternate freezing and thawing, that causes the goII to heavnt tlint Is dangerous to the straw-! straw-! berry. ' I But mulching serves many other I and important purposes it helps to j retain moisture in the soil; it adds to; the richness of tho soil, and It keeps "V?.! ' VM"!"'-;. 'r lr"V A Profitable Strawberry Patch. tho soil, than tho importance of good scod and good plants. If one has room, say for 100 plants, ho should select twenty-five plants each of an extra-early variety, twenty-five twenty-five of the so called early variety, twenty-five of the mid-season plants, and twenty-five of the very late. Under ordinary conditions he would then have ripening strawberries over a period of from four to five weeks of thrust it into thcsoll about two inches from the opening. Draw it toward you, thus prcssjug tho earth firmly against tho roots of the plant When this Is done, firm the soil with the fingers about the crown of tho plant, leaving the top of tho crown Just even with, or slightly-above the surface of the soil. ,i In this connection, wc should say that all plants should bo pruned be- down tho weeds while tho crop of fruit Is coming on, thus rendering it unncccessary for any cultivation to go forward during this Important period. But to the lover of fine, clean fruit, free from all grit and sand, tho most important thing about this mulching is that it gives tho fruit a clean carpet i to ripen upon, and thus the fruit goes I to tho tablo clean, and frco from I overything qbjcctlonable. I |