The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-30
STRAWBERRY CULTURE.

The Minnesota Horticulturist pub
fishes a very instructive paper upon
this subject, which was read by Mr.. r.
j. Coe, of TT. Atkinson, Wisconsin, be-
fore a recent meeting of the Minneso-
ia Horticultural Society. Our Utah
producers should obtain much profit
from the experience of so eminent
fruit grower. Strawberries grown upon
the principles illustrated in this paper
are produced in the East at prof1ts
ranging from $500 to $500 an acre.
While no such profits are in view with
the present state of our markets, there
as more profit in an acre OF berries
than in any other crop. Mr.. Coe says:
Henry Ward Beecher once said:
Doubtless God could have made
better berry than the strawberry, but
he never did" And that is the Sent1-
ment of every one who grows them
himself and can have them in all their
delicious freshness and beauty. That
this is also the sentiment of those who
live in the cities, is abundantly proved
by the great quantities that are grown
and marketed each season. L think
IL as safe to say that more strawberrleS
are put on the market each year than
all the other small fruits together. If
this is true, it behooves US as horticul-
rurtsts TO put a little thought on how
TO grow the best crop Of such varieties
as will find a ready sale at the high
est market price, and that at the least
expense. AS a rule it is the largest
CROP mat costs the least per quart to
produce. Let us consider briefly, first,
The Soil and its Preparation.
We very often hear it said, that any
land that will produce good corn is all
right for strawberries, which is very
true, but I would prefer a soil some
what more moist than the ideal corn
land. In preparing land for straw
berries, begin, if possible, the year be-
fore planting, by nlanuring heavily and
planting to some lloed crop that can
be taken of early. AS soon as Sep
tember LIST, pillow and SOW to rye, using
plenty Of seed, say two or two and
one-half bushels per acre. This pro-
tects from loss of fertility. Plow in
spring as early as the land gets dry
enough to plow up fine and mellow.
Immediately after blowing, harrow
very thoroughly, five or six times at
least, and thereafter every few days
until planting time. This, with the
spring rains, puts the ground in the
best condition for planting. being both
fine and firm. A little extra work done
before planting will more than pay.
Land SO treated will stand drouth
much better than in any other way
that | have been able to prepare it,
iJUli pIdIL sSIIdNDeIIl6S dIuer SUaW-
berries, unless You are willing 80 take
a partial crop where you should get a
full one. The first crop seems to so
take certain elements from the soil
that the plants will be small and
weak, and such plants cannot produce
heavy crop In fact, you have lost
nearly or quite half the crop before |
you fairly begin.
Plants and Their Preparation.
And right here another don't
comes in Don't ever take plants from |
a bed that has borne fruit, for even !
though you may get young plants. |
Iney were grown from plants that had |
just been weakened by producing the |
crop of fruit and are not as strong |
and full of vigor as plants from a new |
bed would be.
Don't even take plants from between
the rows of a new bed. because these |
plants are small and immature, and !
cannot possibly make as strong vigor- |
Gus fruiting beds as larger. ripper plants
would DO. l have laid good deal of |
stress upon getting only good plants
10 start with, because. to my mind, !
success depends very largely upon get
ting started right 1t is only by hav-
ing the very best plants that the larg-
est crops can be grown. No man ever
yet succeeded in growing a heavy
crop, unless he had good plants to do
it with.
Have your plants dug two or three
days before you want to use them
Plants dug and put in a good cool cell
lar, spread out in thin layers, with
the roots kept moist and well covered
with an old blanket or something of
that sort. will throw out little white.
thread-lke roOtletS, and when proper
~ planted will not wilt, but will start
to grow at once, while the plant that
Is dug and Immediately planted will
wilt and stand for several DAYS. unless
the weather is favorable at that time.
A still better way, but a little more
work, is to spread them in thin lay
ers, with a little soil between the
layers until the rootlets show. usual
ly about three days.
/ find that most people who have
strawberry plants shipped to them
think they must get them in the ground
just as soon as possible. think the
above treatment is even more inn
portant with such plants than with
those freshly dug. / remember a few
years ago we had a thousand plants
of a new variety shipped to us. which
arrived in very poor condition and
were dead. The lunches were opened
and thoroughly wet. The plants were
then heeled In, in thin layers and COW
cred about four inches with marsh hay.
AT the end of a. week they were planted
in the field, and almost every plant
grew and made very nice growth.
Planting.
Make the rows three and one-half
feet apart and be particular to get
them straight. In planting. take pains
TO get every plant or the line. so that
an cutivating you can keep up close
to the row and leave but little TO do
with the hoe. Horse work is cheaper {
and so far as it can be used is mich ,
better than HAND labor. that we aim /,
to do everything possible with the /
horse and cultivation. In planting be
particular to get your plants in the s
ground as firm as possible. Neglect Z
on this point often causes very serious
loss. We have tried good many WAYS ,