The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-10-15
TcoNoLUDED FROM PAGE Il

raise the bed a little the walking or
space between the beds must be
broader, say two and a half feet.
Set the plants by means of a line
opening holes large and deep enough
70 admit of spreading the roots in a
vertical position, press the earth
firmly around the roots. Ii the SOIL
is dry at planting pour water In tne
holes before setting the plants.
Unless the soil is infested by win
ter-growing weeds very little Guilt
walton will be needed till the spring /;
still if a hard packing rain should
fall soon after planting, a light work
ing with hand hoes will promote
growth.
If the liberal quantities Of manur
mentioned have been applied no more
will be needed before berry time, but
if only the stable manure or only the
cotton seed or meal has been applied
it will pay to apply around or be-
tween plants a month before time o
blooming, either a liberal quantity
of ashes or a soluble fertilizer rich
in potash. When the ingredients
can be obtained the following form
MIA gives a perfect top dressing ma
nure for average soils per acre:
Nitrate of soda. IDS
Sulphate of potash.
Acid phosphate or dissolved
bone
The nitrate of soda can be omitted
if the heavy application of stable
manure or cotton seed meal was
used.
Care must be taken to destroy all
weeds by shallow cultivation early
in the spring. The mulch should be
applied lust before growth begins in
the spring. This mulch is TO keep
the berries clean and should be evenly
spread Just deep enough to hide the
plants when spread. The first rain
will beat it down neatly around the
plants. If weeds push up through
the mulch pull them out. Pine straw
whenever obtainable makes the best
mulch but almost any kind OF straw
or litter can be used.
At the North, and especially on
wet soils given to heaving in heavy
freezes. it is best to mulch the plants
we'll as soon as very cold weather
sets in and remove the mulch in
early spring, scattering it then
around and between the plants.
For ordinary field culture the
plants should be set in rows two and
a half or three feet apart and II or
Is inches apart in the row. The
same plan as to manuring can be fol
lowed, using it in such quantities as
practicable. If cotton seed meal or
the seed are used in only moderate
quantities, say 500 to 800 pounds
meal or so bushels of seed per acre,
it should be applied in the drill, mix
ing it we'll with the soil by running
a o~ultivator down the row before the
lists are made. These lists should be
knocked down very low, about level.
Follow same plan of culture as given
for intensive culture.
If the heavy manuring described
could have been applied last spring
and followed by a crop of peas or
vegetation of any kind it would have
been better than the fall application.
Excellent Strawberries may be grown
in good garden soil without any
further manuring, though ashes will
pay we'll.
The above plan supposes that all
runners will be clipped off as fast as
they come out. They will begin next
spring about bearing time. If it is
followed, a bed or field can be raised
to bear a good crop next spring and
an enormous n in the spring of
1908, taking it for granted that
only the best varieties are planted.
o. w. BLACKNALL.
Vance Co., N. G.