The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-05-07

Strawberry CULTURE-POsT-P1CKIEG
WORK.

berry picking all over-to have the
current of things flow back into its
smooth and f~riction1ess channel once
more. Comfortable, too, it is tohave
the balance in the right hand row OF
figures. IL this balance should bob
up on the wrong row, which is not
at all likely this year, unless the
grower has been a most fragrant
offender against the laws or industry
and good management, a little cast
ing about as to modes of culture,
manuring, handling, or as to the.
varieties grown, will doubtless en-
tighten and aid him.
But we will not dwell on these
things, but look to the post-picking
work.
The best thing to do with a straw
berry field that has borne is to pillow
the plants under, run off rows three
feet apart and SOW in these drills
and cover shallow, COW peas at the
rate OF one bushel an acre. The
residue of the fertilizer not appro-
priated by the Strawberries, will
make a fine crop of pea vines. The
vines can either be cut for forage or
turned under TO the very great bene-
fit of the soil. Even when the vines
are cut, the nitrogen gathering roots
are of much value. In fact many
farmers insist that little or no good
results from turning under the vines
in addition to the roots. The facts
seem to be that the nitrogen gathered
by the pea is mostly stored in the
roots, and that the vine is but little
more than any other form of vege-
table matter.
Land thus treated will be ready
for Strawberries the coming fall,
winter and spring, as may be most
convenient to plant, Nor will it
ever berry out" as some one with
mor point than elegance has ex-
pressed it.
But this blowing up the old straw
berry field pre- supposes that u young
one has been planted the previous
fall, winter or spring, and is now
coming on to replace the one de-
stroyed. If this has not been done
it Will be necessary to rehabiIitate
the old field or bed. Timely and
properly done this is practicable,
though quite as good results cannot
be expected as from Il new planting.
Proceed as follows:
"Bar off" the rows on each side,
leaving a strip about a foot wide.
Then chop out the plants on this
strip leaving them about one foot
apart. Vigorous new plants should
always be left in preference to old
ones.
The plants chopped out, sow in the
furrow along each side of the row a
good commercial fertilizer rich in
potash, at the rate of 300 to 500
pounds an acre, and then split the
middles, throwing dirt back to the
plants, but not smothering them.
At the next hOeing the soil can be
snugly settled around them. After
that the culture should be as with d
young field.
The cultivation of a young field is
simple, calling only for diligence and
a fair share of judgment. We do
this blowing the middles with a
small tooth cultivator, stirring the
soil to within about six inches of~the
plants and dropping back to eight
inches as the plant and root growth
increases. The unplowed space
around the plants should be shall
lowly stirred with hoes often enough
to kill grass and weeds before they
come.
If the matted row system is to be
followed the beds should be given a
good and thorough cultivation be-
fore the inner are allowed to take
root. After that little more stirring
than is required to kill the grass is
necessary or practicable.
These young fields should have
been MANFRED in the drill before
planting. Subsequent manuring is
best done in the form of top dress
ing. This top dressing, which should
be of IL highly soluble fertilizer, can
be safely and rapidly done in the fol-
lowing late fall, winter or early
spring. The plants are then in a
dormant state, except in the far
South, and fertilizer sown on them
will do no harm, provided the lea ves