The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1902-08-20
Old Strawberry Reds.

Fruit growers are discussing the
advantage of new strawberry beds
every year compared with allowing
bed to bear crops for two or more
years. Now that the strawberry crop
has been harvested in this section
for this season, attention should be
given the bed, as old beds require
considerable labor If they are to be
put to use again next year, and the
value Of the old bed depends upon the
treatment given from this time until
next spring. Usually the strawberry
bed is mass of weeds and grass,
unless it has been kept in excellent
condition from the time the young
plants were set out until the present,
but the first duty now is to get rid OF
the weeds before they produce seed.
Some growers NOW the rows and then
work carefully with the hoe. leaving
the rows as narrow as possible, and
working between the rows well with
the cultivator
The results of the second year
with Strawberries depend largely upon
the amount OF fertilizer supplied the
first season. as we'll as upon the guam
tity used the second year. II the
bed has been cleaned completely of
weeds, and the soil between the rows
well worked, the grower should apply
fertilizer now, placing 1t close to the
plants, along the outside Of each row.
A fertilizer consisting largely of phos-
phate and potash should be used. as
the nitrogen should be applied early
in the spring, owing to its solubility.
but in cases where ground fish is used
the nitrogen is not SO easily carried
away by rains. Matted rows, II such
are preferred by growers. should have
the fertilizer broad-casted over the
rows, but II matted rows are used they
should at least be greatly reduced In
width.
Growers who rely upon only one
crop from a strawberry bed claim that
IT is better to use all the fertilizer the
plants can appropriate the first year,
so as to secure the largest possible
yield, and plant the old bed to late
cabbages, as the fertilizer left over
in the soil and not appropriated by
the strawberry plants should produce
cabbages of extra size and quality
II is claimed also that by growing
some other crop on the old strawberry
he'd the insect enemies of the straw
berry are more easily kept down, and
that diseases of the plants do not
spread so rapidly when the crop is
rr.,u,, unon a new DlOt every season.
Everything depends upon the labor,
however, and the growers who aim to
get two crops instead OF one, and keep
the land in strawberries two years, are
inclined to suppose that they save
labor and fertilizers the second year;
but when II Is considered that the
plowing under of an old bed adds con-
siderable plant food to the soil, and
that some other profitable crop can
be grown thereon, it is probable that
the grower will save labor by having
fewer insects and diseases to contend
with by, making new beds every
spring. A good crop of strawberries
will produce more bushels per acre
than corn, and except when harvest
ing the berries, the crop requires no
more attention than corn. Much or
the labor on corn is done after 1t is
harvested, while the strawberry bed,
If kept clean early in the year, may
entail but little labor upon the grower
until the next spring.-Philadelphia
Record.
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