The progressive farmer., 1902-04-08
Horticulture.
WHAT TO DO WITH THE strawberry
IN THE SPRING.


Oorrespondence ofThe Progressive Farmer.
This is by long odds the most i'm
portant period in strawberry culture.
Whether you shall have this deli
cious berry at its best, and in large
quantities or not, depends largely
upon what you do right now to earn
Is. Beds or fields that went hope
lessly, il then seemed, TO grass last
season, will now respond marvel
ously to good treatment. There Is
nothing that forgives neglect like
the strawberry.
The strawberry needs no cultlVa-
ton the spring that 1t fruits. The
all important thing is to keep it
clear of weeds. If the weeds are
very thick light soraping with a
hoe will be necessary. If there are
not too many pull them out by hand
as they grow up long enough to get
hold of. A field or bed if much given
80 weeds will, even after being
scrsped out, need more or less hand
wedding.
The richer the soil the more apt it
is TO be infested with weeds, the
faster and larger they grow, and the
more harm they will do. And 1t
must be remembered that when the
plants have been suffered to mat
very thiokly every surplus plant acts
as a weed, robbing and being robbed
of moisture, nourishment and sun
light.
Therefore if too thick they should
be thinned out to stand not less than
six inches apart. It may look like
murder now, but it will be mercy in
the long run to the plants left. This
will be found tedious work if there
is much of it TO do, but it had better
be done even hurriedly and clumsily
than not at all. A garden trowel
can be used to thin a small bed.
Where it has 30 be done on large
scale hoe will have to be called in.
And the man who has TO do much Of
it will repent of not having avoided
it all by keeping the runners chopped
last summer.
If the field or bed should be COZ
cred with dead grass it will be coed
plan to leave the grass as a mulch,
pulling up the weeds as fast as they
peep through.
As early in spring as possible SOW
over the plants 800 TO 500 pounds
per acre of good, soluble fertilizer,
rich in potash and phosphoriC acic,
with not too much ammonia unless
the soil is very poor. Wood ashes
and stable manure make a perfect
fertilizer for Strawberries. No kind
of fertilizer sh ould be sown on plants
when wet with rain, frost or dew
nor after growth starts. If it has
heen neglected till that late SOW
around and between plants.
Some kind of mulch should be ap-
piled to keep the berries oleau.
When il is TO be had, pine straw is
the ideal mulch. Nothing is as easy
to apply, and sure not TO blow off,
nor as readily settles down among
the leaves. It is better 20 apply the
mulch before growth begins. Then
the plants will grow up through it,
and all berries form with layer of
straw between them and the grit
But is takes more straw when applied
thus early, for the spring rains beat
much of is down in the dirt.
If pine straw is not to be had any
other kind of grass or straw can be
used. While it should never be ap
piled thick enough TO smother the
plants, this is not at all likely pro-
vlded it ia evenly distributed. Ten
large loads can safely be used to the
sore, though most growers use hardly
half that quantity.
If weeds come up through the
mulch they should be pulled out.
By the above means can amends
he largely made for last summers
neglect, and good crop of fine ber-
ries insured.
0. w. BLACKNALL
Vance Co., N. G.