Milford chronicle., 1902-07-04
Summer Work On a Strawberry
Farm.
BY o. W. BLAcKNALL, KITTRELL,
NC.


NC.
will give the system. of work
which, af,er more than 20 Y, airs
experience, we have adopted as
best on our strawberry. farms.
While this system can be modified
to suit the conditions, prevailing in
different localities, ] believe that
it will be found applicable to
large portion of the country.
Strawberry fields that have borne
two crops are plowed under and
sowed in COW peas. And we
would impress on all that success
with the COW pea this unrivaled
soil improver depends largely on
the way it is planted. It is nearly
always covered too deep, the Gu
tom being to SOW broadcast and
pillow under with turning plows, |
The result Of this deep covering is
that the peas are late in forcing
their way up through the soil,
and that a great many, often the
larger proportion, never come up
at all
If peas are to be broadcasted the
land should be plowed first, the
peas then evenly sown at the rate
Of six to eight pecks to the acre
and worked in with a disk harrow.
This narrowing not only covers the
peas just the right depth, one to
, two inches, but at the same time
converts the soil into an ideal seed
+ bed.
As rule we prefer to SOW peas
in rows or lists. This requires only
/ one bushel of seed to an acre. Break
! up the old strawberry bed or field
: and harrow if cloddy or turfy. The
!. COW pea while exceedingly hardy
n when well established requires favor
y able conditions of the soil to start
y it off.
I With the soil we'll narrowed run
= off the rows three feet apart and
sow the peas evenly. Cover them
by means of a small tooth cultiva
it tor. To make the cultivator effec-
/ tive in this respect, remove all but
Is the two side teeth. Then run SC
] that these teeth will run on each
Y, = side of the furrow i'll which the pea.
y have been sown and near enough
e. thereto to throw an inch or two o
is dirt on the seed.
Of Peas drilled this way will neeC
I'd no hoe work. Two plowings witt
to a cultivator will suffice to make
at good crop. Skilful and timel
I 7, blowing Of peas will keep down tn
10 crab grass till the pea vines &c
,ir large enough to smother it out
nd This is a most desirable thing, 70
ne the less crab grass seed that form
ng this summer the less crab grass t
re- fight amid the strawberry plant
he next summer. And it is immense
mt ly easier and cheaper to kill it wit
81 81 pillow now among the peas tina
os with fingers and hoe amid the straw
led berry runners a year later. 1 hav
ng kept pea fields so clean of grass fc
les two summers, that when planted j
asst strawberries the third year scarcel
any crab grass at all came TIL
vastly simplifed and cheapened Il
roc cultivation Of the strawberries.
NV Whether drilled or broadcaste
Is the pea vines should be turned Ill
son der or cut for forage Just as the p,
He forms. If the vines are cut Il
he stubble should at once be pillow,
ieh under. Some allow most of Il
a peas to ripen, pick them and tn,
", cut or turn under the vines. B
a.. ~ field will give better results
nv nv berries when the vines are cut
rvs plowed under before the pea m
rive lures Maturing seed is the proce
ILLS that exhausts the soil with peas
i Of with other crops.
e to The peas or the stubble turn
not under in September, the land m
TINS ms be prepared and again set in plar
ms as soon as rains come to get t
~ ~ soil in good condition.
So much as to the fields that q
to be plowed under, rotated in pc
and reset in strawberries the folio
rely ing fall. Now as to cultivatiny
hard field that has borne only one or
t of and which it is desired to prepi
ai OF for a crop the following sprir
es s Bar off the rows with a tlrli
sin 7g,u plow, leaving a strip about one f,
tied wide If the plants have be
and grown in stools or hills work tn
th out nicely If the matted syst
It up has been followed chop out
fur plants leaving a single row ale
fod the unplowed strip, chop the pla
men men about a foot to a foot and a
.. tne apart. Then SOW 500 to T.,
ne = pounds cotton seed meal an acre
+ for each side of the plants and in
furrow made in barring off, +;
at once cover the meal BY split
the middles, which will throw
poor dirt back around the plants.
lased Reduced Rates to Denver, color
seed Springs and Pueblo.
oOhS Nio panps,yi,,o,,{o r,,fi-.,a A ..,,,,,4 1