Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-07-12
OLD STRAWBERRY BEDS
They Propagate Insects and Dis
eases for Another Season.
AS TO YIELD AND FERTILIZERS
Late Cabbages Can Follow on Strawberry Bed
With Prp6t-Strawberries Can be Made
to Exceed Corn in Yield.

10 Exceed Corn IN Yield.
Fruit growers are discussing the adj
vantaRes of new stra berry beds
evary wear compared WITH allowing a
bed TO bear crops for two or more
ears. Now that the strawberry creu
mas been harvested in this section for
this season. attention should be given
the bed, as old beds require consider
able labor If thew aes TO re put 20 use
again next wear, and the value Of the
old h~edsiepends upon the treatment
given from this time until next
snria& Usually the strawberry bed is
a mass of weeds and grass. unless il
has been kerr IN excellent condition
from the time The o ng plants is set
oct until the present. bur the first
dnts now j 10 oef rid of the weeds
before they produce seed, Some
growers NOV the rows and then work
carefully with the u,e, leaving the
rows as narrow us possible. and work
ing between the rows we'll with the
cnitivator.
The resalts of the second year with
strawberries depend largely upon the
amount of fertilizer supplied the first
season, as well as .pon the quantity
used the second year. If the bed has
been cleaned completely of weeds.
and rhe soil between the rows well
worked. the grower should apply fer
tilizer now. placing il close TO the
plants, along the outside of each rev.
A fertilizer consisting largely OF
phosphate and nntash should he used,
as the nitrogen should be applied ear-
Nv in the spring. owing to is solubil-
lty, but III cases where ground fish is
used the nitrogen Is not so easily car
ried away bv rains. Matted rows, if
such are preferred Nv growers. should
have the fertil ger broadcasted over
the lows. hut ii matted rows are used
they sheu'd at least be greatly reduc-
ed in width
i Growers who RELY uDon only one
croD from a stra wberry bed ulaim
that 1t is better to use all the fertili-
ger the plants can appropriate the
first year, so as 70 secure tle largest
possible weld, and plant the old bed
for late cabbages. as the fertilizer left
over IN rhe soil and not appropriated
by thu strawberry plants should
produce cabbages of extra size aud
quality. II is claimed, also. that bv
growing some other crup on the old
strawberry bed the insect enemies of
the strawberry are more easily kept
down, and that diseases of TIL. plants
do not spread so rapidly when the
croD is grown uro a new plot every
season. FvervihiDg depends unon the
labor, however, and the growers who
aim 10 get two crops instead of me,
ana keep the land In strawberries
two years are inclined to suppose that
they save labor and fertilizers the
second year but when 1t is consider.
ed that the blowing up of en old bed
adds considerable plant + tie
soil, and that some OFT e. aof lie
crop can be grown thereon ] il h.
able that the grower will ls'or
bv having fewer insects M, diseas :
to contend with by making new boss
every spring. A good crop Of st.as
berries will produce more bushels per
acre than orn and. except when har-
vesting the berries, the CROP requires
no more attention Than corn. Much
of the labor on corn is done after 1t is
harvested. while the strawberry bed.
if kent clean early IN the year, may
entail but little labor upon the grow
er until the next spring.