The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-15
Notes on Strawberry Growing.
FARM,


OF all small fruits there is no ques-
ton of the value OF the strawberry.
1t is the queen of small fruit. 1t is
esteemed by every one. AS a market
crop the strawberry is a very profit
able one-more SO than any other for
any given area probably. This is true
where the soil is just right, where the
best and most productive varieties are
grown and the manuring and cultiva-
ton just what it should be. 1t is a
crop that should be made somewhat
a speciality of, for whether the plants
are set either in the fall or spring,
cultivation must be very careful and
persistent for one entire growing sea-
son.
There are some varieties Of straw
berries that when set early in the fall
and are pushed by good cultivation as
soon as set out that will bear very
fair crop the following May but for
one variety that win do this there are
a dozen that will yield little or moth
ing the following spring when set out
in the fall-whether the setting is
made in August or in October. Our
autumns are so dry usually there is
very little root development during
September and October, and unless the
plants get good growth of roots be-
fore cold weather puts stop TO
growth they will not be sufficiently de-
veloped and established as to permit
of a good crop of fruit in May follow
ing. If the plants set out in August
or September could be irrigated and
mulched during the fall it would pro-
mote the necessary root growth for
making fruit producing plant in the
spring. The great desideratum in sue
cessful strawberry culture is water
and plenty of it.
While Strawberries have been grown
and will continue to be grown with
more or less success without artificial
watering still the market grower that
would make a speciality of the crop
can only make a success year in and
year out by providing some means
of irrigating the crop.
So far as moisture is concerned the
critical time with strawberries is just
as the plants come into bloom-wheth-
er this be in April or May. If the
bad effects of dry weather is not pre-
vented at that time the result is very
likely to be poor and Improbable. If
dry weather prevails while the plants
are blooming and forming young fruit
the berries are almost sure to be small
and to ripen irregularly. There are
two periods when the commercial
grower of Strawberries would COM
mand all needed moisture, when the
plants are first set Quit may be in
September or October, or it may be in
February or March--and as the time
for blooming Especially
at the latter time is plenty of moisture
necessary 10 the successful crop. Two
or three weeks of drouth occurring at
the critical period may cause a COM
plete failure of the crop.
Most any soil other than a stiff clay
may be made to grow strawberries
successfully, certainly any soil that
produces good crops of corn or cotton
will do it. A loamy soil fairly rich
and inclined to be moist, but we'll
drained, will generally give the best
results Good manuring and cultiva-
ton, however, will make most any
kind of soil adaptable to strawberries.
1t is not advisable to use crude sta
BILE manure for this crop. There is
no better fertilizer for it than pure
ground raw bone (bone dusD. Two
parts of this with one part of oak or
hickory ashes, with a double hand
full of the. mixture put about each
plant or hill when first set out will
cause a steady and normal growth that
in due time will exhibit its effects in
a full crop of perfect berries.
Nitrate of soda is much to be pre-
ferred to cotton seed meal for supply
ing any needed nitrogen to the soil.
Strawberries require considerable MI
uOgen from first TO last. Without a
full supply of it, there cannot be per-
fectly developed plants of bushy lux
uriant growth. Fine raw bone or bone
70 IF ho
commercial substances that best af-
ford this nitrogen for strawberries.
One, the bone meal, furnishes 1t grad
ually as ii decompOses and the nitrate
acts very speedily when applied as a
top dressing about the plants when
they show lack OF normal healthy
growth. When used properly, using
care not to use too much. it is a valu-
able factor in securing a fine crop of
berries. A tablespoonful to each hill
spread evenly to the distance OF
twelve to sixteen inches in every di-
rection about the plant is a maximum
application of this wonderfully quick
acting fertilizer.
Besides nitrogen. there must be
plenty of potash and phosphoric acid.
especially the latter. Along with nj
trogen, the bone meal will furnish this
also, as it decomposes, but it is well
dressing close to the plants. Hard
wood ashes can be used to supply pot
ash. though nowadays the German
salts are the chief reliance for potash.
Oak and hickory ashes are not easily
had in any quantity now as was the
case twenty years ago. and the oil
mills have ceased producing ashes
from hulls, so about the only potash
affording material readily procurable
are the German potash salts, of which
kainit is the inferior representative.
In starting "a strawberry plantation
small or large-the amateur or begin
ner would do well to buy his plants
from some one in his immediate sec
tion who has met with success in
growing berries. There is great con-
fusion in regard to names. One kind
will have a dozen or more different
names. The thing is to get good
berry that is suited to the climate
acclimated. so to speak-whether it has
a name or not.
Humus Again.
We cannot too often urge on the
farmers the irnnortanca of mora. si,,,-