River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-12-07
COVER STRAWBERRY BEDS.
Work Should Be Done as Soon as the
Ground Is Frozen Hard Enough
to Bear Wagon.

Material should be laid aside for the
covering of the strawberry bed. which
work should be accomplished as soon
as the ground is frozen hard enough
u hold a wagon. Caution should be
used against covering too early. Some
seem to have the impression that
Strawberries are covered to protect
them from the cold. This is not the
case; Tor it must be patent to every
one that six inches of straw or corn
stalks will not keep out very much
cold. If a thermometer were placed
above the straw and below it on win
ter day the two would be found to
register about or exactly the same.
The covering is put on to keep out
the heat in late fall and winter when
the plants are not covered with snow.
The freezing and thawing of the
ground is the thing to be guarded
against.
Ii the covering is put on too early,
the plants may be smothered and
killed, for growth is still going on
and evaporation is taking place from
the leaves. While this is the case,
covering would kill the leaves in some
cases, and in others would encourage
the growing on them of mildews.
When the leaves are frozen later on is
the time to cover. Then all growth
is arrested, and the covering cannot
smother them. For the same reason,
the straw must be removed quite early
in the spring before growth has set in.
1t is not desirable to use for cover
ing any kind of material that packs
very closely. The keeping out of the
air is not desirable, but the protection
of the ground from the direct rays Of
the sun. Coarse straw held down by
also used. Sometimes it may be found
advisable to use little straw be-
low and cornstalks above the latter
holding the straw from blowing.
AS to Che ACCESSIBILITY of covering
there is dispute, but it is doubtless
true that the man that covers his
Strawberries is sure of crop of ber-
ries the coming year; while the man
that does not cover is not sure of one.
We know of people in the latitude of
northern Illinois, says the Farmers
Review, who never cover their vines
at all, and usually get fair crops, but
we also know that on occasional years
their beds in the spring are very
sickly looking and the resultant crop
is small.
Further north in the latitude of Wis
consin, there can be no question of the
advisability of covering if crop is TO
be expected every year. The Oldest
growers there declare that they would
not try to grow Strawberries without
covering. In fact, a good many people
in past years gave up strawberry
growing there because they so FREE
ouently lost their beds in winter. But
since covering has become general
the result has been far otherwise.
AS we go south the need Of COW
ering decreases, but the practice in
each locality will have to depend on
experience The locality that has for
long time grown strawberries with
out winter protection will continue to
grow them that way. But there are
always localities where the vines are
not covered, but should be. 1t is some
work TO do the covering, and for this
reason the growers are likely to take
the risk of not covering IL that risk
is not too great. Where protection is
needed it pays to cover.