Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-03-28

make III plain 10 ALL that the conditions
which produce large crops OF any kind,
would also, il applied to strawberries.
produce fine large berries too Let US
take one of the best known and most
common crops, that of corn. The care
full tiller will at all times strive to OBJ
tain the best results ,or the labor ex-
pended, that is, he will ever be alert
to discover something to- improve his
surrounding conditions. He Will tell
you that large yield of large ears of
corn. well matured. depends upon first,
careful selection OF seed. second, a pro-
ductive soil third, time and manner Of
planting; fourth, clean cultivation
while corn Is small; fifth, plenty of
moisture, and plenty of warm weather
to mature the advanced stages OF the
crop. Now substitute Strawberries for
Corn" will give an outline to work upon.
First, good thrifty plants must be Sc
cured of the varitics desired, plants
must be secured of the varieties de-
sired. second, q very fertile soil with
plenty of sand. mingled; third. time and
manner of putting out the plants.
fourth. clean cultivation when small,
and since the, plants are small all the
time, 1t means continuous cultivation
In order that weeds may not overgrow
and smother the plants: and fifth, ber-
ries must have plenty of moisture while
the fruit is maturing or inferior and
dimnutive berries will be the result.
All may bear in mind that the mar
failures of others around you to pro-
duce fine berries. will be of little bene-
fit to any who may make the attempt,
neither will the writer's success IN this
line aid the beginner unless he
may have taste. energy and adaptabili-
ty In this direction. These traits united
with that power of discernment
which readily distinguishes between
the different types and flavors of ber-
ries. will ultimate crown efforts In
berry culture with success: but the
average berry eater does not bother his
head whether berries grow on IA corn
stalk or a willow twig. just so he is
able TO find good ones and get them
cheap!
Having carefully noted the condition
thru a half century residence in nor
thern Iowa, all data gained by observ-
alton simply convinces that this Sec
ton Is not an ideal berry district. as
wild berries have never been sure
crop some seasons, of course. there
were some to be found In certain To-
calities, especially old herd grounds
have quite bonntiful crops for year
or two. and 10, the plants disappear
as completely as If there had been
none for miles around.
When boy. the writer has wandered
from gopher mound to mound during
hot June day, searching for berries
enough for a "short-cake," even tho
they We're small: but there were far
more seasons that scarcely wild berry
could be found; and it is well remem-
bered when we first saw such thing
as tame strawberry. Ny! but 1t
looked big to boyish eyes. These ber-
ries We're grown in the garden in Bel
mond. more than forty years ago. but
never saw any of them the seasons
following. hence conclude they must
have "fun out" the first season.
II isI'useess to pen the different de-
grees of success attending the writ
er's efforts to produce fine berries, but
suffice it to say now. that my finest
Favored and largest berries have been
picked from plants that had borne large
crops annually without failure, vet
many persons will say that berries
have to be reset every two or three
years. for they soon run out, which is
not So for ten successive crops with
out resetting have been picked from
my berry patch: this ground was COW
cred with heavy coat of COMPOST, as
nI1t
into a crop and followed with clean
during the entire season.
The next spring this was repeated. and
plowed as deep as possible, being care
full not to allow any weeds to so 10
seed on the ground, which rendered the
plot very free from weeds of any kind.
and could be easily tended, no mat
ter what the crop might be. The
third spring this was not plowed un-
til lust before setting out the berry
plants: these were carefully selected
after they had budded to blossom, none
were taken unless they had at least
one or more large blossom stems, with
large. perfect buds. A plant with
small stem and numerous small buds
will invariably produce small and in
ferior berries. The plants were set In
rows oae-half the distance corn hills
are apart, with rows six feet apart. |
These plants were allowed to spread |
These plans were allowed to spread"
the first season. but not allowed to
blossom. The second season they were
carefully thinned out, and when they
began to ripen they We're very careful
w searched for any undesirable type |
of berries that should not be
quite M to the writer's standard |
and all those producing inferior fruit |
were very quickly pulled up ana
away, even tho they might pc
loaded with ripe berries, and to TINS
removal of inferior fruit more than any
other cause, did my berries attain the
high standard that has given them a |
statewide reputation. After careful OBJ
servation ii has been proven that plants
which bear profusely of large fine ber-
ries do not have many runners after
the bearing season is over, While the
plants which produce but sparingly of
inferior berries have lots more of rum
ners, hence if left to themselves would
soon have the good berries nearly all
smothere out, or in advanced theory
that strawberry patches will run out
in two or three seasons and have to
be reset
In northern Iowa it is necessary to
cover berry plants in winter, as there
are such sudden and extreme changesI
during the winter months. Clean straw
scattered over in thin. even coating is