The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1910-08-18
PAYS TO CULTIVATE
STRAWBERRIES
Woman with Is Acres
Land Supports Family
She Proved That Woman Can Carry
on Farm TO Profit

A short time ago in central Maine
man died leaving his wife and a
est fourteen and the youngest seven.
The only thing that the man left be-
hind him to his wife was a small
house and ten acres of land in the
village The man had, however, be-
fore his death, set out a quarter of
an acre of strawberry plants. 1t
was the beginning 5of spring when the
woman took up tire sole support of
her family. The plants had been set
since the June before. They would
be ready to bear that summer in
July. Knowing the method that had
been used by her husband in setting
out the plants, she got her ground
ready and set out one-half acre of
strawberries during that May and
June. She and her boys together
did all of the work excepting the
ploughing and narrowing.
The last part of June the woman
with her three children began pick
ing the strawberries from the old bed
1t kept them picking every other day
for over three weeks and, with
team, the Oldest boy peddled them
out in a village of 5000 inhabitants
receiving on an average fifteen cents
a box. From that piece of straw
berries and with little other farm
ing that the woman and her boys did
that summer and fall she was able
to keep her boys In school. The fol-
lowing year from the half-acre that
she and her boys had set out she got
$4SS. On being asked how she man
aged to take care of the strawberries
and do so we'll with them, she said
that she had kept busy with the cul-
tivator.
Many look upon strawberry rails
ing as being a difficult task, back
aching to say the least but it isn't
so. The woman said: I'm choosing
ground for strawberries / aimed to
get it s1oping. at least a little, to-
wards the west. This isn't however,
necessary; but if strawberries are
placed on slightly sloping ground they
are not so likely to be killed by ice in
the winter and they receive more ben
eft from the sun. One should work
the ground thoroughly going over it,
after it is ploughed, with a harrow a
number of times. The ground should
be made rich by ploughing in CON
siderable dressing. Ashes are good.
And then when setting out the plants,
phosphate should be mixed with the
dirt where each plant is to be set.
Strawberry plants should be set in
rows about four feet apart and the
plants should each be set about a
| foot apart After the plants have
been we'll set and the dirt has be-
come settled around them, a fine
toothed cultiyator should be run be-
! tween the rows. This should be
done at least once a week until the
fall frosts begin to come. The run
run lengthwise of the rows and if one
after cultivating, will each time go
through the rows with a hoe, he will
have no difficulty in keeping the
weeds out. Merely stir the dirt
around the plants but do not put any
around them. When going around
with the hoe, be sure to pick all
blossoms that may be in evidence the
first year. This will give the plants a
better chance to grow. 1t is well in
the late fall to cover your plants
with straw or with boughs. This
protects them from SHOWS and ice to
great extent Remove the straw
quite early in the spring and do not
touch your plants again until you
begin to pick the strawberries. a
strawberry bed should be used only
one season; but new beds should be
set out each spring, about the mid
die of May and not later than the
first of June. the plants of the new
bed being taken from the bed that is
to bear that year. Care should be
used in selecting the plants, to select
three rows of staminates to one row
of pistlates. This is necessary be
cause pistilates alone are imperfect.