The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-05-18
NOW TIME TO RAISE
STRAWBERRIES
This Is a Business That Is Profitable
and Can Be Carried on by Any
one.

The best time to set strawberry
bed Is the early spring, as soon as the
land is In good condition and the
plants can be obtained There Is more
moisture as a rule at that time; and
this, combined with the cool weather
of spring, gives better growing con-
ditions than August planting. Plants
may also be set in the fall, If extra
attention and care are given them.
1t does not pay to set the plants in
dry soil, unless plenty Of water for
/ irrigation purposes is available.
! Strawberries require a rich soil,
hence it Is we'll to thoroughly manure
the land that Is to be used for the
crop in the fall, and plow under from
four to six inches deep. In the
spring. disc drag and smooth thor
oughly This gives a loose soil In
which to set the plants, and a firm
sub-soil to hold the moisture, and yet
open enough to let the roots through.
Any land that will grow good crop
of corn will grow strawberries. Sod
land should never be used II 1t can
be prevented, as it Is likely to contain
grubs and cut-worms, which will eat
off the roots of newly-set plants. A
northern slope Is to be preferred, as
the plants do not start SO early in the
spring. They thus escape the early
frosts and they are not so likely to
be dried out by the hot south and
southwest winds at fruiting time.
Plants having a small crown, and
large number Of white f1brous roots,
are best for planting. 1t Is not a
good plan to use plants that have
borne fruit, as they are weaker.
The best plants are obtained from
plantations that have not been allow
ed to fruit. Their roots are white,
while the roots of the old plant are
brown. Before planting, all dead
leaves should be removed. The roots
should be pruned back to about or
inches. All flowers should be kept
off the plants the first season, as this
provides a stronger growth. 1t is best
to get the plants from a nursery
man or strawberry specialist, as they
are not as likely to be mixed as when
obtained from neighbor.
There are two classes of straw
berries, known as staminate and pls-
tillate or perfect and imperfect vari-
cites. The staminate or perfect
varieties all have well-developed
stamens and pistils, the male and fe-
male organs of the flower. These
varieties, as a rule, will bear fruit
when planted by themselves. The
pistillate varieties have only the pis-
tils or female part of the flower. IN
order for these to bear fruit, it q
necessary that perfect or staminate
varieties be planted near them. Usu-
ally, where pistillate and staminate
sorts are used, one row of staminate
is planted to three rows pistillate.
Planted in this way, the pistillate
varieties very often bear more fruit
than the staminate. There is no
way of distinguishing the difference
between these varieties when not In
flower, although there are certain
characteristics of plant growth that
may enable one very familiar with
the strawberry to distinguish yari-
eties.
There are several methods of
planting In general use, which may
be modified to suit the planter.
The method in common use Is the
matted row system. In the spring,
when the land is In good condition
to work, harrow smooth, and mark
out rows four feet apart and as long
as possible. Then set the plants at
Is to 24-inch intervals In the rows,
and cultivate often enough to keep
the weeds out and the soil loose until
September; when, IL the plants are
vigorous growers, the runners should
be about 6 inches apart. 1t is de-
sirable to train the runners the long
way of the rows, cutting out plants
that crowd. An ordinary planting
trowel or spade is used to set the
plants. A spade Is an easy imple-
ment to open the ground with. Strike
1t into the ground and work 1t back
and forth. draw out the spade, spread